Has the Online Music Revolution Arrived At Last ?

[GhostShip]

At last a big name band has decided to take the plunge and test the waters of digital delivery, bypassing the normal recording industry middleman 

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9026/Radiohead+Shocks+Record+Industry+With+Free+Download+of+New+Album

Newly freed from the shackles of a recording industry contract, the famed UK band Radiohead has decided to buck the system and offer its new album "In Rainbows" directly to fans at whatever price they feel like paying. It's now shaping up for the revolution to be televised after all.
The album will be available for download directly from its website beginning October 10th, and fans can choose to pay as little as 45 pence, about $1 USD, the credit card handling fees.

It's their first release since 2003's "Hail to the Thief," the last album required under its recording contract with the EMI/Capitol records label.

On its surface it may not sound like too big of a deal, I mean offering an album directly to consumers for download isn't exactly groundbreaking, but when you stop to consider that Radiohead is a big name talent with tons of album sales, fans, and music awards under their belt it really gives moment for pause and makes you realize that this is indeed a revolutionary development in the music industry.

It's an event that is certain to cause panic in record label boardrooms everywhere and cause a further dent in already slumping CD sales.

This really is a big deal for us all as if the artists can make the same or more without having to bother using the old style recording industry schemes then we could in the future see more artists following this method, this of course would result in a lower priced product with zero DRM, something many of us have been waiting for for many years.
 
Show them your support folks 

[ñòóKýçrÕôK]

Never listened to them before to be honest but I think I just became one of their biggest fans. Hats off to Radiohead.

[GhostShip]

After the release of this album yesterday many are taking up the offer and paying what they feel is reasonable, this has got the music industry really rocked and we can expect more of their member companies crying foul for being left out of the equation.
The pro media BBC online site always seems happy to portray filesharers a theives but look hard for a filesharing case where the RIAA etc pay out and you will find nothing, so even sites formerly rated as respectable and fair are involved in distorting the reality for their own benefit, any media production company operating a news site is likely to do this so be on guard.

Hats off to Radiohead and a big welcome to those other groups who have spoken of their intention to try this path themselves, the days of the fat cats are nearly over 

[Me Here]

I'm with you Nooks, I've never actually listened to them but have heard of them.. and I cant think of anything I'd rather spend some money than this album to help suport this revelution atm.
Cheers Radiohead for spearheading this one 

[ñòóKýçrÕôK]

After the release of this album yesterday many are taking up the offer and paying what they feel is reasonable, this has got the music industry really rocked and we can expect more of their member companies crying foul for being left out of the equation.
The pro media BBC online site always seems happy to portray filesharers a theives but look hard for a filesharing case where the RIAA etc pay out and you will find nothing, so even sites formerly rated as respectable and fair are involved in distorting the reality for their own benefit, any media production company operating a news site is likely to do this so be on guard.

Hats off to Radiohead and a big welcome to those other groups who have spoken of their intention to try this path themselves, the days of the fat cats are nearly over 

Reckon how we could see maybe how much this album will gross FOR THEM vs how much they would gross through a record company? Like as of right now or maybe in the near future. Be interesting to see really. I would hope as for sale for sale it compares really good for them to go about it like they are. I'm also wondering if there is a way to see this info could we sticky this topic maybe. In my opinion this could be one of the biggest things to happen for anti-drm in a long time.

[]-[êll.Ôñ.ËÀR'][']-[.]

1.2 million downloads reported for Radiohead's 'In Rainbows,' a collection of chilling love songs

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2007/10/12-million-down.html

Not bad for the first few days ehh

It has been reported on the radio here over the last couple of days that customers have been paying an average of 4 pounds per download (approx $8 or 5.7 euros)

Congrats to radiohead ...... lets hope the recording industry is taking note of how much ppl are happy to pay and adjust their prices accordingly..... somehow i doubt it though

only downside to this seems to be the bitrate

Radiohead new album: fans complain about bit rate

http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/31706

[White Stripes]

Quote
Radiohead new album: fans complain about bit rate

http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/31706

i was wondering about this... FLAC (lossless) would have been the best choice of codec to use...

[bughunter]

i guess when such a fundamental change in direction is started there will always be a few teething issues at the start......
what is of most importance is the middleman ie the cartel scumbags  and there cronies the record labels are cut out of the loop, a futher reduction in there over inflated earnings generated thru blantantly ripping of the consumers......
this only goes to show that we the consumer have won and the cartel scumbags will soon be as dead as the dodo. they can bully coherce and threaten all they like, there time has come......
we the consumer can only but now wait for the flood of other bands artists etc who like radiohead market and sell directly to there fans with cheap downloads on the internet ...........

[Me Here]

Lets not forget either that the consumer is not the only one getting ripped off by the Cartels, while they line thier own pocket with silk the artists they represent are not making anyting near what the cartel would like the public to think on album sales.  They have even sued thier own artists under contract for attempting to sell thier own music online, they charge them for the CD's and merchandise they sell at concerts etc.. Sounds like a glorified Pimp service to me..

My hope is this new way of life for artists and consumers alike takes off because it deals the cartels a double blow.

As for this first attempt at this type of thing, I think the artists will realise now that they will infact get a return on the investment they make to sell or offer albums this way and will offer the quality accordingly, I cant say I could blame them for the bitrate at this time this was an experiment and seems to be going well.

[ñòóKýçrÕôK]

If you ask me the 160 bitrate is just fine. It's a good quality that doesn't take up too much space on your pc. My guess is that had they made it 320 like the site suggested at the link HOE posted that fans would complain that it took too much space. Can't win them all and the victory really will be in the dollar amount they recieve by selling it this way versus the traditional method where they would've been forced to pay out no telling how much cash to the cartels. On a good note the fans at the other link say it's very good music. And Hell I'm more curious of what they'll make dollar wise you know, vs a breakdown of what they would've gotten through the cartell.

[]-[êll.Ôñ.ËÀR'][']-[.]

Well this is a site i found giving a breakdown of what a artist makes the traditional way
http://www.mzeus.com/Education/mZeus_Getting_paid_royalties_Page_4.htm

I suspect radiohead have cleaned up with sales figures quoted as high as 1.2 million in the 1st two days as the wall street journal also thinks below 

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119211424892356048-_fE_kGQ13HkRuFZmKY2eYKzhXaM_20071113.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

other report have said that even if the album made a dollar a go ( figures have been quoted considerably higher though) they would more than double there profit if the album was released by a record company in the traditional way