Chapter 1
The anxiety of a digital age
Chapter 2
The day the music business changed
Chapter 3
Art in the age of climate change
YOUR GOAL
Master of How Radiohead predicted the future
Ch 2 · The day the music business changed
choko Releasing high-quality music directly online proved that digital distribution was the future of the industry.
choko By leaving their major record label, the band proved that artists could thrive independently using the internet.
BETA
choko Drag the price slider to discover how Radiohead bypassed record labels and changed music forever.
Fun Fact
Recycled cardboard: On the day they changed the music business, Radiohead also revolutionized packaging by swapping wasteful plastic jewel cases for eco-friendly, 100% recycled cardboard sleeves.
Glossary
15 step (noun)
The lively, electronic-infused opening song of Radiohead's 2007 album In Rainbows, famous for its tricky 5/4 clapping beat and cheering children. As the very first track fans heard when downloading this history-making, pay-what-you-want album, it symbolized a bold, independent leap into the future of how we buy and listen to music.
The lively, electronic-infused opening song of Radiohead's 2007 album In Rainbows, famous for its tricky 5/4 clapping beat and cheering children. As the very first track fans heard when downloading this history-making, pay-what-you-want album, it symbolized a bold, independent leap into the future of how we buy and listen to music.
Quiz
Which upbeat, rhythmically complex song from In Rainbows features a prominent 5/4 time signature clap pattern?
Fun Fact
Pay what you want: When Radiohead released In Rainbows in 2007, about 60% of downloaders chose to pay absolutely nothing, yet the album still made millions.
Glossary
pay-what-you-want (noun)
A pricing system where buyers pay any amount they choose for a product, including nothing. Radiohead famously used this model to release their seventh studio album on October 10, 2007.
A pricing system where buyers pay any amount they choose for a product, including nothing. Radiohead famously used this model to release their seventh studio album on October 10, 2007.
Quiz
What was the name of the official website Radiohead set up to host their self-released pay-what-you-want download?
Quiz
Instead of plastic jewel cases, what eco-friendly material did Radiohead use for many of their physical album packaging designs?
Quiz
What physical format did Radiohead package with the deluxe 'discbox' edition of In Rainbows?
Quiz
Which major record label did Radiohead famously leave before self-releasing their digital experiment?