Not sure if you knew about this or not, but you can go and download Radiohead’s new album, “In Rainbows,” from their website. And you set your own price for buying it. You can even put in 0 as the price and get it for free (at least I think you can – I’ll find out within the next 24 hrs). Why are they offering it this way? This is from the Facebook group:
To buy the CD, go to their website. The website is the ONLY place to buy the album. Also, an awesome discbox, which includes an extra CD of bonus material, two vinyl records, and more artwork, is available.
Q: Why is the album being released this way? Why does Radiohead ask you to “name your own price” for the download?
A: Radiohead are realists — they know that, if they put a price-tag on their CD, it will just be downloaded illegally by those who aren’t willing to pay the price. As a result, they are essentially distributing it for free, with a small processing fee and an optional donation, without a record company. This will revolutionize the way that music is disseminated. They are brilliant.
Update: I’m listening to the album right now – bought for $0 online – and it’s great. You can read more about Radiohead’s decision to go this route here or here.