RapidShare deal for Earache band

11:29 | Thursday October 22, 2009

The album, entitled tales From The Grave In Space, will be made available to download on November 5, with a CD release featuring new additional tracks following in February.

The move is unusual as it has the backing of the band’s label Earache, who will be offering the download from its website (www.earache.com). Typically these offers are made by bands who are out of contract, such as Radiohead with their In Rainbows pay-what-you-like incentive.

In addition, it will be one of the first official deals between a band and RapidShare, a site often considered to be a threat to the music industry as it allows users to anonymously upload files for download.

Earache and Gama Bomb’s aim is to grow the overall fanbase of the band and to promote sales of the CD, as well as concert ticket sales through the more widespread distribution of the music.

Earache Records managing director Digby Pearson explains, "The idea is for the greater good, to give fans a taste of Gama Bomb for free, legally. It's got the permission of the label and the band - here's the album for free and please take it, spread it, pass it on.”

“Actually, the cost saving of distribution through the internet is a big incentive for us,” he adds. “Piracy is not a problem, because if a fan passes on the download link it can also be seen as free promotion for the band. In the future we expect digital music to be ubiquitous and the payments made to the artists or those who look after the artists to be small but consistent.”

Gama Bomb frontman Philly Byrne, a self-proclaimed fan of filesharing, says that the move is a natural progression.

"It's an open-handed gesture that reflects the room the download revolution has created in the music business; the label is up for it, which would have been impossible 10 years ago. Also, it's a box-breaker for us - taking away the many restrictions of a physical-only traditional release opens us up to a new and wider audience.”