Radiohead Album Shock

Comments so far

Peteris Folkmanis (Mr.) Daugavpils, Latvia
Courageous step, indeed. Finally, Radiohead turned out the ones to do it. This is exactly the way I understand it - how things in art should be. One half is the art and the other - the technical side and work in it. So there should be the lower level up from which to evaluate art, still. One more problem is, that 1$ or 1pound don't mean the same in Latvia and in US or UK. The average price for a CD in Record store in Latvia would be approx. 10p. (or25$). So don't feel offended if the prices fans in different countries pay don't match.

Danno, Munich
I love these guys. This is a great way to make a point.The bottom line for me is - I pay, I get my music. That's all I want. I don't care if I have to pay more but I don't want to register with a website, pay them a lump sum, download my music, and then find that I have to do backflips to listen to it in my car, my stereo, my ipod or whatever because it's got licensing restrictions on it. I don't want to have to remember a username and password, I don't want to have to change my rego details if I change my email address, I don't want to have to update my credit card details if I get a new credit card. It's a pain in the posterior. I pay for the music, I listen to the music. That's what I want. That's what they're giving me.I will gladly play these guys what they deserve and more - if they say "Recommended Retail Price is x" then x is my minimum. I can't believe there are tight a**es out there who want to rip off a band because they're being honest and open and generous. I'm sure if you were hard up for a bit of cash they wouldn't mind you paying whatever you can afford but being tight just because you can is totally p*ssweak.

Claire, Penzance
in all seriousness, the people who are paying so little are really missing the point of this... they are being dishonest, cheap, and they are insulting the band. They couldn't call themselves a fan when they are so willing to take the p*ss. The chap who points out how little bands make from each CD that is sold via a record label is absolutely right, but that doesn't mean that we have to be reinforcing that. This is a chance for musicians -- and not just hugely successful ones like radiohead because hopefully others will follow suit -- to make more more money honestly and independently - and they deserve it - without record label fatcats reaping the benefits. I'm looking forward to the revolution and I hope that despite the idiots out there Radiohead do really well out of this.

NIKOS - Birmingham - United Kingdom
I believe it is a very nice and quite safe marketing experimental exercise from Radiohead supported by their company...almost ethical from consumers's point of view.Music is such a nice thing to be available and affordable especially for people who cannot buy a CD at £15-20...As a fan I am always willing to pay around £10 for a CD I have been waiting for!Electing price could possibly rejunevate for music sales in certain markets.Many thanks for asking anyway!!!

Jim, Norwich
I paid £2 for my download, purely coz I'm a bit skint right now. If I could afford it I would have gone £10, no problem. I got Hail To The Thief illegally, and have had so much enjoyment out of that for the last 4 years, so I fully intend to part with proper money for their stuff when I can afford to. Seems strange they try something new and experimental like the 'name your price' download, and then include vinyl in the box. Sad to say I no longer own a record player, so if I got the box it would only gather dust, while I would listen to the album on my mp3 or PC.

Plymouth
The dumbest idea ever, no matter what all these people say, you would be a fool not to pay the lowest amount for the download, and thats what everyone will do!!!

andrew simi valley
i think its a good idea, it almost makes hearing and owning the cd,alittle more personal, when you choose the price, it would be like buying it from them personally.

David Middlesbrough
again its quality not quantity

aaron, toronto
brilliant idea. leave it to radiohead to sort it out before the rest. can they lose? what is it worth to you? save the planet and pay for your music

Oli Spraggs Bath
Hi there, I just pre-ordered the download for free. I am going to listen to it first then pay how much I value it at. (re-order it).There!

Will Northants
It a cleaver marketing ploy, it will only help encourage the £40.00 version.

Richard, London
I think this is one of the best moves by a major band(also a necessary one) If it proves successful, the majors could well be in serious trouble. Radiohead aren't the only band to get fed up the major's financial raping of the public - Trent Reznor has already stated his intentions to go the same way after he fulfils his current contract obligations.

Chris, Swansea
I know I may sound stingy but paid nothing which you can do, but I am a school boy of fourteen who was forced to fork out £15 for The Future Of The Left album and can't actually afford the album. Should be good though. If all bands were like this I would pay a fiver each, but as some albums cost three times that the I can't see how I can.

