Radiohead to sign record deal, CD out in January

by on October 4, 2007 with 38 Comments in Radiohead News

Radiohead managers Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge were interviewed at BBC Radio 4′s ‘Today‘ this morning, confirming a record deal for Radiohead’s new album ‘In Rainbows‘ will be signed within the next 7 days.

Chris Hufford said that the band are close to signing a record deal: “Ultimately, the band feel that this record, which they are incredibly proud of, deserves to be brought into the mass marketplace. That’s why we need a record company who have that infrastructure to deliver the CD. We’ve got about seven days to get it organised.”

Does this current plan, with consumers setting the price make any financial sense?
Chris Hufford: “It’s just another way of doing things and hopefully it will initiate artists and record labels to think about things a lot more and not just accept the status quo.”

Bryce Edge also said that the band had faith people would not just download the album for free: “We might come out looking very foolish. We’re prepared to take a risk. If your music is great, people will then pay for it. One of the big mistake record companies have made is prosecuting students and kids for doing what we did years ago: taping music. It’s nonsense.” Hufford added: “The wonderful thing is that the consumer can decide how much a download is worth. I’m not sure how much just a digital download is worth. I’m not sure 79p at iTunes is the right price. We cannot control the price when the cd comes out in the shops in January. The market controls the price.”

Regarding the £40 price for the DISCBOX edition of ‘In Rainbows’, Hutton said: “£40 is huge value for money. It costs a lot of money to make. How many drinks do you get for £40. how many football matches can you see for £40.”


Radiohead news on this day..


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  • Chris

    It’s Hufford, not Hutton

  • mjd180 (continued)

    I just hope they don’t release the songs from the extra discbox cd at retail, in order to help sales. I will feel betrayed, after already spending $80…

  • just

    i’d like to see what a special edition radiohead discbox that includes 2 cds, 2 vinyls a hardcover artwork booklet would cost at retail normally…most probably way more than 40 quid. also consider that ur getting it at least a month before it actually goes on the market…u’ll be listening to music only u, the others that have bought a discbox and the radiohead team themselves will have heard
    seems like a pretty damn good deal to me

  • RYINTOKYO

    I think it sounds smart to put the record out “publicly” after giving the fans at first blood via the internet. well, maybe not smart but at least sensible. As for the price, I think my words to my wife were “40 Quid? That’s it? Where the fuck is my credit card?”

  • Mac

    Well, I would feel “betrayed” if they
    didn’t come out with all the 18 songs
    (single or double-cd)in stores in Jan.
    I’m a huge fan, but have no interest of
    1) buying online and having it delivered
    to my appartment would be difficult (and ny pc is unsafe
    2) What would I do with vinyls? I never had a player!!!
    Therefore I am expecting all 18 songs to be available in stores if I can’t download online all of them!

  • rvs

    Maybe it’s just me being stupid, but why would need to do it before Oct. 10th? Anyone any ideas on this?

  • http://www.moteldemoka.com moka

    RVS: Have you not any common sense?

  • bjm319

    radiohead are marketing pros

  • euclid

    As an independent musician, my concern is this …

    I think that it’s great that Radiohead has decided to step up and try to challenge the way things are going in the music industry. But it’s important to keep in mind that they HAVE the fan base to take risks such as allowing fans to set their own prices, even for a penny. But then who am I as a musician to ask people to pay $1 for one of my tracks, when one of the greatest bands of our time is virtually giving their music away?

    And now with them signing to a lable, I’m kinda wondering why even bother? I thought the whole point was to demonstrate that you can do it yourself without a label backing you?

  • James

    Well, They’re half heartedly using the whole “stick it to the industry by self-release” as brilliant marketing. They know that sooner or later, their cd would leak on the web, so why not leak it yourself, maybe even make a bit of money doing it, and also more creds. Half of it is marketing, they’re all laughing in their sleep. Thats why they signed again to a label, mass distribution of their cd is only half of the reason. I love radiohead and their music, but I can’t deny that’s what they’re doing.

  • euclid

    I agree with you James, it is a somewhat clever marketing ploy. But, there are other artists (Nine Inch Nails) that are announcing that they will begin distributing their future releases to their fans via the internet for much lower prices ($4).

