Radiohead 'Wakes Up' EMI

If there is one story that Cluas.com has been on top of it's the news that Radiohead intend to launch their new album direct to the internet. So it was with great interest that Sound Waves read an article by Gordon Masson in Variety that EMI's new boss Guy Hands has circulated a memo to staff stating that the Radiohead launch was a 'wake-up call' and that, "Rather than embracing digitalization and the opportunities it brings for promotion of product and distribution through multiple channels, the industry has stuck its head in the sand."

One thing is for sure, in the wake of the 360 contract, labels are going to watch this launch very carefully to see if it can make an artist more money going independent than the old faithful method of signing away your life, and in the case of 360 contracts, pretty much everything else to a record label who may then dump you if you don't deliver from dollar one. If Radiohead fail then chances are future contracts will be even more weighted in the labels' favour, if they succeed, well, who needs a contract to start with?

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