Other acts with loyal fan bases, including Drake, D’Angelo and Kendrick Lamar, have since used variations on the sudden drop, skipping the monthslong promotional lead-up that has long come with big-name albums. On Thursday night, with little notice, the British singer James Blake, who is featured on Beyoncé’s “Lemonade,” released his third studio album online.

Radiohead’s obsessive listeners perked up their collective ears for a fresh project in January, after the band created a new independent company, as it did before its previous two albums. (The band had also been seen recording in photos posted to social media.)

Last week, the band began cryptically wiping its online presence clean, again stirring rumors of an imminent release, before returning with some mysterious clips on Instagram and eventually a new single and clay animation music video for the song “Burn the Witch,” which has been viewed more than 8.2 million times in its first few days.

The band had also announced a slate of tour dates for 2016 — its first live shows since 2012 and another clue that new music was on its way.

After eight warm-up shows in Europe, Radiohead is to appear at summer festivals including Primavera Sound in Barcelona on June 3, Secret Solstice in Reykjavik on June 17 and Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 29. The band is also scheduled to play two nights at Madison Square Garden, July 26 and 27, along with a handful of other summer dates in North America and Japan.