Radiohead Reveal Potential of Digital Downloads

British Indie band Radiohead sparked controversy recently by deciding to release their latest album as a digital download. Rather than offer the album for the standard iTunes rate, the band asked people to pay however much they felt the album was worth. So far, the amount fans have chosen to pay for the album has been surprising with a Radiohead spokesperson admitting that some have paid “more than you would pay for a CD in the shops.”

The band’s controversial approach to the release of this album provoked interest and outrage. Some parties felt the band were wrong to try and put a price on the value of music, while others believed that their innovative method of distribution was damaging to the UK music industry. These critics do have a point; the music industry has faced increasing pressure from illegal downloads since the launch of controversial file sharing site Napster in 2001. These days, it’s believed that around 20 billion songs were illegally downloaded in 2005/2006 and the number is constantly growing. Surely it’s no coincidence that music giant EMI reported losses of around £100million in the year prior to March 2007?

However, we mustn’t forget that the Internet is also responsible for some of the music industry’s greatest success stories. Artists such as Lily Allen, Kate Nash and the Arctic Monkeys rose to prominence via social networking sites such as Myspace and went on to sell vast amounts of records. It also seems unfair to demonise Radiohead for their decision to offer a download when their album will also be released on CD in the New Year.

According to Radiohead manager Chris Hufford, the download is “just another way of doing things.” However, the band’s actions are far more innovative than his humble statement suggests. By effectively leaking their own album online, they are striking a blow against illegal piracy. Perhaps more importantly, by asking fans to pay as much as they believe the album is worth, they are conducting an interesting social experiment too.

Ultimately, by using the Internet to distribute their album so radically, Radiohead have given the music industry a peek at its future. More bands will undoubtedly follow Radiohead’s lead, which means record companies must listen up and adapt or risk making further financial losses.

Sources:

Guardian