Rumors have begun to surface between music insiders that other bands are planning on following in Radiohead's footsteps, after the band releases their new album In Rainbows tomorrow at a name-it-yourself-price method.
Britpop rockers the Charlatans will release their new album, You Cross My Path, for free via UK radio station Xfm on October 22nd October.
But music insiders, in a recent interview with UK paper The Daily Telegraph, said Oasis, who are currently unsigned to a label, are thinking about pulling a Radiohead for their next one.
Oasis
Oasis are already releasing their next single "Lord Don't Slow Me Sown" as a digital release only, on their own imprint, Big Brother. Another band that might take the same name-your-price-for-our-album road according to insiders is Jamiroquai.
The outcome of the music industry largely depends on the sales and profits success of Radiohead's In Rainbows. Already media outlets are tagging unsigned bands with the possibility of releasing their albums under the same method.
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent reznor released a statement yesterday (October 8th) announcing his band's departure from their label, Interscope.
"I have been under recording contracts for 18 years," Reznor wrote on the NIN Web site, "and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate."
Immediately media followed-up with the notion that for the next Nine Inch Nails, Reznor would allow listeners to decide how much to pay for it (http://news.yahoo.com/s/launch/20071008/en_launch/49998583;_ylt=AvqXuREWetseKliRd2AeYmOVEhkF). The record companies can't catch a break and are truly on a downward spiral.
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
My Trusted MOGs
I truly believe this is a marvelous thing, though I can't help but notice that the bands doing it are more 'established' bands. This is an awesome example for these artists to be setting for the industry, but I wonder if this set up would work for smaller bands/artists who would play VFW hall/small all ages venues tours rather than arenas - and I'm thinking in terms of merchandise sales/ticket sale revenue here.
I know Jonah Matranga has used a sliding scale pay system for his releases for some time now, but he also has a cap where you can only go three or four dollars each way off what the 'suggested' price of an item would be. Radiohead's ballsy as hell to set it up so that, if you'd like, you can basically pay nothing more than the credit card processing fee to get the download link for the album.
... and yes, of course I'm anxiously awaiting my download link from Radiohead tomorrow, heh.
My Trusted MOGs
I agree that the bands jumping on the bandwagon are a lot more established then others. I think that it will become an "to each's own" type of thing. the majors will be obliterated, and survive as a few smaller subsidiary labels, were indie rack artists will grow until they can bank it on their own. agreed?
My Trusted MOGs
Totally agreed. I think that there are a lot of ways for smaller bands to 'falter' based on a music distribution system such as what Radiohead's going after here, BUT -- let's face it, is 'faltering' under this system any worse than struggling and scraping to get on a label, only to find that your band might actually do more poorly (in a financial sense) on a label than it did without one?
This is unbelievably exciting because I know a lot of people in bands, and this basically presses the 'reset' button on the industry for them if it catches on. It no longer becomes an obsessive tendency of pounding heads against walls trying to get someone in the 'industry' -- the new lean will be towards studying and manipulating this new set up to find innovative and better ways to market your band with your own best interests in mind. This can only lead to exciting things for listeners, which is why I pray this model begins to slowly seep into bands' lexicons.
My Trusted MOGs
i couldn't agree more with you. the manipulation part will key. its very sad for labels, yet exciting for bands and some smaller labels...
My Trusted MOGs
It's cool to see other bands do this - it'll be interesting to see Radiohead's sales. Think I'd stick to buying CDs though - have to have the booklet, feel a bit "lost" without it. I assuming that since the album can be free, there's no copy protection on it like at HMV.co.uk? That'd be great, then I could actually buy songs legally, that will play!