    What I’m thinkng is that when bands do things like this, they kinda become the Wal-Marts of the music industry, by underselling their competitors. Like I said, if they charge $4 or 1 penny for their music, how can I expect to sell my music for anything? Specially if I don’t do live performances. Isn’t the composition itself worth anything without having to sell my music to TV ads?

  • just

    Perhaps it is inevitable that the music the industry will experience the effects of major players underselling the little guys. I think this Walmart syndrome is simply a part of the consumer world.
    But I also think that Radiohead has given back some to power to the artist with this move. Musicians can now say: If your shareholders don’t like it, we can do this ourselves.
    Of course a band could never be a label for itself but its still a kick in the balls for a company to deprive them of the first month of release.

  • starrybloke

    Some are saying that if the greatest band in the world is pretty much giving their music away for free, no one would ever pay more for a band that’s not as good. This seems logical at first, but I disagree.

    What Radiohead have done is caused labels to rethink their methods, helping other artists, not hurting them. And one must remember, people will always pay more for a band that’s not Radiohead because no one can survive listening to one band all the time.

    I hope this is coherent…

  • http://goodhandsteam.com goodhands team

    40pounds is a shitload of drinks in america.

  • oneman

    I’m in a quandry, don’t know what to do. 40 quid is more than $80.00 in the US. I can’t decide whether to wait and buy the label release or buy the disc box in December. I share the same concern – the vinyl is nice as an option, but I won’t play it and I feel bad about “consuming” something that has little or no value to me. The disc box may be great for bragging rights, but it may not be so great for the environment if most people aren’t going to use both the wax and the cd versions of the album.

  • rice

    I agree all the way with oneman. It’s simply too much of a package, and 80.00 is too much for me. Radiohead is one of the best bands in the world, but is it worth it? The record label deal seems to only be for the purpose of manufacturing and gaining access to more fans/consumers = more money. I always wondered what the Radiohead fans would do if there wasn’t anything such as the internet. I don’t know what this world is turning into. time time time

  • Peregrine

    Depending on how good the album is, I might consider going with the discbox collection. God knows I need to get the cobwebs off my record player.

  • euclid

    I paid the $80. Sort of like, as a musician, casting my vote for paying a little extra and getting it straight from the artist rather than paying $18 and having most of that amount going to the label.

    And why can’t a band be it’s own label?

  • DocWic

    I´m not sure. It would have been brave to sign a record deal after finishing all the announced releases. But then again, maybe there would have been no label at all signing a record deal for the “old stuff”. I think that it´s important for pop music, and for pop-musicians, to reach as many people as possible.That´s part of how pop music works, what drives it and what brought life to an otherwise always, in quite “simple” structures, repeating music form. So yeah! Sign a deal! Not everybody is as lucky as me having Internet AND a credit card. I would have missed so much great music and joy from all over the world without major labels distributing it even in my little hometown, that I can´t really get used to it living without them. But they should always be urged to take their responsibilities on the one hand, but not to forget to search for new ways and take risks on the other. Radiohead reminded them. They did that part of the job of a label (because they can). They were and still are an unusual band, and that´s, apart from their great music, their biggest capital. If you go to a live show, you´ll get the feeling of wittnessing something special, to be part of some strange kind of movement. i´m afraid it´s not much more then that feeling. But it´s a great feeling, and you´re looking for feeling when you hear music, so that´s what it should be like. It should be special. To me a new Radiohead Album is always a special feeling, no matter if download or vinyl, but I can´t help it. I´m a fan! And I´m the type of person who likes the music to be transported by a thing that actually exists, not just 0´s and 1´s. But ripping and burning CD´s on your own has made them somewhat disposable. So now they managed to CREATE such a special feeling by this carefully thought through release. They ARE creative in terms of the sometimes lame pop bis, an they try to make it last, like a record once was made to. “They did a great job!” (Allthough I should wait with that till I heard that record.)Coming with the goodies, the disc-box is worth it´s price, because I can keep it and recall that feeling, and because it was a lot of work and effort to produce as the music was itself, too, I´m sure. I´m curious if they´ll release a double-CD through their new label. I don´t think so, because they always were afraid of getting boring. Maybe a bonus-CD… or a set of 50 singles ;-)

  • Ward Swift

    Lilliputian’s

  • LfunkeyA

    well, i do hope they release the bonus
    CD separately, cause I can’t afford
    the $81 set. don’t be selfish mjd180 :) .

