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Radiohead Asks: What Would You Pay For An Album?

The British band announced this week that it will sell its new album from its Web site as a digital download without copy protection and allow fans to decide how much to pay.

By K.C. Jones
InformationWeek
October 2, 2007 10:46 AM

Radiohead, by offering its forthcoming album as a digital download with no fixed price or copy protection, is testing a concept promoted by digital rights management opponents for years.

The British band announced this week that it will sell its new album, "In Rainbows," from its Web site and allow fans to decide how much to pay. The band will release the album via digital download Oct. 10. Radiohead will sell the album without DRM, allowing buyers to copy and import the songs onto as many devices as they wish.

NME, a music news Web site, reports that its readers have indicated they will pay an average of $10 for the album. While that's less than the going rate for a new CD with 10 songs, the band appears to have circumvented distribution costs and payments to record labels. The band had ended its contract with EMI before producing the album.

The announcement is the latest is a series of new distribution strategies presented by artists and music industry executives to turn profits despite widespread music piracy, while also trying to find ways around Apple iTunes' market dominance.

Nearly two years ago, open source advocate and GNU creator Richard Stallman told a crowd of followers in New York City that he thought musicians should offer their music online and allow fans to choose the price. He said that would cut out the middleman, circumvent copyright restrictions, and create a new distribution system that would benefit artists and fans.

Prince has upset the music industry by giving albums away for free at concerts and distributing his latest CD, "Planet Earth," via British newspapers.

Word spread Monday that Radiohead would accept pre-orders and had invited fans to name their price. By Monday evening, Radiohead's album site experienced difficulties due to high volumes of traffic, likely indicating a high level of interest among fans.

"We are working on the current gear-grinding at inrainbows.com," lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood wrote on the band's Web site. "It's getting busy in there -- busier than expected. ... Thanks for your patience with the site & interest in the record."

The band plans to sell a deluxe version of the album with two discs, lyrics, and art, in December.