Reuters: Radiohead Release a Wake-Up Call

The release of popular rock group Radiohead’s new album next week is the latest wake-up call for a music industry still struggling to deal with the advent of digital music, experts say in a new Reuters article analyzing last week’s announcement that the band will let fans decide what to pay for their latest album.

Plus, digital releases are a welcome antidote to the usual months-long buzz-building that major labels try and do in advance of an album’s release.

“This has been a long-brewing issue with artists,” said Ted Cohen of music consulting firm TAG Strategic in the report. “In a digital world where you can create something relatively quickly and get it out there immediately, why wait? Is there any overwhelming need to sit on something for three or four months?”

Photo credit: Reuters/Toby Melville

Radiohead album bets on fast release [Reuters]

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