Radiohead's back catalogue is now being sold in a DRM-free format, but not via iTunes, despite the Apple platform's recent alliance with Radiohead's former label, EMI, which has seen the bulk of the major's catalogue appear on iTunes without DRM.
Radiohead are one of the bands who still have problems with iTunes' insistence that artists make their music available on a track by track basis, preferring instead to only sell complete albums. Their position on this matter, and the specifics of their recording contract with EMI, means that, with a few exceptions, the band's music is still not available via the market leading download store.
That fact enables London based independent download store 7Digital to score the coup of being the first place to sell the band's music, including albums 'OK Computer' and 'The Bends', in DRM free MP3 format.
The 'single track only rule' remains a bone of contention between Apple and a handful of high profile bands, though Apple insist they are acting in the interest of their customers. Music Week quote a spokesman for the firm as saying: "There are no iTunes rules, but we believe that people want and should be able to buy songs [individually]".
But an EMI spokeswoman confirmed last week that the 'single track only rule' is stopping iTunes from selling the Radiohead catalogue, explaining: "iTunes insists that all its albums are sold unbundled, but 7digital doesn't. Radiohead prefer to have their albums sold complete. The artist has a choice, and if they feel strongly then we respect that".