While the world may never know how much Radiohead banked off their "name-your-price" sales model for In Rainbows, the band's seventh studio album, frontman Thom Yorke is saying the band won't do it again, perhaps indicating it wasn't enough.
"I think it was a one-off response to a particular situation," Yorke told The Hollywood Reporter of the innovative In Rainbows sales model. The "particular situation" was Radiohead's departure from their long-time record label, EMI.
"It was one of those things where we were in the position of everyone asking us what we were going to do. I don't think it would have the same significance now anyway, if we chose to give something away again. It was a moment in time."
Regardless, the giving away free music business model has caught on. Radiohead's ATO label mates My Morning Jacket recently gave away the first single off their upcoming album Evil Urges. And only yesterday, Coldplay gave away their first single "Violet Hill" from their new album Viva La Vida. Nine Inch Nails' Trent reznor has also been slaphappy giving away free music lately.
Do you think Radiohead should've only given away one single for free and charged for the rest of the album? Or was the "name-your-own-price" worth the historical footprint it put on the music business?
My Trusted MOGs
This doesn't mean they won't have other innovative ideas and schemes to help market and sell their material in the future. Who knows what other ideas they have stirring right now?
My Trusted MOGs
So was it genius? or part of a legal plan for label negotiations? or both? or none?
My Trusted MOGs
Any press is good press
My Trusted MOGs
Its just the turn of the tides, Touring used to promote recorded music sales, now music recorded promotes revenue gained from touring. Radiohead are going to do extremely well from their upcoming live shows, as did Prince, who, in the UK gave away his record with a newspaper, sold out the O2 for like three weeks straight... I guess models must be tried out to see which one is going to work long term, maybe there will be no one sales model anymore.... exciting!
My Trusted MOGs
I'm sure they did just fine. Not pillage-a-giant-corporation-for-an-obscene-advance-and-let-them-take-the-financial-risk fine, but we-have-more-money-than-we'll-ever-need-and-here-are-millions-more fine.