Radiohead Says In Rainbows Experiment is a Success. Will it Work for All? (Part 2 of 2)
In Part 1 I described how I determined the average download price for Radiohead’s In Rainbows. I think it is safe to say that Radiohead’s success is good news for artists and the simple fact that a band had higher album sales without the premium services of a major label is bad news for the record labels. However, I am skeptical of the notion that everyone can follow this model and turn a profit on the album sales alone; long term financial success is a much different story (tickets, merch, etc.)
The In Rainbows experiment was in no way a fluke; it was a move that made sense for Radiohead. They exist in a rare middle ground as they have managed to gain mainstream acceptance as well as the respect of the indie sub-culture. Their position in the music community and the makeup of their fan-base is important to understanding their success (or for any artist considering this method of releasing an album). Simply put, Radiohead predominantly has two types of fans: hardcore fans (indie) and casual fans (mainstream). I understand this is a very basic distinction and that all bands have either hardcore or casual fans so I will elaborate:
- Hardcore (indie): Regularly goes to “shows.” Needs an external hard drive for their digital music collection. Went to Tower Records at midnight before the release of OK Computer to have the album as soon as possible. Submitted the lyrics/words to “Fitter Happier” as their favorite poem in 11th grade English. Attempts to introduce new music to friends when they are passengers in their car; they usually hate it. “Thom Yorke!?”
- Casual (mainstream): Goes to one “concert” a year. Keeps all digital music on internal hard drive. Asked for OK Computer for Christmas/Channukah 3 years after release. Submitted “Your Body is a Wonderland” as your favorite poem in 11th grade English. Introduced to Radiohead by the friend who plays music in his car that no one has heard of, everyone usually hates it. “Tom York?”
A hardcore fan “loves” the music, wants to support the artist and is willing to pay for the music despite it being free out of guilt or for a false sense of moral superiority that comes with being a “patron of the arts”. These more serious fans probably makes up a smaller percentage of the total population, however, a much larger percentage of this group is willing to pay for the music. A casual fan on the other hand doesn’t feel the same connection or the social obligation to pay for something that is free. A large majority of casual fans will download the album for free but there will be a select few that make a contribution.
The mix of Radiohead’s fan base is a perfect “fit” for this model is because they got the best of both worlds; a hardcore fan base that showed a lot of support and a large mainstream fan base that gave some support. Having only one or the other may yield modest success, which is why I do not believe the success of “In Rainbows” marks the end for record labels in their current form. More than anything, it marks a long overdue shift in the balance of power from the label to the artist.
[Don't forget to read Part 1 of James' 2 part analysis of In Rainbows; it has a fun excel spreadsheet to play with - Aaron]
