[MW Forums]

U.K. band Radiohead will let fans choose how much they want pay for downloads of its next album, a new approach to online music sales. more

[BebeDaniels]

Judging by their recent releases, I think it was the word 'tunes' in iTunes that was the problem.

[Ilgaz]

Quote:

---

Judging by their recent releases, I think it was the word 'tunes' in iTunes that was the problem.

---

They choose not to channel through iTunes and this makes the band which is sometimes called Pink Floyd of 21st century by professional reviewers a horrible band.
Thanks, I thought I have seen every kind of delusional Apple fanaticism by now.
I hope they dont discriminate their listeners like Apple iTunes store or Amazon does, I hope they allow everyone with a valid credit card purchase their album. Does stating these make me a listener with terrible taste of music? /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Moof_in_Charge]

For Radiohead, a top-selling act for about 15 years
No offense guys, but I am a top-selling act for the past 15 years too. Of course, you need to consider the top-selling to be the top 300 million US citizens.
There is no denying it, "Radiohead" has an established fan base, but come on, top-selling for the past 15 years is stretching it a bit ! ! !

[Schneb]

Quote:

---

but come on, top-selling for the past 15 years is stretching it a bit!

---

I have become jaded to such hype. Especially with television. "The most watched new series...", "Viewers choice in networks", and let's not forget movies, "the biggest hit since Gigli" etc. etc.

[hayesk]

Good for them. Otherwise they'd have to go through a label which would give them a tiny fraction of the iTunes revenue. An established band can do this. It's too bad that unknown bands still must get cheated by their label in order to make it big. If labels gave a fairer share to the artists, this wouldn't be a problem.

[Walt_Basil]

Who is this "Radiohead" of which you speak? I can't think of a single song of them that I know. I listen to a wide variety of music and music channels (XM radio), but can't think of a single song from them that I ever wanted. To give an idea of how wide my taste is, recent iTunes purchases include sevendust, Maroon 5, The Real Tuesday Weld, Jem, Wilco, Killswitch Engage, Hurt, Hed Pe, Billy Thorpe, Cake, Orgy, Smashing Pumpkins, Evens Blue, North Mississippi Allstars. And these are just from the last few weeks or so.

[dennishenley_MW]

Issa (the artist formerly known as Jane Siberry) has had a pay what you want for her songs for some time. She made big news in a lot of Canadian papers and some US papers. She lists a suggested price for each song but allows listeners to download either as a total gift from Jane or as a song to be paid for later. She calls it self-determined pricing. http://www.sheeba.ca/store/

[lwdesign]

OK, I just don't get what problem Radiohead thinks it's solving. Over 70% of the MP3 listening public owns an iPod of some type, so why not make it easy to get their new album (if you want it) on iTunes? For me, the ability to buy the album for a penny saves me nothing if I have to go online, find their site, navigate to the purchasing page, get out my credit card, type in all the information, download the song, and finally drag the new album from my desktop into iTunes. This is not what I call convenient, and I'd gladly pay $9.99 so I could simply order the album directly from the iTunes Store.
The PR seems to be that they're being such swell fellows by allowing me to pay as little as a penny (plus processing fees) for the album, as if this is a major benefit to me. All they're doing is making iPod owners jump through hoops. For starving students this may make sense, and the small extra effort may be worth it--but how about an ingenious solution: Release the album on iTunes with their standard pricing AND on their own site for whatever they want to charge!
Seems to me the best thing artists can do is make their material available to their fans in as many ways as possible, and then let their fans choose how they want to download the songs.
Now it may be that Radiohead only wants to sell complete albums only. This is their right, and Apple should provide a means by which an artist can select either individual song purchases or whole album only.

[macFanDave]

Quote:

---

Who is this "Radiohead" of which you speak?

---

I'm not sure, but their lead singer is a "creep" and a "weirdo." He says so himself!
What happened to the great British superband, Oasis, or Arctic Monkeys? What happened to Chumbawumba and Big Country? Bay City Rollers?
What little I've heard of Radiohead is barely intelligible BS. For my money, you can't beat Squeeze!

[iluomo_MW]

Hey Walt:
Check out "Ok Computer". All this fuss about where they sell it notwithstanding, that is quite and album. I was like you until I met my wife a few years ago. She said "What! You haven't listened to Radiohead?!" She played the recommended album and, though I didn't become an instant fan, it grew on me very quickly. "Let Down" and "No Surprises" are two of my all time favorite songs, though I love others on that album nearly as much.
Oh, and thank you for your service and I respect your decision to end it as well.
j

[DarrenForbes]

Quote:

---

For Radiohead, a top-selling act for about 15 years
No offense guys, but I am a top-selling act for the past 15 years too. Of course, you need to consider the top-selling to be the top 300 million US citizens.
There is no denying it, "Radiohead" has an established fan base, but come on, top-selling for the past 15 years is stretching it a bit ! ! !

---

They seem to have sold a couple of albums here and there. From their discography they have 4 UK No 1 albums (and a no 4), a US No 1 and a No 2 and a No 3. Mostly platinum, multi platinum and gold. A few minor awards and small scale world tours. Small potatoes really.

[Moof_in_Charge]

I just don't get it, I mean you see it on car ads all the time too.
It's JD Power's best selling, full-size sedan in the subcompact market for cars with 5 wheels that offer "truffle peach" as a color option!
this is what happens when consumers give up control or award uninhabited trust to entities in place to rate products.
Nielsen is a joke, JD powers invents categories and record companies invent metal-alloy to make awards after.... oh well, it seems being special is not so special.

[MrLizard]

Quote:

---

Now it may be that Radiohead only wants to sell complete albums only. This is their right, and Apple should provide a means by which an artist can select either individual song purchases or whole album only.

---

I recall seeing some songs on iTunes marked as 'Album only'. I'm not sure if the label/artist can make an entire album's worth of songs 'Album only' though, but the facility is definitely there in iTunes to let it happen