Radiohead signs to label, two thumbs down
By DavidFisher. Filed in audio |Tags: label, major, niggytardust, Radiohead, records, saul williams, signed, XL
As reported in NME Radiohead has signed to ‘major’ UK label XL Records after the release of their In Rainbows album independently and online only for the price of “whatever” and with a discbox set for 40UKP.
This is horrid. While XL Recordings isn’t an RIAA affiliated label, and overall are ‘better’ as far as they go, this isn’t a good idea at all. If anything Radiohead should have just started their own label for the administrative tasks. Then again, maybe they realized that when you cut out the record company, then you assume all of the responsibilities and tasks that come with running your own record company. Just because you aren’t saying you have a record company, if you are taking money in exchange for the product (downloads and vinyl) then you’ve got a record company albeit a light-weight one.
I really thought that Radiohead overall was basically giving the finger to record labels and going to stay off them. It ends up that they just pulled the most wonderful marketing ploy ever. They went viral with it to a degree that they didn’t have to pay anything at all for marketing. They got NYT and other major coverage without paying a penny. Now they are hopping back to a label.
At the same time, Trent Reznor/NIN is without a label. I hope honestly he stays off the labels for good. The Niggy Tardust album will be out tomorrow. I can’t wait.
you’re so wrong first of all XL isn’t a major label it’s independant, one of the reasons they signed to XL was that thom yorke had realeased his solo album with them. Seccondly letting fans name the price wasnt a merketting ploy it was an experiment and a way to get the album out as quick as possible
I believe Radiohead in the past has commented that one of the reasons they want to sign with a label is to distribute to fans who aren’t able to download their content. Think for instance South Americans, Asians and Africans who have limited access to broadband at home.
But you are correct, the name your own price was pretty smart marketing. I can’t recount the number of times I heard people talking about this or the number of news articles. Even today the NYT has an item featured on thier website about this. What did all this media coverage cost them? The website plus a few press releases to get the ball rolling.