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Poll

How much are you willing to pay for the download?

0-50p ($0-$1.00 / €0-€0.70)
[ 10 ] (21.7%)
50p-£1 ($1-$2 / €0.70-€1.40)
[ 3 ] (6.5%)
£1-£2 ($2-$4.10 / €1.40-€2.90)
[ 4 ] (8.7%)
£2-£3 ($4.10-$6.10 / €2.90-€4.30)
[ 3 ] (6.5%)
£3-£4 ($6.10-$8.20 / €4.30-€5.80)
[ 3 ] (6.5%)
£4-£5 ($8.20-$10.20 / €5.80-€7.20)
[ 3 ] (6.5%)
£5-£7 ($10.20-$14.30 / €7.20-€10.10)
[ 2 ] (4.3%)
£7-£10 ($14.30-$20.40 / €10.10-€14.40)
[ 0 ] (0%)
More than £10 ($20.40 / €14.40)
[ 2 ] (4.3%)
I won't download it
[ 16 ] (34.8%)

Total Members Voted: 66

Topic: Radiohead's In Rainbows (Read 7673 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Following the news that Radiohead will be releasing their new album, In Rainbows, for download at no fixed cost I would be interested to know how much you intend to pay for the album.

Of course, we may also discuss the merits of their action.  Shrewd marketing?  A step in the right direction?  Potentially more sales (financial return) than a standard release?
I'm on a horse.

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #1
Hard to know what to spend before I've actually heard the album, both to determine the sound quality and find out if I actually like the music. I enjoyed Kid A, but haven't really listened to Radiohead since then. To be honest I don't have particularly high expectations for the new album.

I'll probably download it for free initially, if I enjoy it then I'll pay whatever I think it's worth, probably a figure between £5-£15. Even if I don't care for it I'll probably pay a few £ just to support the concept.

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #2
Agreed, although I suspect many, many people are pre-ordering.  My price will definately depend on the quality of the files.

If this had been a normal release I would not be so interested as I currently am.  I am a fan of Radiohead, but like yourself prefer the earlier albums.

At the risk of cross-posting, posts #10 and #11 in the other thread are relevant to this discussion.
I'm on a horse.

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #3
£3-4 for the download, then I'll buy the boxset when I feel like it. (I know the download comes free with the boxset, but I want to get the download first to make sure the boxset is worth my money )
err... i'm not using windows any more ;)

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #4
It was revealed today in a WASTE email (if you preordered, you should have got one) that the download will be 160 kb/s MP3s. I was hoping they'd at least be using ~192 kb/s VBR, but I guess not. I'm glad I didn't pay for it now. If it's bootleg quality, it's getting a bootleg price.

I will be buying the CD when it comes out.

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #5
I'm not a tremendous Radiohead fan, but I'll be sinking $25 into the download. Although it's kind of a shame Godrich didn't produce this one, I don't think it'll impact the album too tremendously.

Although I'd like to see higher bitrate files, I'm not put off by 160kbps MP3. It's what I'd classify as an acceptable bitrate, and I'm willing to reward Radiohead for their endeavor (and fairly handsomely) even if the album isn't exactly my cup of tea.

Now that Nine Inch Nails has followed suit, and severed ties to any record label, I'm hopeful that we'll have more artists taking this route, especially considering the new trend of 360 degree contracts.

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #6
... If it's bootleg quality, it's getting a bootleg price.
Dude, I envy your ears! There's lots more of this on the indignant refund thread.

Internationally acclaimed band: popular, plenty--heck, four years--of hype, large cult fan base drooling over live snippets of new material for months, releases new album on the honour system (please put  a coin in the jar, folks) at a bitrate & format the majority of humans can't abx from CD, assuming even a remotely current encoder. The RIAA immediately throws up in its mouth, then swallows fast. Public result: a bunch of posturing and complaining. Conclusion: a few HA members are a bunch of hypocritical complainers who only employ evidence when it suits them.

I'll ponder that.

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #7
According to the Times,


Quote
about a third of fans decided to keep a hold of their money.


Quote
An internet survey of 3,000 people who downloaded the album found that most paid an average of £4, although there was a hardcore of 67 fans who thought that the record was worth more than £10 and a further 12 who claimed to have paid more than £40.


Quote
Johnny Marr, the former Smiths guitarist, now a member of US band Modest Mouse, is an enthusiastic supporter. “I think it’s a really fantastic idea because it puts the responsibility back on people’s own consciences and deals with people as grown-ups,” he said.
[/i]

Great colors though...in this In Rainbows

Radiohead's In Rainbows

Reply #8
SS, I didn't vote because the right selection for me isn't there. Whatever it is, Radiohead should be applauded and supported for making this move. The big question is, did Radiohead bypass RIAA? That is what I like to know because it has large implications for the music industry. It would mean that recorded work could be cheaper for the masses. It could also mean that the artist will finally receive what is fairly due to them rather than what RIAA say they should get. This is a landmark move in that Radiohead has brought to the internet like when artists of yore performed at public places and pass round their hat after the performance. Don't you just love that? Only this time, the audience is worldwide. It will be interesting to see how this develops. Even season artists like Paul McCartney thinks this could be the way to go.

PS. Okay, I found out. This is going to be huge. As reported in the telegraph.co.uk, "Radiohead is free to sell its album directly from its official website because it is no longer tied to a record label. So far the album is only available to pre-order from the website, where it can be downloaded on release on October 10." And, "It is likely that many of its millions of die-hard fans will be unable to resist buying the box-set, available in December, while Radiohead will not be required to share its profits with either a record label or shops." Hurray!

It seems that this has been done before, "Free albums also drive demand for live tours, which translate to pound signs for the artists behind them. A great example of this is Prince, who in July gave away his album 3121 for free in the UK through the Daily Mail. He subsequently announced 21 tour dates in London, all of which sold out."

And here is a message for RIAA, "Radiohead has the financial welly and is sufficiently well-known to be confident enough that the move is a risk worth taking, but it might also become an answer for those lesser known bands that struggle to be signed by a record label, or are reluctant to share their profits."
Life is short, delaying enjoyment is pointless.