Radiohead has launched the Radiohead Public Library. This is a free online repository covering all aspects of Radiohead's output, including music, videos, artwork, and merchandise. And Radiohead has even thrown in some rarities to please the biggest fans.
For the uninitiated, Radiohead is a British rock band which specializes in alt rock and experimental music. The band has had a couple of big hits, such as Creep and Karma Police, but is predominantly focused on producing albums for its adoring fans.
Radiohead Refuses to Play by the Rules
Radiohead hasn't always played by the rules when it comes to limiting access to its music. In 2007, Radiohead offered In Rainbows on a pay-what-you-want basis, and the lead singer, Thom Yorke, has expressed concerns over streaming music services.
In December 2019, Radiohead published its entire back catalog on YouTube, meaning you can stream every album for free. And now the Radiohead Public Library is unearthing even more music, videos, and artwork that most bands would hide behind a paywall.
How to Access the Radiohead Public Library
According to the band, the Radiohead Public Library is "an online resource containing videos, music, artwork, websites, merchandise, and assorted ephemera." Radiohead has made the change in order to make Radiohead.com "incredibly informative".
When you visit the Radiohead Public Library, you'll find a mishmash of different elements organized by era. So, alongside OK Computer (with the tracklisting and links to buy or stream it) are music videos, artwork, websites, album-specific merch, and more.
Listen to Full Radiohead Albums on YouTube
This is just the latest attempt by Radiohead to give something back to their fans. As previously mentioned, you can already listen to full Radiohead albums on its YouTube channel. Which is something other bands would never even contemplate doing.
Radiohead isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the Radiohead Public Library is an incredible resource. What's even better is that you can fill in and download your own Radiohead Public Library card. You could then use one of these portable printers to print it out.