John in Vancouver
Perhaps they should give us the option to pay after we listen to the album; then we can decide how much we think it's worth. Imagine the album charts if every band used that method....

Brian, Oxford
If I order it before it's released, I'd be tempted to pay a small amount, because I don't know whether I'll like it. (Also it's not clear what will be the format or bitrate, nor whether DRM will be applied, all of which will affect my ability to listen to it.) If I like it, then I could buy a "second" copy and pay a bit more!My only interest in the discbox would be the second CD, and I'm not sure I want to pay £40 for that!However, I suspect that the site will be a nightmare to access on the 10th, and for some time after!

Deborah, Portugal
Music works on sssoooo many different levels, as well as the 'earning a living aspect' it's also about the communicating of idea's. The person who paid pittance for an album may have their life view altered irrevocably, good or bad. Personally when I'm aware the artist is recieving more money from sales I want to give more it's my way of showing respect, whether they are struggling or not. I'm not sure whether elected price purchasing would rejuvnite sales as such but it may even out the playing field and change people's view on music in general. Instead of people paying for music which they are being force fed trough clever marketing, they might think twice about who they are giving their money to and look for some thing better instead. :) The only downside is not everyone owns a computer.

Sebastian, North London
I've pre-ordered the download, but I'm slightly concerned about the audio quality - anyone know what bitrates will be available? I would also have been happy if album art had been available for download so that we could make our own cds. Ho hum... still excited though!

Col....Durham
I'll pay whatever's in my account when i get to a computer....so maybe a weeks pay or maybe the £2.47 that my landlord left in there after nicely taking all my pay...but y'kna

Yolanda, Barcelona
Clever move from Radiohead, again! I just wish people don't take the p*ss off paying a ridiculous amount. I think this could be a good opportunity of showing the industry how much we, as music buyers, think an album should cost. I would happily pay 10 euros for any brand new cd instead of the 16-18 euros that I usually pay (especially when I don't even know which part of that absurd amount goes to the artist).Anyway, I just pre ordered the 40 quid package because Radiohead is my favourite band, the artwork looks nice and I like playing the cd's in my stereo!!

John, London
Well, I think it's a good idea and that it relies on the people's kindness, however, I'm sure that although many will pay a reasonable amount, others won't. But, that's up to the people's kindness, etc etc.Eager to hear the new album, whichever the price is :) John

Pidge, Bournemouth
he price of owning a tangible copy of this record is perhaps a cause for initial concern. I am a huge Radiohead fan and have been for many many years. As such I pride myself on my extensive collection of the band's CDs, DVDs and Vinyl. At this point in my life I am in full time employment as a bank manager and am both able and willing to pay fourty pounds for the package being offered. However, when I bought my first Radiohead record I was a penniless schoolboy who would have had no means of making such a purchase. I still have difficulty in justifying to myself parting with money for something intangible, and will still pay more for a CD or vinyl rather than download at a discount. I would like to see a more conventionally priced CD copy of the album. , although I suspect that that may become available at some time in future anyway.All in all I think what the band have done is fantastic, I fully support them and think they should be unreservedly praised for their ingenuity.

Pidge, Bournemouth
In terms of the pricing of the download, I think it is a stroke of genius. The band are well aware that if an individual wants to download an album for free they will be entirely able to do so, albeit illegally, within hours of initial promotional copies being distributed. Therefore anyone who pays for a legal music download has already made the desicion to be honest when they could almost certainly be less so with no repurcussions. I think the band are confident that this 'honesty box' form of distribution will not lose them and percievable revenue. This form of distribution may even tempt those that would usually illegally download at no cost to make a contribution, even a small one, and recoup some potentially lost revenue. Failing that, the media coverage being given to this release and it's unorthodox nature is no doubt invaluable, and any loss of revenue from downloaders undervalueing their purchase will without fail be recouped in saved marketing expenditure.

Pidge, Bournemouth
I think it's fantastic, but only a band like Radiohead could do it. To release an album for pre-order with no previous promotion and more importantly no reviews is a brave move, but one that could only be made by an artist with a fanbase sufficient to generate any sort of interest. I think it almost certainly increases pressure on the band to deliver a quality album, because if people are going to part with money for an album they have heard nothing from, expectations will be undoubtedly higher.

