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• Dispatch from the Arts Network

Dispatch from the Arts Network

written on October 03, 2008 by Matt Charboneau

Below is a link to a story I heard on NPR’s Studio 360 last weekend.  It deals with how the visual arts world has been reticent to embrace computer-based art.  In the audio segment we hear reasons why some in the visual arts community consider computer or digital art “gimmicky” when compared to more traditional methods.  Click HERE and scroll down to the right to click on the audio clip of the story. 

This debate about the particular form of artistic expression got me to thinking about some of the parallels in contemporary music.  Consumers and musicians alike have started to question the form in which we buy and listen to music, and the value attached to MP3 and digital downloads compared to traditional formats such as compact disc and vinyl.  The English band Radiohead was famous recently for allowing their fans to not only download their new album In Rainbows prior to it being released on compact disc or vinyl, but to actually let the purchaser decide what the download was worth and pay only that amount. 

Personally, I chose to pay about $6 for the digital download, mainly because that particular format has less audio information than a CD or vinyl album.  The sound is compressed, meaning the listener doesn’t necessarily hear the depth of sound in MP3 format that they would when listening to a record album.  Because of this, and because the MP3 format is not a tangible item that includes artwork, track listings, liner notes, etc., I chose to pay about 1/3 the price of a normal CD.  Ultimately when the band released In Rainbows on CD, I went out and purchased a copy, for all of the audiophile and aesthetic reasons I listed above.  What this means to me is that I initially paid $6 for the right to hear the music before it was commercially available—but to own the music in a format that is my third preference when listening to music. 

Radiohead’s groundbreaking “pay what you want” online promotion of its music has caused a stir in the record industry, and has also raised some eyebrows from fellow musicians and recording artists.  Some find it revolutionary, while others think it was a promotional stunt.  No matter your stance on the subject it has started a debate about the commerce of music making, and the perceived value of art and music.    

The following is an article by Greg Sandoval which was originally posted on CNET’s News Blog on Dec 11^th 2007, shortly after the Radiohead’s digital download experiment went public.

One of the recording industry's most daring experiments ended on Monday. Three months after Radiohead stunned the music industry by allowing fans to pay whatever they wanted for the album, In Rainbows, the band has now opted for a more traditional sales approach.  That was fast.  Just weeks ago, the group was being congratulated for laying the groundwork for a new business model that pundits said could one day save the music industry. But as Radiohead prepares to distribute songs the old-fashion way--selling CDs out of retail stores--not everybody is cheering.

Nicky Wire, a member of the Manic Street Preachers, a rock band whose hits include "Send Away The Tigers," told a news publication last week that Radiohead's offer "demeans music."

"Fair play to Radiohead for doing something different," Wire told the United Kingdom's Daily Star. "It's certainly great publicity, but I think it kind of demeans music. Music used to be a market; now it's all gone digital. It's worrying (that) cinema is doing well, video games are doing well, but music isn't. The free-download phenomenon is ruining the industry."

Such statements are heresy to the "free" culture, but Wire may be right to question whether Radiohead's experiment was a success.

Nobody other than Radiohead and its handlers know how much money the groundbreaking promotion generated, and they aren't sharing figures with the public. Nonetheless, there are signs that the revenue was less than spectacular.  Last month, ComScore, a traffic-tracking company, stirred controversy when it estimated that 62 percent of those who downloaded In Rainbows did so without paying a cent for the music.  The band called ComScore's figures, which were calculated by tracking a sample group, "wholly inaccurate."

The obvious question now is why would Radiohead kill the promotion and go back to a traditional sales model if the cash were rolling in?  The album is still in its infancy, say music industry executives. The economic life span of an album can last as long as two years. It starts when an act releases a record and is extended when the performer goes on a concert tour.

"For those of you who wish to buy In Rainbows in the usual way," said a message at Radiohead's site on Tuesday, "it will be available on CD/vinyl and download from traditional outlets from the 31st December 2007."  Several publications have also reported that Radiohead is negotiating to make In Rainbows available on iTunes.

You can argue that the reason to pull the plug on the offering is to give the band a chance to tap into the shrinking but lucrative CD market. Discs are still the way most people listen to music.

But if the pay-what-you-want promotion was a cash cow, why not keep it going at the same time that you sell CDs? If the digital and CD markets are separate then there's no fear of undercutting disc sales. If they are not, then hasn't the high-profile online promotion already doomed physical sales?  And then there are the statements made this weekend by the group's manager, Chris Hufford, in an interview with the The New York Times. He indicated that the In Rainbows strategy was a one-off.  "This was a solution to a series of issues," Hufford told the Times. "I doubt it would work the same way ever again."  He's not saying the promotion was a bust, but neither is he hollering, "Eureka, we've discovered the new paradigm!"

There's no doubt that Radiohead's gutsy move scored points with fans. Another benefit is that other performers who follow Radiohead's experiment, such as rapper Saul Williams, are sure to learn much from their experiences. They might even improve on the idea.  Last month, Williams launched an offering similar to Radiohead's but tweaked it so people would have more motivation to plunk down money.

At this point, it looks like Radiohead began a discussion. There's plenty still to be debated.