Our poll this week asks what you'd be prepared to pay for the download version of Radiohead's new album In Rainbows. In the comments to the original post, someone pointed to a Gizmodo report stating that Radiohead will sell In Rainbows via CD early next year, through one of the 'big four' record companies. The Gizmodo post wrote that Radiohead had "pulled an about-face that feels like a betrayal and a dirty cop-out", because many fans would've downloaded the album thinking it would only be available via Radiohead's website. A later update to the Gizmodo post said that Radiohead had "been planning on dropping the album in CD form in '08 the entire time." So it wasn't an about-face, although it also wasn't reported in many initial news reports - or noted on the Radiohead website itself.
A lot of the initial media coverage implied that there wouldn't be a physical CD release, other than the box set that costs a whopping 40 pounds and will be available in December. There is no mention of a single CD version on the Radiohead website either. So it's fair to say that a lot of people (myself included) got the wrong message; and paid for the digital download assuming it was the only way to get the single album.
According to our poll US$5-9 is the most popular price range that people are willing to pay for the digital download version. That pricing will be virtually all profit to Radiohead, so the download version will make some money for the band. However the eventual single CD release will reach a much wider audience, so the physical CD will end up being the pot of gold at the end of In Rainbows. So much for the big revolution in record sales!
But to be fair to Radiohead, they didn't hide that fact it would be on CD in January - it's just that the media didn't report that properly. Probably also some of us Webheads are guilty of over-hyping the Internet download (did I just say that?!) and thinking it would immediately replace the CD. Getting the album a few months ahead of time and for a very low price is still a great deal.
There's still time to take part in our poll this week. Let us know what a digital download album, from an artist's website, is worth to you:
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Come on, read the news man.
LA Times:
"The group is planning a traditional CD release of the album in early 2008."
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-radiohead01oct01,1,446430.story
Posted by: swetonic | October 12, 2007 2:20 PMIt's hard to ask what this thing is worth because we're talking about one of the highest quality bands out there. Maybe you should re-ask the poll with like a tom jones greatest hits collection or something? It'll be interesting to see how this model forces the industry to innovate -- William Hung isn't standing still however ;)...
http://www.humblenarrator.com/2007/10/12/radioheads-pick-your-price-forces-hung-to-push-boundaries/
Posted by: Michael Parkatti | October 12, 2007 2:56 PMHow much would people have been willing to pay if they'd known in advance the mp3s would only be 160kbps?
Posted by: Ville | October 12, 2007 4:12 PMAt the end of the day people choose how much they pay for the download and people choose whether they want to pay for the CD . The future of business through the internet is choice over limitation. You have the choice to write about something, and the choice to pay for something - what do you lose my the CD going on sale? Personally I think you should be careful with the powerful voice you have been given.
Posted by: Weberer | October 12, 2007 6:35 PMThe thing about CD vs Download is that it doesn't have to be either/or.
The download gives early adopters the chance to buy something as well as opening up to a mass-market sale later on. This is just great business sense. The market is in transition and not everyone knew about the downloads or even had access to download it. Why deny that market a new album? That would be a true betrayal of their fan.
As Weberer says - why does the sale of a CD reduce the value of my early download?
Posted by: Adam | October 14, 2007 1:56 PM