Given the choice, most fans download British band’s new album for nothing

Critics say Radiohead’s optional purchase program–pay what you want for the band’s In Rainbows–has bombed (this from Forbes and this from the Telegraph UK) because 60 percent of all customers downloaded the album for free. But what if the band’s goal is similar to the tactic of, say, a free-circulation newspaper: provide amazing content for nothing, and make the cash on ancillary services? What if album distribution–free or otherwise–is merely a way of generating enthusiasm about the value of the band’s concerts, books, posters, and special-edition vinyl?

Tags: , free download, in rainbows, piracy, radiohead