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- Henko, on 03/13/2008, -3/+221This is awesome, of course. I think it does prove that major artists can do very well without too much further ties to the record labels. For unknown artists to break through, they would have to somehow pass through the media noise of already famous artists. This will be one of the major challenges. However, it won't be worse than it is today - when artists with high potential are turned down from the labels because their gut feeling says it's not good enough - change this and do that - because of the high costs involved with marketing, production and logistics. The future will belong to the artists who get the first two right. Logistics is no longer an issue. For upcoming artists, this would mean word-of-mouth basically. Artists rights still need to be protected however, and creative commons might be the way. A torrent-based site, with charts, popular picks, DRM-free downloads aswell as online store, which actually takes care of the artists needs and give them a fair deal with generated sales and legal help. Why not?
- webefools, on 03/13/2008, -3/+122... the pigs have lost tonight...
- magellan1501, on 03/13/2008, -2/+111Music Industry Take note. This is not the future of music, it is the present state of music. I never listened to NIN, but bought their album out of support for this type of business model.
- russizm, on 03/13/2008, -0/+90FROM NIN.COM:
Hello-
First of all, a sincere THANK YOU for the response to Ghosts. We are all amazed at the reaction for what we assumed would be a quiet curiosity in the NIN catalog. My faith in all of you has been restored - let's all go have coffee somewhere (my treat)!
Today we announce the expansion of the Ghosts project into the visual world. This record began as an experiment with us using sound as a means to describe visuals. Early in the project we thought it would be interesting to see what the community could create / collaborate on as a reaction to the music we were making. We wanted to keep the canvas as blank as possible for you, hence the lack of descriptive song titles and the primarily textural artwork and packaging.
So here's the plan: we've teamed up with YouTube to host a "film festival" around Ghosts. The concept is for you to take whatever tracks you feel inspired by from Ghosts and create what you feel should accompany them visually. You will be able to see all of the submissions, and a team of us (including me) will be sorting through them and setting aside ones we feel are exceptional. Eventually (within a couple of months?) we will present a virtual "film festival" with me and some special guests presenting selections of your work.
This isn't a contest and you don't win elaborate prizes - it's meant to be an experiment in collaboration and a chance for us to interact beyond the typical one-way artist-to-fan relationship. We've discussed some interesting ways this could go, including multiple installments of the online "film festivals," to broadcast TV specials, to a one-time live performance of the entire Ghosts record with your visuals involved. It really depends on how this progresses and develops.
We are all very much looking forward to what you come up with, and hope you enjoy the experience. Visit our YouTube channel later today for information on how to participate.
TR - holyreality, on 03/13/2008, -8/+89I repeat: trent reznor = genius.
- lovintrent, on 03/13/2008, -6/+85It's nice to see that after all these years, TRENT and not Interscope is reaping the rewards of his labour!
I might add that I was one of the first people to pay for a download of Ghosts!!!!
It was worth every penny, and then some!!
:) - Capta1nA, on 03/13/2008, -0/+65 * Trent Reznor – performance, production, art direction
* Atticus Ross – programming, arranging, production
* Alan Moulder – engineering, mix engineering, production
* Alessandro Cortini – guitars (4, 11, 17, 20, 24, 28), bass (4), dulcimer (22), additional electronics (19, 22, 29, 33)
* Adrian Belew – guitars (3, 4, 7, 10-11, 14, 16, 21, 25, 27, 31-32, 35), electronics (25), marimba (30)
* Brian Viglione – drums (19, 22)
* Tom Baker – mastering
* Rob Sheridan – art direction, photography, visual and physical elements[6]
* Artist in Residence – art direction, photography, visual and physical elements[6]
* Phillip Graybill – photography
* Tamar Levine – additional photography - noneofthem, on 03/13/2008, -3/+60I have to say I am more than pleased to read that this whole thing has worked out so well for Trent. He deserves every Cent and the music industry should start taking notes. Here comes the future...
