Busy month equals lack of posts recently. The story about Radiohead releasing their new album on download caught my eye though. I've been waiting for a high-profile act to further undermine an industry that has so wilfully failed to understand what's happening to it.

What I want to see is a chart that shows just how much people were prepared to pay. I'm betting a peak around £5 and a fairly high percentage of individuals shelling out for the £40 box that will off-set those who decide to pay next-to-nothing.

Reaction from the mainstream media has been predictable. The Telegraph said:

"This is a move that has bamboozled everyone... Radiohead are cutting out the A&R men, critics and media who normally act as a filter for the massive amount of music competing for our attention, helping guide consumer choices."

I love that... thanks to all those people selflessly labouring to 'guide my choice' otherwise known as 'turning a profit' off the back of the artists' work.

The pricing model is not a concept that's hard to grasp, it's like a friend giving you something and saying "pay me what you think it's worth". It isn't any more complicated than that, it's just that the web allows you to do it with a lot more people.

Why not take a minute to read about Fugazi?

Update: more Radiohead news on Dead Air Space.

1 original comment:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/08/nine-inch-nails-help-seal-record-industr...
Why would bands, with millions of pounds, let record companies scrape of the cream?
Comment by Adam Boulton — 9 October, 2007 @ 4:01 pm