I love seeing musicians embracing new ways to distribute their work, and cutting out the middleman (RIAA). Let's face it the CD/Album business model is dead. It's time musicians used their music online to drive ticket and merchandise sales and to keep a bigger piece of the profit for themselves.
Independent
· 1 year ago
Yup, what could be better than free publicity? The musicians have always made better margins on things like concert tickets and tshirt sales, recording profits tend to just go to the record label. I hope the business model of free music works out for these guys trying it...I think it will.
Kristin K
· 1 year ago
Not a huge NIN fan myself, but for $5, I may check it out to support their endeavour of putting their music on the Internet...
...I can't even remember the last CD I purchased from a store.
The Ad Mad
· 1 year ago
Go Trent go!
This is an awesome band...pretty much like Radiohead in many ways, and I'm not surprised they did this. Really awesome.
BWT, get the album With Teeth...not nearly as dark as Downward Spiral,it's one of the most addictive Cds I've ever heard
Apocalypso Facto
· 1 year ago
Radiohead was just the beginning. Now more and more artists will take this path, undoubtedly, as we continue to listen to the long distant rumble of traditional, mainstream record labels collapsing unto themselves...
Solo Programmer
· 1 year ago
Great move but they might want to upgrade to the "gold" hosting plan. So far I've attempted to download the "free" version several times and either the page isn't available or the download dies partway through. Maybe they shouldn't have outsourced their webhosting to Twitter.
I also find it interesting how music discovery and marketing is completely changing. As far as I am aware, there has been no marketing or even formal announcement for the Ghosts album, so NIN is relying purely on viral marketing through blogs, Twitter, etc.
Llumy
· 1 year ago
So I am all for this - even ordered the CD option. However, the "Shipping & Handling" is still to expensive. $6.99 USD to ship to a U.S. address for a $5.00 CD (first $5 is the cost of the digital downloads). They need to get that under control too.
I know many people will say don't get the CD, but I am a fan of owning the CD still. It let's me have high quality in the format I need it now, and in the future. I would rip everything to wave and convert as I need.
To bad this option only works for mega acts like NIN and Radiohead. I wanna see how this will work for a blues, country, or gospel act. Im not saying that this wont work for them it's just not the complete answer for the industry.
Justin
· 1 year ago
Hyjak, you're 100% wrong, my friend. Google Jamendo and experience the pleasure of free (as in freedom) music.
John
· 1 year ago
Many bands probably couldn't expect success by copying NIN or Radiohead distribution methods but that doesn't mean that the label-free approach can't work for them. It's a matter of bands finding what will work for themselves and their fans. The Red Paintings, for example, have recorded their debut album with no label involvement, funded solely with fan donations. It's a pretty interesting read if you have a minute: http://digg.com/music/Indie_band_raises_40k_to_...
YO
· 1 year ago
HEY have u guys download the "Cry Chris Crocker" song on iTunes.
RateMyWalrus.com
· 1 year ago
These guys are great need some of their stuff on my site.
Eric Hamilton
· 1 year ago
I think that their choice to use value added extras was solid. I opted for the $5 version because money is a little tight at the moment, but if I had a lot of discretionary income to blow on entertainment or politics, I would have purchased the most expensive option I could afford, if for no other reason than a show of support for what they're doing.
All Comments
...I can't even remember the last CD I purchased from a store.
This is an awesome band...pretty much like Radiohead in many ways, and I'm not surprised they did this. Really awesome.
BWT, get the album With Teeth...not nearly as dark as Downward Spiral,it's one of the most addictive Cds I've ever heard
I also find it interesting how music discovery and marketing is completely changing. As far as I am aware, there has been no marketing or even formal announcement for the Ghosts album, so NIN is relying purely on viral marketing through blogs, Twitter, etc.
I know many people will say don't get the CD, but I am a fan of owning the CD still. It let's me have high quality in the format I need it now, and in the future. I would rip everything to wave and convert as I need.
Léonie.
The Red Paintings, for example, have recorded their debut album with no label involvement, funded solely with fan donations.
It's a pretty interesting read if you have a minute:
http://digg.com/music/Indie_band_raises_40k_to_...
http://www.anarsist.org/felse fe/
http://www.bid-directory.net/
http://www.anarsist.org/