  • jason

    mdj180, you can always cancel your order.

  • http://www.thechrissink.com Chris

    Here’s a solution to feeling bad about spending $80 on the special edition: request it for your birthday or christmas.

  • JimmyQ

    The thing to watch here, I think, is who this label is that Radiohead is signing with. The point here is not to allow any record company to ever again profit on the backs of artists. Record labels should also not be allowed to ever have “rights” to anyone’s music. This type of greed has gone on too long, so let’s hope this new label comes from Radiohead’s creative and egalitarian ethos rather than be any giveaway to some corporation.

  • Elaine1442

    I feel like I have been put in a tough position here. I am quite broke at the moment so the purchase of an $80 box set is not possible. However some of my favorite new songs are only being released on the extra disc in the box set… So I am going to buy the download for now and then pray that the extra songs will be available for me to purchase at a later date. Or come Dec 3rd I might go ahead and order the box set anyway. As a loyal and devoted/obsessed Radiohead fan it has been hard to wait for these songs as long as it has already been. I wish I could have them all NOW! I just can’t afford the steep $80 price. :( Hopefully the download can tide me over for a while…

  • Pingback: popkulturjunkie.de » diverse interpreten (2007.10.05).

  • mjd180 (continued)

    Billboard is now hinting that the stated January release could be moved forward to early/mid December, depending on who they sign with. A distribution deal with a major label, could probably have the album in shops by early/mid December. If they have everything planned out, I wish the band would communicate more to us about what their plans are.

    Many big fans of the band can’t afford the discbox, but are willing to pay if it is the only way of getting the music in a physical format before regular retail release. Fancy packaging/bonuses aren’t important to them, just high quality music (i.e. – not the mp3 download next week). I know one who canceled his pre-order for discbox yesterday, because of Billboard claiming sources that say a major-label distribution deal would probably be able to have the album in the shops by early/mid December (which would obviously be at only 25% the cost of the discbox).

    I don’t want to deprive fans of the music. So, if they aren’t going to keep the additional songs as exclusives for at least a little while, I’d like to know.

    I don’t want to cancel my pre-order, out of concern I will be moved to the “back of the line”, and not get my stuff on time.

    Is any of what I’m saying unreasonable?

    Am I being a “bad” fan for being concerned about all of this?

  • Aidan K

    Jimmy Q, what you’ve stated is absolutely ridiculous. A record company provides a service, therefore deserves to profit from those provisions, not to mention the risks taken. The AMOUNT to which they profit is, as we know, far, far too much, and Radiohead may find a company that gives them a good deal, like 50/50, but to say they should be egalitarian and not profit from from the work they’ve put into this release, or any other, is economically and philosophically ignorant.

    And $80 is perfectly worth it, by the way.

    I’d pay $50 for an amazing album by an amazing band anyday, without the packaging and gifts. I’d pay considerably less for an average album. That’s how it should be.

  • RYINTOKYO

    Liliputians indeed. I advise anyone (with the means) to buy a record place this very afternoon. You will not regret this decision. My comment was TOTALLY based on the assumption you WANTED a vinyl record and spent 30 Quid on HAIL TO THE THEIF vinyl and are still a little sore about it.

  • euclid

    Hey Aiden, I understand that a label can serve a purpose for an artist just starting out, but does Radiohead really need one at this point of their career?

    I placed my $80 order to show support to the band for going out on their own. Now, I’m thinking about cancelling my order just on the grounds that they are going to sign with another label. Yeah, I guess I am a bit disappointed with them.

  • oneman

    Is anyone thinking about buying the download for less than the 10 quid “suggested” price? Is anyone planning to pay more?

    I would like to get the disc box, but I haven’t heard any of the album. Would it be wrong of me to buy the download first, for say 2 quid, and then if I just have to have the disc box after listening to the album straight through, then I’d shell out the 40 quid for the box?

    Hilarious that purchasing a record would cause such a moral dilemma!

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