Trent Reznor just released the first in a four parter, "Ghosts", through the Nine Inch Nails website. All together, it's 36 instrumental tracks, and like Radiohead, he's got different price packages for this release.

Wiki wrote:Ghosts I, which contains the first nine tracks, is available for free online. The entire album in DRM-free formats can be downloaded for $5, a double-CD can be ordered for $10, a deluxe edition can be ordered for $75 (includes 2 discs, 1 data DVD, and a Blu-ray disc with Ghosts I-IV in high-definition 96/24 stereo and accompanying slideshow), and a "ultra-deluxe limited edition" can be ordered for $300 (includes all in the $75 release as well as 4-LP vinyl, and two exclusive limited edition Giclee prints. Limited to 2500 pieces, numbered and signed by Trent Reznor).

Ghosts I-IV will be released physically via RED Distribution on April 8.

The album is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license.

Reznor wrote that "More volumes of Ghosts are likely to appear in the future."

The extra packages are pretty silly, with the blu ray and whatnot, but its a good gesture that he's posting these torrents himself on different sites. What do you think?

That reads like an Onion article. Giving away an album for free with the option of shelling out the price of a couple Wiis on a Calvin Klein-branded Special Unrated Edition is a hilarious gesture. Gotta Catch Em All!

If you're asking whether I think giving away albums for free is a good idea, well, of course I do. This notwithstanding, even though it could be used to give the free download thing a bad name. Reznors will be Reznors, as they say.

It's a bit amusing to see the majors get dismantled like this.

The guys that used to suck at the teat of the major label are finding new corporate sponsors to assist them in lining their pockets.

From a musical standpoint, I would cross the street to avoid hearing NIN for free, but this seems like a pretty reasonable way for Reznor to distribute the album. You can get a good sized chunk for free, the whole thing downloaded for a five spot, the whole thing on CD for ten bucks, and if you're a superfan who wants a lot more, well you get to pay a lot for it. I don't doubt that there are obsessive NIN fans happy to pay seven hundred for the mondo-deluxe box, while the moderately interested can get the music and a digital booklet for five bucks, which is still a lot more than Interscope was paying him per unit, I'm sure. I kinda think the ridiculously expensive deluxe editions of the album are a bit silly, but then again I wouldn't bid $810 for a copy of The Futurist on eBay either, so maybe that's just me. And I'm glad to see more artists seizing control of their own distribution. Good on Trent. Just don't ask me to listen to the thing.

I'm not sure but i can't imagine NIN still sells a lot of records. Maybe if he did this 15 years ago he would be screwing over the majors but now i bet they don't really care. are they really going to make a killing on a nine inch nails instrumental album over a decade after the bands heyday? a major label made trent resnor a rich and famous man and now he doesn't like them. boo fucking hoo.

-ew

elisha wiesner wrote:I'm not sure but i can't imagine NIN still sells a lot of records.

Have you been to Hot Topic in the mall recently?

elisha wiesner wrote:a major label made trent resnor a rich and famous man and now he doesn't like them. boo fucking hoo.

All in all, a much better situation than him telling other bands to sign to a major label immediately.

gcbv wrote:

elisha wiesner wrote:I'm not sure but i can't imagine NIN still sells a lot of records.

Have you been to Hot Topic in the mall recently?

I have and it is not a pretty sight. The t-shirt wall is an exercise in hilarity.

14 cents a song? In FLAC? Then hell yes I'm interested. I'm certain I'll get 14 cents worth of entertainment. Even if I only listened to it once.

75 or 300 bucks for the super-fancy version? If this would have come out in '97 when I was still in high school and had a PT job and disposable income, I'd have jumped on it. I'm sure he'll sell all 2500 in the long haul. But right now I don't need a NIN coffee table book.

Is this an example of "sticking it to the majors?" Fuck yes it is. I doubt Interscope would give something like this the green light. Not only did he give himself permission to make the production, he stands to at least break even, if not profit a bit from it. Interscope makes nothing. Poo poo on them.

T.R. using RED as his distro? Too bad they're still making money off of him, but whatever.

Bottom line, this record will attract more people than it repels. It seems like Trent is going to keep trying new formulas of online sales until something catches. Plus he's trying some variation of copyright with this company that works under the idea of "some rights reserved" giving the end user complete legal freedom to remix and distribute as long as there's no financial gain involved. Sure he apparently hasn't cared about it for a while, but it's formal now. Good for him.

This is a pretty good way to distribute music, and I love the creative commons license.

I think it's a good idea. I can honestly say that aside from buying cds from bands I see play at the clubs around here, I can't remember the last time I bought a cd. All new music I've accumulated for at least the past two years has been over the internet. Whether it's via itunes or bit torrents it's coming in over the internet.

My question is how long will it be before we see this really catch on and the major labels only serve as press agents and get out of the record pressing business all together? Because at least in theory that's all artists really need them for at this point. Whatever distribution they could offer can't compete with bringing the product through someone's front door instantly. Their only real stronghold at this point is radio, and other types of promo like print and tv adds. Really anybody can have an add campaign put together if they wanted to and if they could afford it, so even the advertising angle is kind of weak.