Revolutionary Idea: Full CD for 2 Cents

[Rand{CLR}]

Radiohead is doing something absolutely unexpected, and completely brilliant. They are selling their new cd for Downloads (pre-order now, begin download on the 10th), at WHATEVER PRICE YOU WANT TO PAY.

You enter the price on the website, whatever you want. They will take that price and you will get the download next week.

I just got mine for 2 cents American. The frigging credit card charge (service fees et. al) is 90 cents U.S., 45 times the product itself. This just blows my mind. It's going to be very interesting to see what effect this brilliant/insane idea has on the music industry.

Get yours today, www.radiohead.com.

-Rand

[Thrashdragon]

Since a fan of Radiohead only gave them 2 cents, it's probably not going to work very well. I would think giving them a fair price would encourage them, and others, to do more of this in the future.

[FieryDragon]

im just glad that i dont purchase songs off the internet...i prefer geting them from the store...sure i get a few songs that r crap but then i can remix them. at least that way they sound better.other than that...if i lose the songs on my computer...i have to pay again to get the song again...all in all, i stick to cds n records!

[LIMEY]

Since a fan of Radiohead only gave them 2 cents, it's probably not going to work very well. I would think giving them a fair price would encourage them, and others, to do more of this in the future.

I agree, they should have put a minimum on it, so many will pay absolutely bugger all for it. If true fan will only give 0.02 then this idea is going to go down as an all time boner like no other before it......

[Rand{CLR}]

What it does though is circumvent piracy. They realized that many people are just going to get it for free, so why not.

What I haven't mentioned here is that I have EVERY intention of paying full price if/when they get a publisher and release the album on physical CD.

So they'll get my 12 bucks, and an additional 2 cents on that, and I'll be paying for the same product twice. :P

-Rand

[Grisu]

Best form of marketing ever...

[mapes]

I think the piracy is overblown I agree with this posting on techdirt

The band Radiohead is apparently coming out with a new album; the first after its original record deal was completed. It appears that, like many other musicians, they're realizing that the traditional recording industry business model doesn't quite make sense for them. While there was some buzz about an apparent hoax website about the band's new album, it turns out the real thing is a bit more interesting. That's because Radiohead is doing two smart things. It's telling fans they can name their own price for digital downloads. You just pay the band however much you think the downloads are worth and they'll be happy. But that's not all (though, that's what most folks are focused on). Rather than just offering up the content, they're also trying to give people a reason to actually buy something else. In this case, it's a "discbox," which will include the new album on both CD and vinyl, as well as an additional CD of seven extra songs and photos, artwork and lyrics. The whole thing will be packaged in a nice container. In other words, the band is following in the footsteps of folks like Trent Reznor, in realizing that the music is promotional for other stuff -- and you can still sell stuff if you make it worthwhile. In this case, Radiohead isn't really selling the "music." After all, you can get that for free. They're selling the full collection of stuff that comes with the music. Funny how it's the musicians, and not the record labels, who seem to realize that adding value and getting people to pay for it is a business model that beats suing fans.

[Rand{CLR}]

The only problem is, the special set costs about 84 bucks American. For 2 cds, a book (nice, for both), and 2 useless vinyl albums, since I don't have a record player. It also includes the download. If I hadn't run up such a high credit debt this year on HD and a new pc, I would have gotten it despite the vinyl though. I'm not sure I would be able to get either the unique music on disc 2 or the book separately next year.

-Rand

[Thrashdragon]

What it does though is circumvent piracy. They realized that many people are just going to get it for free, so why not.

What I haven't mentioned here is that I have EVERY intention of paying full price if/when they get a publisher and release the album on physical CD.

So they'll get my 12 bucks, and an additional 2 cents on that, and I'll be paying for the same product twice. :P

-Rand

Well that's different then. Guess you're not the cheapskate we thought you were.

Plus, 2 cents per album for a retail CD sale is probably about what they get after the RIAA takes its cut. :P

[darth_nevus]

Since a fan of Radiohead only gave them 2 cents, it's probably not going to work very well. I would think giving them a fair price would encourage them, and others, to do more of this in the future.

I agree, they should have put a minimum on it, so many will pay absolutely bugger all for it. If true fan will only give 0.02 then this idea is going to go down as an all time boner like no other before it......

Harvey danger GAVE away their last album via MP3's and Zip files on their website, no strings attached short of a request if you like the songs, buy the cd as well. it got me to buy it. i loved about 1/2 the songs on it so i bought the original CD.

This is just another type of spin on it, and does well so that if they do lose money, its not much., they probably expected to bank very little on it.