In October 2007, one of the world’s most popular bands decided to force the music industry model to evolve. Radiohead changed music streaming with an album and popularized the Pay What You Want (PWYW) model. The consequences were far-reaching, and it’s no exaggeration to say that nothing has ever been the same again.
We take our time machine and explain everything!
A bit of context
In 2007, Radiohead was undoubtedly one of the most famous rock bands. Their albums are hits, and critics consider them one of the most innovative and exciting collectives of the 2000s. Their fan base continues to grow from album to album. In Rainbows is their seventh album, released after four years of silence. Their contract with EMI expired in 2003, after the release of Hail To The Thief.
Radiohead, a band of significant popularity, could go independent if they wished. And that’s precisely what they did. It had been some time since Thom Yorke and his bandmates expressed dissatisfaction with the traditional label model. In 2007, TIME revealed Thom’s bold statement from 2003:
“I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say ‘F___ you’ to this decaying business model”.
Moving on
The time seemed ripe for change. Dissatisfied with their situation, Radiohead sought an alternative solution. Something that had never been done before at their level of notoriety. That would kick-start their career and raise awareness. Ten days before the album’s release, they announced that it could be purchased free of charge for those who want it and at whatever price others wish. Listeners will be free to invest as much as they like in their new songs. Seems a bit crazy, right? Well, not exactly.
Thom Yorke and his band know that many of their listeners won’t pay a cent for In Rainbows. It doesn’t matter: they are sure that their approach is a clever one. In 2007, Deezer had just entered the streaming market, a year before Spotify. And iTunes has established itself over the past few years as an increasingly popular alternative to the physical circuit. We’re in the early days of the streaming industry. It’s all the more symbolic that Radiohead decided to launch an innovative strategy. At a moment when the music market is undergoing such upheaval.
Safe to say Radiohead changed music streaming with an album while popularizing the Pay What You Want model.
The day Radiohead changed music streaming with an album
This move not only revolutionized the way music was distributed but also challenged the traditional business model of the music industry.
Industry professionals were surprised. Especially since Radiohead is not backed by any entity other than their own. No distributor or streaming service is associated with this release. On its website, Radiohead.com, the album is available with the phrase “It’s up to you”, written where the price should have been. This phrase was a deliberate choice to empower the consumers and allow them to decide the value of the music they were about to enjoy.
A touch of humor: if a user who can’t believe what they’re seeing refreshes the page, the phrase changes to “It’s Really Up To You.” As if to say that what they’re seeing is no joke. The idea had originated with one of the band’s managers. He had thrown around several different ones before everyone agreed on this one. The aim is to break away from the traditional patterns of the record industry, whether playlists, radio stations, or the Internet. And avoid massive piracy so that everyone can listen to the songs simultaneously without anything filtering upstream.
“Genius”?
This wasn’t the first time the Pay What You Want (PWYW) Model had been used. In 1980, pianist and singer Keith Green used a similar method to market his album So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt. But this was the first time a band of Radiohead’s magnitude had employed this strategy. The media impact was significant, and the music world seemed to pause for a few days. It’s worth noting that fans eagerly awaited a new album from their favorite band for four years, adding to the release’s excitement.
Jay-Z and Bono hailed Radiohead’s move as ‘genius’, ‘courageous’, and ‘imaginative’, and the media frenzy was palpable. Mojo even went so far as to declare it ‘a revolution in the way major bands sell their music’.
What happened after Radiohead changed music streaming with an album?
The Pay What You Want model has seen its first international illustration in music streaming. With their popularity and success, Radiohead is paving the way for a new way of consuming music. They also put the power back in the hands of the artists. And reduce the distance between the public and the musicians they listen to daily. This approach proved essential for Beyoncé, when she released her album Beyoncé. It caused a minor earthquake in the record industry. Radiohead’s move not only changed the way music was distributed but also empowered artists to take control of their work and connect directly with their audience.
Tom Yorke’s approach did not become a benchmark for most of the world’s artists. But it did represent a counter-power in a context where the advent of the Internet has weakened the position of artists in the industry, plagued not only by piracy but also by the advent of streaming platforms. While these platforms have been, and in many ways continue to be, a godsend for the music world, they have also created a kind of invisible barrier between audiences and artists.
Being one of the most influential bands on the planet and deciding when, how, and why to release an album shows that another world is possible and that artists can take control of their work anytime. Suppose they have the necessary shoulders, of course. For TIME, a European label boss analyzes the situation:
“This feels like yet another death knell. If the best band in the world doesn’t want a part of us, I’m not sure what’s left for this business”.
Impact
After the album’s release, scientific studies were carried out to understand the profile of people who adhere to the Pay What You Want model. Subsequently, other brands and artists have refined this model, establishing itself as an exciting alternative to traditional schemes.
On Bandcamp, a platform reputed to be one of the most lucrative streaming services for artists, the PWYW model has established itself as a standard. Many albums are available in this format. While it’s rare to be able to buy albums for $0, it’s common to see them offered at the rock-bottom price of $1.
For streaming platforms, just as they were developing and imposing their model, the release of In Rainbows reminded them that other strategies existed, like a necessary balance and a gateway to a new world.
What role did Soundiiz play?
Soundiiz has played no role in Radiohead’s strategy, nor has it impacted the development of Pay What You Want operations. On the other hand, since our inception, we have been very attentive to the fact that artists can develop their careers and be paid at their fair value.
This is one of the reasons why we’ve introduced the ability to create aesthetically pleasing and practical Smartlinks. They enable all types of musicians to promote their music. Our advanced statistics tool also allows them to track their audience, understand their interests, and develop strategies based on the figures.
If you’re not an artist, our services offer various features to facilitate your use of music streaming platforms. For example, you can migrate all your streaming data from one platform to another. How can we do that? By using our Transfer function!
And don’t worry if you’ve already subscribed to Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, or YouTube Music. One thing that holds many people back in their decision to switch streaming platforms is the fear of losing data (playlists, favorite songs, etc.) accumulated over the years on their old streaming service.
Transfer and transfer again!
Soundiiz allows you to avoid the embarrassing situation of starting everything from scratch. Building up a library of artists, songs, albums, or playlists… Wouldn’t that be frustrating?
With Soundiiz, you can directly find all your Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, YouTube Music, and other data in your new account in just a few seconds. But Soundiiz doesn’t just store your data in one place: our tool is pretty magic because it allows you to edit and export these same data…directly from your Soundiiz account.
Another feature our users love is the ability to export your data in CSV format before canceling your subscription. Then, you can download the file, store it on your chosen device, and re-import it. Bonus: if you modify one or more lines of your document, these changes will be available during the re-import.
You can test our services right here!
