Radiohead reportedly leaving out major labels in album deal

According to the New York Times, Radiohead is set to leave the major record labels out of the loop again with a deal to release their new album In Rainbows on CD with a indie label (the band already self-released the album digitally). The band is apparently set to sign a deal with the British label XL Recordings to distribute the album in international markets and with ATO Records in the United States. The band has had some positive dealings with indies before, especially XL, when front man Thom Yorke's solo album The Eraser was released last year.

The newspaper reports "under the proposed deal, Radiohead would license the album for a specified period of time but retain ownership of the recording." That proposal is not surprising, but one has to wonder whether the deal will also add the album to other digital stores, namely Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iTunes Store, or the new Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) MP3 store. With the success and continued availability of Radiohead's own store for the album, that seems unlikely, but the indie labels do seem to have more healthy relationships with the digital stores than their major counterparts.

Although the details and confirmation of the reported deal are unavailable to the New York Times, the prospect that Radiohead will leave the majors behind is quite in keeping with the band's moves thus far. Even before the album's release was announced, it had been speculated that Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG), whose sister publishing firm manages the band's composition rights, would be interested. Another rumor sparked was that Starbucks' (NASDAQ: SBUX) Hear Music would take an interest, after the company's coup with Paul McCartney.

In any case, Radiohead's move away from major labels is no surprise, but could such a "free" deal have been made with a major or are the independent label's distribution networks that formidable. Hopefully when the details are officially announced the answers will be provided.