Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, iTunes
Radiohead ditches iTunes to keep album complete
Here's an interesting twist on the iTunes vs. record companies situation. Radiohead (disclaimer: I'm a Radiohead fan) is choosing not to sell their latest album on iTunes not because their record company is pressuring them out of the deal-- their record company is EMI, and they're more than willing to sell the record DRM free-- but because iTunes is forcing them to break up their album into songs that can be sold separately.Usually, I'm all for selling separate songs-- why should I pay for a whole album when I'm only going to listen to three or four songs? But when a request comes from the artist like this, it seems like a different ballgame. I'd like to buy Radiohead's album on iTunes, and if they want it complete, then that's the way I'd want to buy it. But because Apple has fought to keep songs separate, Radiohead isn't selling it with them at all. You might say that I wouldn't feel the same way about other artists, and you'd be right-- if Vanilla Ice required me to buy the entire To the Extreme just to listen to "Ice, Ice Baby," I'd decide it wasn't really worth it.
But my personal tastes aside, the whole thing actually reminds me of Ed Burns talking about watching Godfather on the iPod-- the iTMS has fundamentally changed the way we purchase and consume media. The concept of "album" is losing meaning. For most iTunes purchasers, I'd imagine that's not a bad thing. But artists like Thom Yorke and Radiohead clearly aren't ready to see the album experience disappear, and they're willing to keep their music off of iTunes to fight it.
[via MacBytes]
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Reader Comments (Page 6 of 6)
mart said 8:05AM on 9-22-2007
Radiohead aren't on EMI any more, since after the release of Hail To The Thief. In fact, they aren't on any label at all at the moment.
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Tim Yates said 9:38AM on 9-22-2007
There are plenty of artists on the iTS that are almost exclusively album only. Check out John Coltrane, also from EMI.
There is something missing with this story.
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Chris said 11:33AM on 9-22-2007
Great, that kills any chance of Radiohead's back catalog being put up on the store.
BTW, I liked anything before OK Computer. Quite awesome that was the coverart used for the post.
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adrian said 4:26PM on 9-22-2007
If Radiohead want's to keep their album complete then Apple should sell it as such, afterall they made the music. If they lose sales then it's on their back's. How would Apple like it if they were forced to break the link between the Mac OS and there hardware and made to license it to third party PC vendors?.
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tom said 4:31AM on 9-23-2007
"But artists like Thom Yorke and Radiohead clearly aren't ready to see the album experience disappear, and they're willing to keep their music off of iTunes to fight it."
And I'm willing to keep ignoring their music. I can't recall the last time I heard a perfect album, with every track completely desirable and every song fitting beautifully with the one before and after. What rubbish.
As others have pointed out, Radiohead puts out singles for radio play like everyone else. Arguing that the tracks can't be separated is about money, pure and simple. Maybe they're afraid to sell them separately because the sales numbers might tell them that some of the songs suck.
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kevin said 2:05AM on 9-24-2007
Radiohead wants to be in control of how their music gets released to the public. fine. did anyone else notice that the linked story never mentioned anything about Radiohead's "new" album. it referenced their older stuff. bah, got my hopes up for a hard release date. shame on you.
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Pontificate2much said 9:33AM on 9-25-2007
The "demise of the album" is greatly exaggerated. (Couldn't resist) At least, Apple's roll in the demise is. Lotsa runs down this ski slope including the artists who began this decline by catering to the top 40 hit machines. Yes, Apple capitalized on the fact that there are songs that need a home away from the crappy album fodder they are nested with.
Radiohead is making a statement and that is fine but that does not alter where the responsibility rests: it rests with the artists who should create albums that are compelling.
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Radiohead Are Self-Important Wrecks said 7:47AM on 9-28-2007
Radiohead release singles and individual videos. That shoots their whole "our album is a whole" argument full of holes. Red Hot Chili Peppers used to be Radiohead. Look where they ended up. On iTunes, and WITH BONUS MATERIAL.
Bastards. Who needs a radiohead. Who has a regular radio anymore? Certainly not anyone who is concerned about buying Radiohead individual tracks in iTunes!
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Markbtw said 11:11AM on 9-29-2007
Radiohead will continue to hurt themselves by keeping their albums off of itunes. Personally, with the exception of Thom Yorke's solo album, I haven't enjoyed anything new they've released in years. Perhaps they should spend more time working on the music rather than worrying about how people will listen to it.
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Rich said 12:02PM on 9-29-2007
It's not about the money to them. That's all some of you think about. I'm not a fan of Radiohead, but for once, a group of musicians is wishing to provide art, not just commerce. This isn't about you, the consumer. It's about their art and their expression. Get over yourselves. Go to some real art shows and get a taste for something that doesn't come with a barcode.
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Ron Hughes said 3:14AM on 10-01-2007
It's their decision to sell on an "all-or-nothing" basis.
It's my decision to buy nothing because although I want maybe 2 or 3 tunes, I refuse to pay for "filler" crap.
Their loss.
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paoconnell said 11:57PM on 9-30-2007
Radiohead's wishes about albums/CDs are part of the reason I still buy CDs. Maybe it doesn't matter if the album is just a bunch of unrelated singles, but can you imagine listening to just a bit of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon? Or, for that matter, a single song from any Beatles album starting with Sgt. Pepper? The same with most U2, Tangerine Dream, The Who, No Doubt, Pearl Jam, and many more groups that put thought into how they present their music.
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mikull said 9:32PM on 10-01-2007
Radiohead just handed every one of you complaining a huge STFU - just see radiohead.com. The new Radiohead album, In Rainbows, set for release in 9 days (as of this post), lets you pay what you think it's worth.
So they really want everyone just to enjoy the album, period.
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CD-R said 4:23PM on 10-10-2007
Radiohead is a bit of a snobbish band but they have been around since the 80's and have been consistently popular obviously people will do whatever it takes to get the album they have the right to do whatever they please cause they rule and they know they do so if they keep ruling then they can keep doing what they want
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davd leaf said 7:16AM on 11-30-2007
If you try to download Prince "Lovesexy" It is one track. Could Radiohead not have done exactly the same?
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