[Luke Redpath]

Radiohead have announced that their new album "In Rainbows" will be available to download from October 10th or buy as a special disc boxset from 3rd December. The boxset will be £40. The download will cost...its up to you:

http://www.inrainbows.com/

You can literally specify what you want to pay when you check out - including 0.

I think its a great idea and I encourage anybody who likes Radiohead to get the download at a fair price - its not like Radiohead need the money but I think the concept is one that deserves supporting. I'm just trying to decide how much - an interesting moral quandry.

[Dusteh]

I'm buying the boxset since I want to put it on hardformat. I admire Radioheads experimentation, Thom Yorke is a true artist in every sense of the word.

[Do Gooder]

I like stuff like this that asks a question of your moral character. good on em'

[sub]

A great concept in a perfect world but totally open to abuse, imo.
Good on 'em though.

[Dusteh]

If I weren't buying the boxset, I think a fiver is a fair price for what I assume will be a 320kbps download. It would be interesting to know what they get as the highest payment.

[stickmus]

but totally open to abuse, imo

How can you abuse a system that is happy to give it away for free?

[Luke Redpath]

I guess you could technically buy it for nothing and if you like it, buy it again for something.

[sub]

Originally Posted by stickmus

How can you abuse a system that is happy to give it away for free?

Agreed. I was really referring to the concept being a benchmark system for future download media.

This seems to be a very clever (and possibly cheaper) marketing gimmick that will mainly rely on their existing fan base to help make the campaign financially viable, I'd expect.

[pgo]

People who have money and an appreciation for the effort it takes to record an album will pay for it. Others won't. The people who pay zero are probably the ones who would pirate it or copy it from a friend anyway.

Maybe this will get non-fans interested in the band (has anyone not heard of Radiohead?) since they don't have to fork over the initial investment.

Personally, I started losing interest after Kid A and haven't listened to anything since (though I did give the next album a listen). I'll buy this one.

[stickmus]

Interesting write up on the Telegraph site:

Radiohead to give away new album - Telegraph

Odd that it's in the money section though...

[Kid A]

They'll make money from the £40 box set, fans have to buy that to hear the bonus material and also buying it for the artwork. I know I will anyway, I forked out extra for amnesiac and Kid a Limited editions so after waiting this long for the album I'll end up giving them a few quid for the digital version. Decent Idea though, a kick in the balls to limewire etc.

[Luke Redpath]

Originally Posted by pgo

The people who pay zero are probably the ones who would pirate it or copy it from a friend anyway.

Not necessarily. I happily admit that I download music from torrent sites more often than not however I would purchase this simply to support the concept.

Personally, I started losing interest after Kid A and haven't listened to anything since (though I did give the next album a listen). I'll buy this one.

Same here.

[Dusteh]

I actually prefer Radiohead post-Kid A. Less indie rock, more experimental.

[Tom_E]

Kid-A is a quality album.

[mike_m]

it's a smart move.

People who would buy the CD's anyway, will either buy the box-set or pay for the download.

People who normally download music and don't pay, won't pay anyway, this way, they'll get useful stats to analyse.

People who want to pay for music downloads, but think the music industry is massively inflating prices and the artists don't get enough of a cut will go out of their way to pay a fair price (£2-£5 for digital album I reckon). Even a large percentage of those who downloaded it for nothing may go back and put some money in if they listen to it more than once or twice.

The success (barring the legal troubles) of allofmp3 makes it pretty obvious people will pay rather than download for a reasonable price.

Wave of the future innit.

[poke]

I still buy LP's, so I'll have to get the boxset. Glad to see there still enough people buying vinyl to support the format.

[centro]

Originally Posted by Tom Eversley

Kid-A is a quality album.

Buy 'I might be Wrong' - Live Album Quality

[Tom_E]

Originally Posted by centro

Buy 'I might be Wrong' - Live Album Quality

Already got it – and you're spot on – more quality.

[iblastoff]

Originally Posted by Dusteh

I actually prefer Radiohead post-Kid A. Less indie rock, more experimental.

err? none of their albums have ever sounded like 'indie rock'.

[Dusteh]

God knows what you call it in Canada. But The Bends and Pablo Honey were as indie rock as you like. I should know, I was a proper indie/grunge kid back then.