novel distribution

i've downloaded the new radiohead album, in rainbows. i've only been able to listen to a bit of it so far on borrowed headphones because i left my own back at the hotel.

a dinner with the work crew tonight which means i wont get to listen to it then either...

so it seems that the big in rainbows listening experience will be postponed until tomorrow.

no big deal, i suppose. i'm not even the hugest of radiohead fans. really, the only reason i have these tracks on their release date is because i wanted to take part in the great economic experiment that is going on at inrainbows.com. pay what you want for the download. it's interesting. yes, there is the boxed set at a standard price which you can purchase which is very like the old system. and i see how some could say this 10.10 release is just an opportunity for the band to make a few bucks and a lot of marketing ground off an advance leak that silly patrons pay for instead of downloading.

but really- letting the market set their price- it's cool. it's new. it's different.

all the economist and marketers (and i'm betting record labels) are eager to get their arms around all sorts of data like how many people bought and how much did they actually pay when there was no bar and no supervision. 1 pence or 100 pounds, whatever you like, even nothing. people are paying at different rates based on their individual valuation of the goods. i'd love to see this data and analysis as well. i'm a nerd. i know. but it could be the start of a change in music distribution. i mean, I paid for it... where usually i'd just download it or copy from a friend. so they got my pound-forty-five, which is 100% more than i would have normally given to thom and crew...

now. if only i could listen to all that i paid for... though i can confess from the first few tracks- i'm digging it. and i've heard its a grower.