Oasis is reportedly mulling whether or not to "pull a Radiohead" and allow fans to download songs directly from their own site. Oasis, like Radiohead, certainly has a big enough base of supporters to release a record without the help of a traditional "record label." The question is do they have a loyal enough fan base, as Radiohead does, to get them to pay at least something for the music. Of course, as explored below, they may not care. But, let's first tackle the "freebie" issue as it concerns the Radiohead model.

Many "news" headlines are saying that Radiohead is giving away the music for free. That is a bit misleading. Radiohead is not simply giving the songs away for nothing. Granted, it is possible to get the new record, In Rainbows, for "next to nothing." But, the deal is that fans have to pay something and instead of the price fixing we've seen in the past from major labels the band is letting the fans decide what to pay for it above a very minimal transaction fee.

While it is true you can pay just the minimum transaction fee, early reports indicate fans are paying significantly above that for the downloads and many are going a step further and purchasing the hard copy special edition version of In Rainbows for 40 pounds (around $80-81 US / Canadian rates), that includes the digital download version, along with In Rainbows on both CD and vinyl (does anyone even have a record player anymore?)> Plus, as if a whole new cd wasn't enough the band throws in a second disc of new songs and a lyric book.

It is early in the process, but the lesson here may not be about the overall state of cd and download sales. The lesson here is may be more about fans wanting good music from strong musicians whom they respect enough to pay something for it. Going forward, the real change here will be that big labels will be less likely to invest in (or I should say "loan to" for accuracy), acts that don't sign to long term deals that include pieces of their merchandising, publishing and other income streams to make up for the reduced sales per unit income, particularly when established bands like Oasis and Radiohead can afford to give music away for next to nothing because they will make up the cash on tour receipts.

The most interesting thing you'll see "post-In Rainbows" will be more unconventional partnerships like the one Madonna is reported to be contemplating with Live Nation instead of a traditional record label. And, since the real dollar payoffs for artist development seem to be in the live music sector, for younger and upstart bands consortium groups of promoters, studio owners and producers are in a position to step into the void to create something new to replace the old record label model that is clearly fading away. That's a topic I've been exploring myself lately and will continue to write and think about.

So, while the times are a changing, one thing is clear. As long as there are guitars and garages music will find its way to the masses. The only question that is up in the air will be who will be getting paid (and how) to help it get there.

Labels: Radiohead