Jon King, Grasse, France
i paid £1.00 for the album, the point people are missing here is from a normal cd sale the band would get 10p in profit, so radiohead have made a whopping 90p more than they would have got from a CD sale, good business sense by radiohead i say, i think record producers around the world are very nervous at this moment in time. cos if you pay whatever you want for some of the best music created why pay 10 quid for a manufactured piece of cr*p.

Damian alias Ziggy. Tullamore, Ireland
Sounds like a good idea but it's likely to be abused by those who won't want to pay anything, so they'll pay the minimum. I think downloadable music should be available at a reduced rate as you're not getting the cd cover. 50c per track max and I'd buy much more.

Liam, Bristol
I've ordered the discbox. I think this is possibly the best thing to ever happen, in the history of mankind.

Pete W, London
The thing is, Radiohead have such a loyal fanbase, you simply know millions of them are going to shell out 40 quid for the physical package. And given that most people would probably still prefer to buy CD's, this could be construed as a cynical move to force people to pay £40 for a CD - possibly with unwanted extras. However, given that the production costs for the lavish album package are understandably more, they can justify the price tag - just about. Still, nominating your own price tag is a brave move. By nominating your own price, unscrupulous people could just download it for free and run off into the distance laughing. However, I would hope there are people out there who still think music is worth paying for. It's hard enough for musicians to make a living from music as it is. Anyhow, it's an interesting experiment and one I'm sure the industry will be watching closely. Just as an aside, I was thinking of a slightly different system of purchase which might work better: download the album for free, and then if you like it, THEN you pay for it. The more you enjoy it, the more you pay. That makes more sense to me.

Mart, Brighton
It would be an interesting premise if the percentage that the band get was also known and how that changes on the price paid. For example if the percentage the band are paid goes down if the payment is below a certain amount then would the user rather pay a higher price so the band gets a fair payment?On the whole though this feels like a cynical gimmick that will leave the album worth less in the eyes of real fans and push them into paying the £40 for the deluxe package. At least that is my hunch on how this will pan out.

Jimbo, London
I think, and don't quote me, that the album will be available in physical CD format next year. I would be disappointed if it isn't because they always have cool artwork. I have paid £8 for my copy (because I feel that is a fair price for what will most likely be a great album). However, I have since discovered that my friends have paid 34p, 99p, £1.11 and £3 respectively. Although I remain morally intact, I feel like a bit of a doughnut for paying so much. C'est la vie....bring on next Wednesday!

Harry, London
I will pay a small amount as i feel we should pay, partly as it is the correct thing to do and to acknowledge that Radiohead are essentially allowing this album to be given away for free. So good to find out only a week before it comes out too.

Sam, Bristol
No physical packaging? Lower quality audio? Very low distribution overheads? No nead for a record company to distribute it? I'd say a fiver is a fair price, and hopefully most of that will go to the artist.

Claire, Penzance
If people are fair and honest, they will pay a decent amount for the album and by that I reckon around eight to ten pounds is fair. I mean, this is someone's work and craft - they shouldn't be insulted by people paying stupidly low amounts - that's just offensive to the band. It's incredibly generous of them to be putting themselves on the line like that and I'd like to see them handsomely rewarded for their efforts! Ah, radiohead, always innovative, never a bore.

Johanna, Bristol
I think it's a bit annoying because I'd prefer a physical record, but not for £40! Also the "Diskbox" comes out a week earlier so you're paying for that privilege I guess.

Colchester
the album will be released on the 10th of october, and yes you can pay what you like, at the moment its all speculation to whether there will be copies in stores, however they are selling a box set for 40 pounds and that looks amazing. Radiohead have again done something so innovative and the album isnt released yet. genius

Mark M - Wakefield
So, choose how much you pay.... its a novel idea definately, but i think a lot of people will just put in as little as possible.. I did, so i've paid 50p for my album, cos i'm stingy!!!

Keith , Brackley
When will the CD be released ? Can't be having with this download nonsense (Duffer badge please!)

Colchester
Oh my god. I am so happy this is out in 10 days. I am so happy. In Rainbows is such a good name, and most of the tracks i really wanted to appear on the album have been put on. I am so happy :)