- patrickloggins, on 03/13/2008, -1/+48I pirated Year Zero and payed for this. The system obviously works.
- leetdood, on 03/13/2008, -1/+46For people who are saying this model won't for indie bands, upcoming bands, you're wrong. They just can't expect people to go to their website out of nowhere- if they build their own buzz and let people pass the word around (If their music is ACTUALLY good) then they'll come.
- wrxpert, on 03/13/2008, -1/+44$5=measly? I think $5 is a great price point for an album. I am happy to spend 5 bucks on an ambum. I hate spending 15+ on albums. I think 5 is perfectly fair considering you are cutting out the middleman.
- 4degrees, on 03/13/2008, -0/+37makes me feel better.
- NinjaBoy, on 03/13/2008, -0/+32But you are forgetting about people who might have downloaded it, then gone back and payed for it.
- fahrvergnuugen, on 03/13/2008, -1/+33Almost half the profit was from the $300 signed copy. ($300 * 2500 copies)
- trogdor282, on 03/13/2008, -0/+30How much did NIN make off any of their 'regular' albums? It would be interesting to compare. Then we could really see who rapes artists more, moochers or suits.
- 3drage, on 03/13/2008, -1/+29***** the record companies and their business model to sue customers. Had they provided digital media at a reasonable price and without all the DRM *****, perhaps they'd have a successful business model like this one. Go away you old and archaic music execs. We want to support the musicians, and your free ride is over.
- elamr, on 03/13/2008, -1/+27the album is great. I wish more artist would do this kind of thing.. I would definitely buy everytime.
- obliviousfool, on 03/13/2008, -0/+23Compared to what the artist might get on a big record label, I'd bet 5 dollars a pop is pretty damn good.
- violentvinyl, on 03/13/2008, -0/+22I read an interview with Trent a while back in Wired, and while I don't recall the exact arrangements, he still works with marketing people and has another creative person he works with. He still has most of the creative and business power of a major label, but he's cut out a lot of the middlemen. Not to mention he still has to worry about touring and promotional duties.
This isn't the end of recording labels, it is however (hopefully) the end of the mega labels. As an act that's just starting out, there's still so much a label can do for you (promotions, gigs, airplay, studio time, etc.). In the future we're likely to see many smaller labels instead of fewer large labels. The labels role in the industry is changing for the better, and Reznor is definitely at the forefront. - mojoel, on 03/13/2008, -0/+22TVT ripped him off on Pretty Hate Machine. From what I understand he didn't make a dime. Good to see him getting rewarded in this way after some of the ***** he's been thru.
- GeneralFault, on 03/13/2008, -1/+22And how many artists has the industry said "***** you" too (and then proceeded to apply the KY jelly)? Please, NIN does not owe the industry a thing.
- zephyr42, on 03/13/2008, -1/+22Or we could go back to the system that worked so well... bands that start out playing concerts and getting their name out by word of mouth. All of my favorite bands, that most people don't know about, I heard about this way and it's so much better. Think if there wasn't the hype and NOISE of the modern music machine pushing ***** down your throat and you could actually find out about smaller bands more easily. Just a thought, I'll still find better bands than the music industry can put out, and I'll happily support them while I can.
- NuFadZoo, on 03/13/2008, -2/+22Now when is he going to start a company that signs bands, sells/gives their music away and puts the same amount of promotion behind them that big record labels do? That will officially change the way the music industry works.
- matthewdestroys, on 03/13/2008, -3/+23***** the RIAA!
- robobeau, on 03/13/2008, -1/+21Like me, for example.
- ninedead, on 03/13/2008, -4/+24that is the coolest thing ive read in awhile, im so glad this worked out for trent! i hope more follow this route with releases.
still lovin ghosts after a week of nonstop play! - sgxyay, on 03/13/2008, -0/+18I somewhat disagree. It is hard as hell to stand out in the internet crowd, even with amazing music. Tools like myspace and soundclick won't really get you anywhere quickly without assistance from something else.
