Radiohead
Radiohead made headlines last year when it made In Rainbows freely downloadable

Radiohead scraps free downloads

Unpriced album was a 'one-off', says Yorke

Written by Shaun Nichols in California

I don't think it would have the same significance now if we chose to give something away again

Thom Yorke Radiohead

UK band Radiohead will not be continuing its policy of allowing fans to choose how much they pay for its albums.

Front man Thom Yorke said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the move was "a one-off response to a particular situation".

Radiohead made headlines in the music and technology industries last year when, after cutting ties with EMI, the band made the digital version of In Rainbows freely downloadable.

Users were asked to pay only what they believed the songs to be worth.

Pundits saw the experiment as a trial not only of conventional record labels, but of popular downloading services which charge a fixed price per song.

Yorke told The Hollywood Reporter that the move was a reaction to a unique situation rather than an attempt to redefine the industry.

"I don't think it would have the same significance now if we chose to give something away again. It was a moment in time," he said.

Further reading

Sellaband success prompts industry rethink

Alternative record label gives cause for thought   More...

EFF blasts Microsoft over DRM validation

Server shutdown leaves users in the cold, claims Electronic Frontier Foundation   More...

Robot to conduct symphony orchestra

One-night-only performance for Honda's humanoid   More...

ITV to sell classic shows on iTunes

Archive of hit programmes available via online store   More...

Related articles

Universal goes DRM-free

Another one bites the dust   More...

YouTube strikes deal with EMI

Video sharing site lands fourth major music label   More...

Sellaband success prompts industry rethink

Alternative record label gives cause for thought   More...

Web record companies fight for clients

New music industry as fractious as last one   More...

Do you agree?

Advertisement

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Advertisement

Watch

12 May 2008

2.4 MBMicrosoft's battles, data breach fines and website rip-offs More...

09 May 2008

2.51 MBWiMax muddle, Google tactics and asteroid bunkum More...

08 May 2008

3.26 MBBroadband Anywhere, phone-free transport and Web 3.0 More...

Poll

DATA ENCRYPTION

DATA ENCRYPTION

Should encryption be mandatory for all personal data held by companies and governments?

Previous poll results

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Spotlight

BlackBerry Bold

RIM unveils slimmed-down BlackBerry Bold

New handset due this summer   More...

BlackBerry Bold

BlackBerry Bold takes on 3G iPhone

New models go head-to-head, says analyst   More...

Advertisement

HP

HP 'in talks' to buy EDS

Company offering upwards of $12bn   More...

Virgin Media

Virgin prepares 50Gbps launch in 2008

Successful trial clears network for higher speeds   More...

Advertisement