I’ve had “download the free Radiohead album” on my to-do list for many weeks. The website allows you to download the mp3s, and allows you to make an optional donation of any size. So I finally went to download it today, and the official website says it’s no longer available… though I can order the “discbox” for a mere 40 pounds. Um, no thanks.
I can understand Radiohead launching their album download-only as an interesting experiment in a world that is busy questioning copyright and distribution systems. I can understand them adding a “buy the CD” option later on, after the experiment is over. But why would they possibly have to take away the download option? People who want real-life objects such as booklets, CDs and vinyl should be able to pay for that, but I can’t understand why it’s mutually exclusive with electronic distribution.
It’s too bad, I was planning to give them some money via their original “tip jar”, but £40 is way too much. Hello, bittorrent.