decisions, decisions
has anyone heard about the new radiohead record? they're doing an awesome thing....album isn't out until early december. their last 3 albums have been subject to theft and available for download prior to release.
so what do they do? they offer it online themselves. the record company has got to be pissed. artists make about 20 cents on the dollar of every album sold. they make nothing on illegal downloads. they make about 50-60 cents on the dollar for every ticket sold. this plan is awesome for them, shitty for the record companies. radiohead releases something that will get leaked anyway with a "pay what you want" mentality. get people into the new stuff and excited for the upcoming tour. they'll likely make more money in the end.
so, in poking around their site....it truly is pay what i want. do i cheapskate it and put in practically nothing? or do i pay what i think it is worth to have (10 bucks USD)? hell....if i wanted, i'm sure i could just wait a day and it will be out on my torrent site that i frequent. i feel that as a fan i owe them something. but for me....i'd rather have the packaging so i'll wait for dec to give them their money (pre-orders of the disc on their site is 40 pounds UK!)
posted by Buck Super Stereo @ 6:33 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
I think you have to pay them what you think it is worth to own. When you look at all the bullshit the recording industry has been pulling over the past several years, Radiohead is doing the right thing and moving in the right direction. The best thing that could possibly come of this is that Radiohead makes MORE on this album then they would have if they distributed it through normal channels. In fact, I'm not a big Radiohead fan and I'm seriously considering paying them some money for this album just on principle.
The recording industry has refused to adapt to digital distribution and, what little they have offered digitally is full of DRM shit that won't let you use the files how you want to. Radiohead is offering DRM free, high bitrate mp3 files which is absolutely the direction we need to be going. I say give them AT LEAST as much as you would have paid for the CD. Heck, if you've got a few extra bucks to spare, give them more than the CD would have cost.
The important thing to keep in mind here is that if everyone pays next to nothing for this album, why would any band do it again? Consider how amazing just the premise of 'pay what you want' is. Is it worth it to pay at least the same amount as you would have for the actual CD to get across the message that we, as consumers, really like this idea and would be willing to buy music this way? Or is it more important to get this one album for $1 and never see another offer like this again?
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