Radiohead self-released their eighth album, The King of Limbs, in 2011 through digital downloads on their website before releasing physical copies on CD and vinyl. They continued experimenting with new models of releasing music without a major label by making the album available directly to fans. The album sold well digitally and debuted in the top 10 of charts in both the UK and US, showing that Radiohead could still achieve commercial success without label involvement through their established fanbase and embrace of new technologies.

1. A2
Media Studies
Music: Industry & Audience
Radiohead: The King of Limbs (2011)

2. Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed
in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jonny
Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwood
(bass), Phil Selway (drums, percussion) and Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing
vocals). Key Point: Classic „Rock‟ Line-up/Structure – Instruments/Male
GENRE

3. History - Early Years
The group, initially named On a Friday, recorded a series of demo
tapes which caught the ear of EMI in 1991 during the wave of
„grunge‟ fever. The label promptly signed the group to a six-album
deal but requested they changed their name. Thus, in 1992, On a
Friday became Radiohead. Key point: Major Label Long-term Deal
‘Pablo Honey’: Released 1993

4. History – Pre - ‘The King Of Limbs’
Six albums into their career and on the verge of their
seventh, Radiohead finally found themselves in a position they
hadn't been in since before Pablo Honey, as the band's record
contract with EMI expired. "If the major labels had their shit together
about the Internet… They've been sticking their heads in the sand
over new technology," Yorke told Rolling Stone in 2000 as the
record industry struggled to adapt to Napster and the digital
medium. "They reaped some pretty bad karma doing that, and now
they're paying the consequences." Free of their record contract, the
stage was set for the band's riskiest masterstroke to date with the
2007 release of In Rainbows.

5. History – Revolutionising the Music Industry
In a move that would revolutionise how artists would distribute their
music, Radiohead offered up In Rainbows by allowing people to pay
what they wanted for a digital copy of the album, thus letting the fans
decide what the music was worth to them. The theory was, since many
of their albums had leaked prior to release they'd leak the complete
album themselves digitally through their official website. The majority
opted to download In Rainbows for free, but the band later revealed
that the In Rainbows experiment made more money than the release
of their previous albums. Key point: Breaking free of the major labels
and embracing digital technology

6. Radiohead: The King of Limbs (2011)

7. Now – Continuing the ‘Experiment’
The King of Limbs was announced on Valentine's Day and self-released on 18
February 2011 through the band's website. It was followed by a physical retail
release on CD and vinyl formats in March, and a special "newspaper album"
edition in May.
The album sold an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 copies through Radiohead's
website; the retail edition debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 in the
United States, with first-week sales of 69,000 copies
In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number seven on the UK Albums
Chart, selling 33,469 copies in its first week.

8. Radiohead
• Self-released
(Now out of
contract with
EMI/Parlophone)
•8th Release (well established artist)
• ‘Physical’ CD and 12”
Vinyl releases on
28th March 2011
• Initially released as a
download only MP3 or WAV
- 18th Feb 2011
• The physical editions were released through the band's
Ticker Tape imprint on XL in the UK
• a wider digital release via
AWAL, and a special
“newspaper” edition on 9th May
2011

9. Physical releases (vinyl/CD) sales have declined due to advances in digital
technology and the availability for audiences to download

10. Radiohead announced ‘The King
of Limbs’ on their website on 14
February 2011 with a release
date of 19 February, five days
later.
On 18 February, the band's
blog, Dead Air
Space, published a song from
the album, "Lotus
Flower", with an
accompanying music video
uploaded to Radiohead's
official YouTube channel.
The MP3 download costs £6; the WAV
download costs £9. Customers could also
order a special "newspaper edition" of the
album, released 9 May 2011, for £30, with
the MP3 download, and £33, with the WAV
download. The "newspaper" edition
contains "two 10-inch vinyl records in a
special record sleeve, many large sheets of
artwork, 625 tiny pieces of artwork & a
compact disc.
The band released the album
later that day – a day earlier
than first announced
Release Timeline

11. Radiohead - website for official announcements
of releases/tours/news – fan message board

12. Established Fanbase
 Will buy exclusive products/releases (fan appeal)
 Aware of releases through social media – fansites
 Take little notice of reviews?
 Want to ownallphysical releases = Vinyl/CD/DVD

13. Promotion
‘Lotus Flower’ – Video
(low budget) analyse/comment
Live: From The Basement
– TV Exclusive (SkyArts)
Key points:
Appeal/Audien
ce – Niche?
Arty/Establish
ed?
No major label
involvement –
But still
achieved
success!
Low key
promotion via
internet/websi
te

14. Reviews
Key points:
Further promotion
from positive
reviews
News of the CD
release will
encourage fans to
‘tweet’ spreading
the information
Fans will also
give their own
opinions and
responses via
posts & forums

15. Reviews
Key points:
Negative reviews
and comments
encourage fans to
engage in further
discussion and
debate
Hardcore fans will
have to defend
their ‘band’ with
responses via web
posts, twitter and
forums

