[Khanate]

Quoted from Radiohead new album: a tactic to sell CDs? | News | NME.COM

"Radiohead new album: a tactic to sell CDs?

Band's management confident fans will buy album after download
12.Oct.07 10:15am

Radiohead's management have suggested that the unique marketing of their new album 'In Rainbows' was a ploy manufactured to sell more CDs.

Bryce Edge, part of Radiohead's management team, said that there was an ulterior motive to the pricing.

He told Music Week: "If we didn't believe that when people hear the music they will want to buy the CD then we wouldn't do what we are doing.""

Well, while everyone thought radiohead was supposed to re-invent music distribution it turns it's a marketing ploy. I might buy the cd, but one thing I'm sure of is I'm happy I inserted 0.00$ in that tooltip!

 

[FalconP]

Only artists with a dedicated fanbase can afford to do what Radiohead did.

But on the other hand, bands do need a new, effective way to make their music known to people, now that radio channels don't play music anymore.

 

[devin_mm]

What?!? You're saying that a band wants to sell more records? Shocking.

Less than a week until they start shipping out the disc boxes

 

[jellybones]

GASP!! They actually meant to try and sell the record!? Oh, man you are so lucky you didn't pay anything for it!!!

 

[Pangaea]

Allowing the fans to sample (in full) the album before buying... those bastards.

 

[SR-71Panorama]

As long as the bigwigs still prefer to market CDs than digital files, its a-ok with me. Keep CDs alive.

 

[KevDo]

it's all a farce anyway

i had a dream recently that i was in my house and radiohead had released another new album to download digitally, for free, but they were going to kill anyone that downloaded it.. i was on the edge of downloading the album when i noticed them outside the back yard, so i went outside and they were hiding inside the hedge but they thought i couldn't see them..

anyway i went upstair to my bedroom and flew out the window into streets out back and asked dennis the menace if he wanted to see me float and he took pics with his camera...

they're out to get us, that's for sure.

let people pay whatever they want for MP3's, people paid CD prices a lot.
don't let anyone know you're going to release a CD and let them pre-order the boxset.. then announce a cd release..

i sensed it from the start, hence why i payed nothing and will only get the CD, eventually.

 

[Nepenthe]

Yah, I payed the big zero too but was reasonably sure I would buy the CD. I still probably will, but I've only listened to the MP3s maybe twice in total. I just can't get into MP3-only "albums," for some reason.

 

[Arjisme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khanate /img/forum/go_quote.gif He told Music Week: "If we didn't believe that when people hear the music they will want to buy the CD then we wouldn't do what we are doing.""

Reminds me of id Software and Doom. They released the original Doom as shareware and it was up to honest consumers to ante up the shareware price if they liked the game. Well id made a killing and deserved it because they made a hell of a game.

Now we have bands like Radiohead doing essentially the same thing. A few differences, of course, but you basically can download their album for free and never pay for it. If you like it, you can pay for it a variety of ways: via the online download, via the in store CD, via the box set.

Don't know what everyone here does for a living, but is it wrong if you want to be paid for the fruits of your labor?

 

[truant]

I can't wait to have in my hands the discbox!!

I love to hear Radiohead in my Technics TT!

 

[mochimon]

i dont see how radiohead ISN'T reinventing music distribution. they are the first to diseminate an album like this.

personally the whole thing seems heart touchingly honest and sincere. it also seems to me that they are beginning to make fun of their own popularity on this CD as well as thom yorks new found stardom.

is this a group of hypocrites trying to score a free lunch or a band of musicians beginning to ascend their climate?

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif Allowing the fans to sample (in full) the album before buying... those bastards.

Exactly. If anyone had the inclination to go out and buy the CD (myself in that camp) then paying twice for the album would have been more of a sign of fanship or a screw you to the RIAA. Otherwise, why not grab it for free and wait to get a perfect copy? I went for the boxed set because I love vinyl...but I mean, how could they be screwing people? They offered it for free with no masking the fact they would be releasing a CD. No ploy, they just tried someething different and it worked!

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mochimon /img/forum/go_quote.gif i dont see how radiohead ISN'T reinventing music distribution. they are the first to diseminate an album like this.

Labelless artists have been selling on the internet for years. I still have two albums I got from MP3.com back in 1998. KK's Begegnungen and Abschiede.

 

[DLeeWebb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khanate /img/forum/go_quote.gif Quoted from Radiohead new album: a tactic to sell CDs? | News | NME.COM "Radiohead new album: a tactic to sell CDs? Band's management confident fans will buy album after download 12.Oct.07 10:15am Radiohead's management have suggested that the unique marketing of their new album 'In Rainbows' was a ploy manufactured to sell more CDs. Bryce Edge, part of Radiohead's management team, said that there was an ulterior motive to the pricing. He told Music Week: "If we didn't believe that when people hear the music they will want to buy the CD then we wouldn't do what we are doing."" Well, while everyone thought radiohead was supposed to re-invent music distribution it turns it's a marketing ploy. I might buy the cd, but one thing I'm sure of is I'm happy I inserted 0.00$ in that tooltip!

I would definitely favor more bands using such a ploy. The ultimate confidence in the music that you produce. I hope my Discbox gets here soon!

 

[eduj]

I wonder how much the group has expanded their fan base by offering a "free" download of their album. How many people who'd never heard the band (or heard of the band) are now at least listening to them who never did before?This was a brilliant marketing ploy.