Radiohead - In Rainbows (Read 764 times)

Perspective from the NYTimes. Interesting how the article still is written in terms of economic self-interest. The ethical moment is construed as a personal feeling, the "warm glow," almost indistinguishable from the "warm glow" we get when sitting in front of the television. On this view, mbk wasn't buying an album, he was buying a warm glow. When the ethical moment becomes a product to be purchased, then ethics of marketing (or is it the marketing of ethics?) becomes problematic, to say the least.

Very interesting thoughts. I guess in some ways I let my idealism get in the way of my cynicism. You are exactly right that I was buying a warm glow since this is the first Radiohead album I've ever purchased, and I purchased it unheard. I thought I was striking a blow for independent music. I also knew that if this "experiment" failed and everyone download the album for free then it was unlikely any other bands would try this. So for me it was more of a "political" statement, if you will. If the "warm glow" was an unintended consequence of the transaction then I would feel OK. If the "warm glow" was the marketing hook to make me buy, then I feel like a dupe. In reality I'm probably a dupe since everything is marketed.

The logic of the article is definitely one-dimensional. I considered both the economic and ethical perspective in my decision to pay ~$4.50 (converted from GB pounds). First, from an ethical perspective, I'm a fan of their music, and felt a moral obligation to pay even though there was no legal obligation. From an economic perspective, I tried to determine what the album was worth to me. My favorite albums were OK Computer and Kid A (albums 3 and 4). They've had two albums between Kid A and In Rainbows. Each became progressively less appealing to me. Without hearing anything from In Rainbows, it was difficult to determine what it would be worth. Considering the trend of decreasing utility I've obtained from each album, my best estimation was that it was worth somewhere between nothing and retail, less internet-direct production/distribution cost savings. My magic 8-ball kept giving me a different answer on what these figures were. I paid 2 GB pounds and called it a day.