Radiohead pioneers another market approach to song distribution

Radiohead has shown once again that it's ahead of the curve in online music distribution. On its website yesterday, it announced that its latest single would be available exclusively online; however, unlike with the last album, buyers will not be able to name their price. Rather, the set $1.70 for the song -- "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" will be donated to the British Legion.

We've seen the integration of charity with other activities that people may be more likely to willingly pursue (such as gambling), but this approach is better. Radiohead lovers can both pay the fair value for a song while also supporting their favorite band's favorite cause.

Comments

[Alex Golubev]

check out www.bandsintown.com. It's not pure crowdsourcign, but pretty darn close. You can instantly import your or anyone else's bands from pandora or lastfm and then view a "concert cloud" by location, date, and ticket price. the interface is brilliant. (Pollstar is quite weak compared to this)