Coldplay’s Giving Away Free Music, Why Aren’t You?

Just came across this article at the grey lady about Coldplay giving away a live CD of their music for free on their next tour. From the article:

Coldplay will give a live CD away for free to fans at gigs during their coming tour of North America, underlining the dwindling financial importance for successful groups of selling physical records.

The group, who had 2008’s biggest-selling pop album with “Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends,” kick off their summer tour on May 15th.

The CD, called LeftRightLeftRightLeft will also be available as a free download through the band’s website www.coldplay.com.

The article goes on to say that bands have focused less on selling physical copies of music and more on touring on merchandising as the market for recorded tunes has dipped. The music, in a sense, is almost an accompaniment to all the other things that the b(r)and can sell.

I think this is a smart move by Coldplay. Right now you’ve got to give fans as much as possible, show you appreciate them for their support, show that you care and that you want them at their gig when they come to town. And while it’s certainly more expensive to make a serviceable live recording than a studio recording these days, giving away a live CD is almost like a teaser for the band’s live show, which is where they’re pulling in the big dollars anyway.

I’m a huge supporter of giving away free music, so long as the people who are involved with it are compensated in some other way.