the buzz log

MP3—the two letters and single digit that make old-school music business types cringe. The record labels survived the enormous buzz that surrounded Napster and Kazaa, but they've taken a large hit. They've cut deals with eminently buzzworthy iTunes, but that's taken a chunk out of precious album sales. With these wounds and a thousand other smaller cuts, they now have to face the prospect of one of the most critically-acclaimed and buzz-beloved bands deserting the tried-and-true album format.

Radiohead announced they're all set to release their album "In Rainbows" in MP3 format on October 10, without the help (or interference) of any record label. The band's statement caused their searches to rise 49% and spurred related spikes on "radiohead lp 7," "radiohead in rainbows," and "radiohead new album." 

In another bold move, the band announced fans can pay whatever they want for the files. The ability of their servers to handle the demand this event is bound to create will either make the inevitable crush of downloads a monumental masterstroke or a meltdown misstep.

More ominously for the folks in the music business, general MP3 searches aren't grinding to a halt. This week we've seen Search spikes on "free music to download for mp3," "free mp3 downloads," and "mp3 downloads."

As for Thom Yorke and the gang, we're sure the hype (and buzz) will continue as the 10th draws closer. Here are the top ten Radiohead searches over the past week...