Hello music education world!!Boy, I feel like I've been gone for a VERY long time (and indeed, I have, two weeks to be exact!!), but it's so nice to see that my blogging compatriots have kept "Inside MENC" nice and warm for me (and who wouldn't want to snuggle up with Harley??).
Anyways, today, I've decided to write about a very specific topic that while not directly linked to music education, has a tremendous impact on the world of "music," generally, and on it's future in this country and around the world. For those of you who don't already know, several weeks ago, Radiohead--easily one of the largest and most recognizable bands in the world--"self-released" their 7th studio LP on the band's web site.
Self-released.
That means no record labels (major or indie.)
No PR company.
No outside advertising or support of any kind.
No media coverage, advance press, or outside hype.
It also means no middle-men, and hence, no one to ultimately cut into the band's profit margin.
In a world where the major music labels are now struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis, Radiohead decided to shun everyone and everything--the entire process--even to turn their backs on the monolith of the modern music culture, Steve Jobs and his ever transcendent iTunes digital mega-store, in favor of going it alone.
Why did Radiohead make the decision to release "In Rainbows," they're spectacularly delicate, yet intensely-absorbing new record online, and through no other existing retail outlets?
The answer is simply that Radiohead wanted to make a statement regarding the state of the music industry.
Err, they wanted YOU, the listener, to make a statement regarding the state of the music industry. You see, not only did Radiohead self-release "In Rainbows"...
...they also did so for free.
That's right. Free.
F-R-E-E.
Zippo. Zilch. Nadda. No charge.
Radiohead basically set-up a web site, allowed people to click on an image of the album, add it to their checkout cart, then proceed to purchase "In Rainbows"... for as much, or as little as they wanted. At the end of the short and simple process, a message pops up that says "You Decide," and as the consumer, that's literally what you must do.
Give the band a nickel, a dime, ten bucks, or nothing. Absolutely nothing at all.
The point of this experiment was ultimately to find out how much music lovers (the only people in this process who, at the end of the day, actually matter), would pay for music. And the results have been truly startling:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/10/AR2007101002442.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/11/music.radioheadrelease.ap/
http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/radiohead-cashes-in/2007/10/21/1192940937024.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21456074/
Record labels are now quaking in their collective boots. If one of the biggest bands in the entire world can pull off a stunt like this, what does that say about the future of the industry? About the need for labels to exist at all? About the direction that digital media is taking us as a culture? And most importantly, about the true "value" of music to us as members of a society?
Bigger things are in store, that's for sure--and with bands like Radiohead leading the charge for change, I'm excited to see where the future of music is headed.
Have a spooky weekend!!
And now... here are the Friday...
"Government Relations & Outreach Department Album Picks of the Week!!!"
SKJ: Russell Watson - The Voice: The Ultimate Collection
HLS: A Fine Frenzy - One Cell In the Sea
CBLW: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Follow The Lights (EP)
