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Netflix dominates Grammy comedy nominations
Netflix has long been establishing itself as the go-to place for stand-up comedy specials. In fact, it might lay claim to having the best ones around after dominating the Best Comedy Album category in this year's Grammy nominations.
Thom Yorke's BitTorrent release had over a million downloads in six days
So, how did Thom Yorke's latest music-distribution venture go? Pretty well, it seems. The Radiohead-frontman's second solo album, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, achieved over a million downloads in six days via BitTorrent Bundle, according to the peer-to-peer network's blog. Exactly how the numbers break down is a bit nebulous, though. BitTorrent says that those million downloads also include the freebie single and video as well as the $6 album, noting to Consequence of Sound that precise sales numbers were being withheld at Yorke's request. Still, it's a little exciting to see that Bundles could be a viable way for musicians to earn a living -- especially when streaming services are well-known for less-than-favorable pay-outs and business practices. Let's just hope this success isn't limited to acts with Yorke's inherent star-power. After all, even Trent Reznor went back to a traditional record label after toying with total independence. [Image credit: Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP]
Thom Yorke's new album is only available online as a BitTorrent Bundle
Thom Yorke has a history of going against the grain with his online music sales. His band Radiohead first released In Rainbows as a pay-what-you-want download, and he pulled his solo tunes from Spotify to make a stand on royalty rates. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that he's once again bucking trends by launching his latest album (Tomorrow's Modern Boxes) as the first ever pay-gated BitTorrent Bundle. You can listen to its first song, "A Brain in A Bottle," for free; forking over $6 will unlock the remaining seven tracks. And for now, it's only available online through BitTorrent's peer-to-peer technology. You can buy vinyl if you'd like a hard copy, but you won't find it on regular download or streaming services.
Radiohead's PolyFauna app will make you feel like a subterranean homesick alien
Radiohead has a new app for iOS and Android. It's called PolyFauna, and here's how Thom Yorke describes it: Your screen is the window into an evolving world. Move around to look around. You can follow the red dot. You can wear headphones.
Thom Yorke pulls recent tracks from Spotify in protest against low pay for new artists
The artist famed for fronting Radiohead, and not so much for toeing the line, has withdrawn his solo tracks from Spotify and some smaller streaming services in order to highlight the low payments given to new musicians. Thom Yorke explained the decision by re-tweeting his producer, Nigel Godrich, who had complained that "new artists get paid f^@k all," and that the current streaming model only suits those with an existing back catalog. Yorke added that Spotify shareholders "will shortly be rolling in it," implying that the distribution of wealth is unfair. Some followers reacted badly to his decision, accusing him of "hurting his fans" with a "small [and] meaningless rebellion," but others spoke out in support -- including electronic artist Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) who said he'd pulled his music off Spotify for the same reason. Spotify responded to the criticism this morning in a statement provided to TechCrunch, saying that it is "still in the early stages of a long-term project," and adding that "we've already paid $500 million to rightsholders so far and by the end of 2013 this number will reach $1 billion." The spokesperson further went on to say that "we're 100% committed to making Spotify the most artist-friendly music service possible, and are constantly talking to artists and managers about how Spotify can help build their careers." Yorke is hardly the first star to make a stand, but unlike Coldplay, Adele and the rest, his specific focus on industry newcomers (rather than himself) is -- we've gotta say -- quite refreshing.
