A new book by Chris Anderson was published last month called 'Free', or in it's full unwieldy glory, Free: the future of a radical price: the economics of abundance and why zero pricing is changing the face of business. I read an article Anderson wrote on this subject last year (you can find it here, yes I've pilfered the picture) and thought it might offer some interesting ways to think about museum admission charges. If I've followed Anderson's argument correctly, the gist is that the internet has driven down the cost of content like music and film so efficiently that it has effectively become free and this process is positive for business. Instead of relying on cross-subsidy (the museum shop, for example) the emphasis shifts to actively providing free digital content, while at the same time re-conceptualising the value of the physical/material/actual as a 'premium experience'. Anderson is primarily referring to live music and cinema-going, but it could equally apply to the museum. Another internet-influenced model is 'pay what you like', which to some extent already exists in the form of donation boxes. However, I think this could be re-framed for the museum. I seem to remember the Met providing recommended ticket prices, which was a great way to compel you to pay the full price anyway.
