How much will you pay for open-source Radiohead?

(Credit: Kate Geraghty)

I just pre-paid $20 for the newest Radiohead album (available on October 10). Radiohead, now without a label/ball and chain, has decided to let its fans choose how much to pay the company. I'm actually feeling cheap right now, even though I'd pay $10.00 or less on iTunes (if Radiohead sold through iTunes, which it doesn't, because of a somewhat silly "artistic integrity" argument).

How much will you pay? It's nice to think of all the money going to Thom and crew, rather than to a Larry in a lounge suit somewhere in Los Angeles. Just as I'd prefer to pay Marten Mickos for my database than Larry Ellison. :-) But that's not the only open-source analog here.

This model arguably works much better for an established brand like Radiohead. It's not too dissimilar from how open source has fared in software: traditional markets are much more susceptible to open source than new markets because it becomes much cheaper to market an open-source application, for example, when everyone already knows what the product does.

At any rate, download and/or pay here. Just as if it were open-source software. Except that this will sound a lot better.

[royrusso]

How much will you pay for open-source Radiohead?

[How much will you pay for open-source Radiohead?]<br /><br />I would pay them to keep their music to themselves. ;-)

[benhascoolhair]

I'm sure Radiohead appreciates your support....

but you're missing the point about not selling on iTunes. What you called "a somewhat silly "artistic integrity" argument" is nothing of the sort. Radiohead is taking a stand against record labels, who feel the need to control who listens to their music, how you listen to it, and where you listen to it. The iTunes store is just another lemming on the DRM bandwagon.<br /><br />By releasing their music for download at whatever price you want, Radiohead is focusing on treating their fans like human beings, not iClones with 99 cents to lose.

[Matt Asay]

I would agree...

...but Radiohead's stated intent behind not releasing their songs on iTunes is that they want fans to buy the entire album or nothing. Like Moby, they believe their songs make sense as a coherent whole, not as hit singles.<br /><br />Fine. But guess what? I got into Radiohead based on "Fake Plastic Trees." I listened to that for a month before I ever got another song (through a friend who kept burning songs for me). I finally hit critical mass and then bought one album after another.<br /><br />By taking a hard line that appeals to its ego but not to its fans, Radiohead is locking out many would-be fans.

[Bryan Cheung]

Open source?

I didn't know you were a fan. :) Although I think it's not really open source what they're doing - just a different payment and distribution model. What they're doing is like shareware: try it out and pay what you want. But shareward can and is often closed source. <br /><br />It would be closer to open source if Radiohead released the original WAV / AIFF files, EQ settings, filters, ProTools or Logic settings, etc., for the album. <br /><br />Going further, they could even release info about what instruments they used (including mods, pickup swaps), info about environment (recorded at an old abandoned warehouse), and so forth (though this info would be secondary). <br /><br />Then they would allow people to take those original tracks and change the songs, add new layers, extend sections, take stuff out that they don't like. <br /><br />I suppose they would need commit rights to make sure the thing wasn't a debacle. <br /><br />Ryuichi Sakamoto did something like this, check out <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.sitesakamoto.com/chainmusic/" target="_newWindow">http://www.sitesakamoto.com/chainmusic/</a><br /><br />Anyway, this may be one case where I would prefer the proprietary approach to the creative process. :)

[johngraham9]

Our band has just finished its latest CD and instead of pressing it on a CD we released it on a flash drive direct<br /> <br />We were really stoked with the results and wondered if anyone else had anything to say about this. It seems we cannot find enough fans at the gigs to buy a CD but were willing to shell out $15 bucks for a 1 GB...has anyone else found this to work for them?<br /><br />Also, they seem to be a great eco idea....nobody throws away a flash drive while tons of CD's get in the trash......just a thought<br /> <br />I read this Billboard.com release <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://billboardpublicitywire.com/releases/flash/drive/prweb530039.htm" target="_newWindow">http://billboardpublicitywire.com/releases/flash/drive/prweb530039.htm</a><br />and it convinced me if the labels are dropping the CD perhaps this was the next thing...?<br /> <br />anyways........drop me a line....<br />JT