... I paid absolutely nothing for Radiohead's latest album, "In Rainbows" and I don't feel bad about it at all. And I don't think I'm stealing. That's the controversial beauty behind Radiohead's revolutionary distribution method.
Sure in the face of two blank fields (payment input ranging from 0.00 to 99.99) and a message stating that "it's up to you" any fan would do what they can to show their support by giving back, to pay some amount of money. One fact is I could have waited a couple of days to overcome my lack of a credit card and ask my parents to help me pay something. But I continued to think about it and came to the ultimate conclusion that the "download" was merely Radiohead leaking the album themselves, clearly as a response to what happened to their last three albums before their release dates.
They were all leaked by a mole and then a series of strangers who then proceeded to spread varying (mostly poor) quality copies. And in a way, it's a comment on the faulty distribution methods of the modern music industry. As of late, the music industry still doesn't get digital distribution (look at the useless DRM debacle), it still doesn't get the nature of music sharing that p2p programs blessed us all with beginning in the late 90's ...
They were all leaked by a mole and then a series of strangers who then proceeded to spread varying (mostly poor) quality copies. And in a way, it's a comment on the faulty distribution methods of the modern music industry. As of late, the music industry still doesn't get digital distribution (look at the useless DRM debacle), it still doesn't get the nature of music sharing that p2p programs blessed us all with beginning in the late 90's ...
At least with Radiohead's method everyone gets a decent quality copy of the "leaked" songs to enjoy and spread around starting at roughly the same time 'round the world.
Imagine all the people who immediately threw those mp3s on their PMP's yesterday morning and began listening to it for the first time. Most of the people I know who love Radiohead, all did the same thing in the morning of release. The album is no slouch; listening to "In Rainbows" sure is a grand experience.
Imagine all the people who immediately threw those mp3s on their PMP's yesterday morning and began listening to it for the first time. Most of the people I know who love Radiohead, all did the same thing in the morning of release. The album is no slouch; listening to "In Rainbows" sure is a grand experience.
It's all about letting the music speak for itself.