16. Interviews/Tours
Radiohead did not support The
King Of Limbs with an extensive
tour for two reasons. one: “We
thought it might not be playable,”
Jonny says.
The other “was partly my fault,”
Yorke acknowledges. The album
“released such a load of weird
possibilities.” He wanted to go right
back into the studio, then decided
against it “carrying on in the same
vein. We couldn‟t do that, we
couldn‟t play live: „Aw, shit, now
what?‟”

17. ‘Live’ DVD –
Broadcast July 2011
Released Dec 2011
Re-mix
CD of
‘The
King of
Limbs’
tracks –
Sept
2011
‘The King of Limbs’
Released 18th Feb
2011 Multiple formats

18. In June 2011, Radiohead
announced a series of
remixes of tracks from the
album. These remixes and
others are compiled on the
remix album TKOL RMX
1234567, released in
September 2011.
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at
number seven on the UK Albums Chart, selling
33,469 copies in its first week, making it
Radiohead's first album since The Bends (1995) not
to reach number one in the UK.
Radiohead performed The King of Limbs in its entirety for
The King of Limbs – From The Basement, broadcast in July
2011 and released on DVD and Blu-ray in December 2011
The retail vinyl edition of the
album, excluding "newspaper
album" sales, sold more than
20,000 copies in the UK in the first
half of 2011 – 12% of all vinyl sold
in that period – and became the
best-selling vinyl album of 2011.
Financially, it was probably the most successful record
they've ever made, or pretty close. In a traditional deal, the
record company takes the majority of the money.

19. TRACKS
1. Bloom
2. Morning Mr. Magpie
3. Little By Little
4. Feral
5. Lotus Flower
6. Codex
7. Give Up The Ghost
8. Separator
(No single released)

20. Key issues
• Self-released (no record label involvement)
• No promotional campaign before release - immediate
• Followed 2007‟s - „pay what you want‟ - ‘In Rainbows’ release
• Download file for £6 (initially)
• Physical release followed – via XL(label = independent)
• Special “newspaper edition” – „10‟ inch vinyl/CD/artwork £33
• No conventional „single‟ released
• Approaches would appeal to „hardcore‟ fan base & audiences
who make use of new technology

21. Exam Guidance & Questions
POINT: Make points that directly answer the question
(regarding key music industry issues).
EXAMPLE: Refer in detail to examples of:
releases/chart positions/videos/marketing
strategies/ways the audience access releases etc, that
support your points(be specific & detailed).
EXPLAIN: Discuss/debate the key issues raised and
reflect upon the implications for the music industry &
the audience (give your own views also).

22. Industry
AudienceReleases
CRASH/Uses &Grats
Label/Internet/CD or Vinyl?
Artists/Genre/Style/
AO1 –
Demonstrate
knowledge &
understanding of
media
concepts, conte
xts and critical
debates
= 20
marks
3 X
Key points
for each Text

23. Meanings?
Responses?
Audience
Social/Cultural/Political
= 10
marks
AO2 –
Apply knowledge &
understanding of
how meanings and
responses are
created
Audience

24. B1. Assess the main advantages of the internet for
your three main texts. (30)
This is quite an open question; please be open-minded.
Responses may largely tie in with marketing and points
covered may make references to the following:
• Internet develops audience engagement (e.g., through
points noted below)
• Sites directly linked to the selected texts e.g. Bands
website, on-line magazines/reviews
• Blogs
• Twitter
• Use of YouTube
• Social networking sites e.g.
MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, etc.

25. B3. How effectively were your three main texts
marketed?[30]
Candidates have the option to argue either way on this
question and differently for all three texts. Please look for
logical argument with relevant points used to back-up ideas.
Lower grade candidates may just discuss how their texts were
marketed. Higher grade candidates need to engage with the
effectivelypart of the question. For all candidates expect some
description/factual knowledge of the campaigns. Evidence to
suggest texts were marketed effectively may include points on:
• Style, frequency, scope/extent of campaign
• Audience up-take (e.g. viewing figures, sales)
• Audience discussion/feedback.
Continued over:

26. The following are some generic points candidates might make
in relation into how texts were marketed for each of the
industries. How effectively is for the candidates to discuss.
The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.
MUSIC:
Band/performer websites
exposure –magazines, celebrity endorsement etc
fan sites
music press articles
social networking sites
viral campaigns
itunes etc.

27. B3. How successful have your chosen texts been for
their industry? (30)
Responses may be dependent on how the candidate defines
success. Please be open-minded here and engage with
candidates' definitions – success does not necessarily imply
commercial success. Some candidates may suggest that
(some of) their chosen texts were not successful - this is
acceptable but please look for coherence in the argument.
Points covered may make reference to such general points
as:
• commercial/financial success
• awards
• critical reviews
• audience appreciation – e.g. niche, fans etc
Continued over:

28. Responses to this question are likely to be heavily dependent on
the texts selected – and need to be linked closely to them. The
following are some generic points candidates might make for each
of the industries.
The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.
MUSIC:
• sales
• downloads
• concert sales
• awards
• critical reviews
• influence

29. Total
= 30 marks
‘A’ Grade
Exam Response
C
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N
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