Following those reports in Billboard earlier this month that US indie ATO Records had secured the US distribution rights to Radiohead's new album 'In Rainbows', the New York Times has this week reported that Beggars' XL Recordings have secured the non-US rights - though Radiohead have not yet commented on it all.
As previously reported, both EMI and Warner were reported to be courting the band regarding the physical release of 'In Rainbows', even though the new long player has already been sold in digital form via the band's own website via that much reported 'pay what you like' promotion. However some have speculated for a while that the band, sans-recording contract since fulfilling their commitments to EMI's Parlophone with 'Hail To The Thief', would go the indie route with the physical release of their latest work. XL released Thom Yorke's 2006 solo album 'The Eraser', so they were always a favourite to have some involvement in the new Radiohead project.
Elsewhere in Radiohead news, Apple has removed the 'My Iron Lung' EP from its iTunes Music Store after Music Week revealed the four track release was available as a DRM-free bundle, even though the band's representatives said they hadn't reached any agreement with iTunes regarding the digital platform carrying their music. Radiohead's music is not available via iTunes because they only want to sell their music as complete albums, and Apple's conditions currently don't allow artists to opt out of offering customers their music on a track by track basis. The arrival of the 'My Iron Lung' EP as a bundle made some speculate the band had reached a deal with the download platform, but it seems the inclusion of the EP was a somewhat mysterious mistake on Apple's part.