Think about it - how many indie artists, usually people with full time jobs needed to support themselves either have the web design skills or money to make their own website, have money, skills, or equipment needed for professional recording quality, have the marketing know-how to get them anywhere, graphic designers to make them cool logos and tshirts, etc? Not too many. When it is your job to make music, how often are you going to have all the skills needed to distribute your music in a big way? It is really not easy, cheap, or always effective to make AND sell your music yourself when you are the little guy.
I've been making my own music and distributing it myself (physical and download) for about 5 years. I have a full time job and I do this as a serious hobby that might, might pay the bills further down the road. It's been a lot of work, and I am fortunate to have some web and graphic design skills that allow me to do this by myself. Not everybody is me. Compared to Trent's $1.6 million in one week, I've grossed about $2k on my latest album which I released in December ( http://www.sgxmusic.com/hotga.htm if you like electronica). Maybe I suck at music or marketing, but I have a lot of buddies who do similar things who make less. - floridiot2, on 03/13/2008, -1/+19Does he even have to pay anyone, or does he do everything himself?
- dygel, on 03/13/2008, -0/+17You're missing the point. What you're suggesting very much doesn't change the way the music industry works. It's the same damn thing. The paradigm shift is that the band does it themselves. If the band is hiring someone else to do it (like a music label), then they're not doing it themselves and the label is in their pocket.
- elegantjihad, on 03/13/2008, -0/+16A perfect example of 'try before you buy'. Check out one album for free, pay for the rest. I think if EP's were given away for free, more people would be interested in the LP's, given the quality was there.
- jetblackz4, on 03/13/2008, -1/+17Take that music industry ! Change with the times and stop criminalizing downloading music.
- Hamsterpotpies, on 03/13/2008, -0/+16Good job Trent! Keep up the great work!
See, DRM free music DOES work! - f4nt0m4s, on 03/13/2008, -0/+16Adrian Belew is awesome.
- zengonzo, on 03/13/2008, -1/+17Think of it as an investment in the business model.
- toekneebullard, on 03/13/2008, -0/+15I paid for the download...but then had to go to pirate bay to get around the dead servers.
- Duositex, on 03/13/2008, -2/+17Clearly you don't understand the meaning of the phrase "morbid curiosity" because your question indicates your curiosity is quite the regular kind...
- xdeliriumx, on 03/13/2008, -2/+16get 'em Trent. you've got our support.
- DangerMouse9, on 03/13/2008, -0/+13You do realize how much those will be going for on ebay far surpasses the $300 originally paid for it, right?
- fox, on 04/11/2009, -0/+13also, don't forget this is only after ONE week. Whatever way you look at it, that is still pretty dam good.
- weezer17, on 03/13/2008, -4/+16Eat a fat dick RIAA.
- latpack, on 03/13/2008, -2/+14on the *****?
- envyme, on 03/13/2008, -2/+13Being a musician myself, I am glad to see this business model work so well. I've always released my music free, but it's just such a great turn in the industry and I can't wait to implement it one day for myself.
- 4degrees, on 03/13/2008, -1/+12to the RIAA: Stuff _that_ in your pipe and smoke it!
- inactive, on 03/13/2008, -0/+10Sounds great, wonder how much he makes off each cd sale, as compared to this online method. I'm sure cutting out the middle man , he probably made killer profits$$$$$$
- kingmanic, on 03/13/2008, -0/+10Creativity begets creativity. Good to see an artists thinking of more then his own wallet and *****.
- GeneralFault, on 03/13/2008, -0/+9You dismiss the $750,000 in sales of the premium set as if it is inconsequential. But in fact it is the whole point! We keep trying to tell the RIAA and MPAA that competing with free is easy if you know what to offer. Trent knew what to offer and was sold out in less than a day! If that is not proof that people will pay top-dollar for the work of artists that they worship, a little for the artists that they like and nothing for the artists that they are simply curious about but could get into later, then I don't know what is. Trents business model is a true win-win-win proposition..
- Chaoticfist, on 03/13/2008, -0/+9I am always willing to try out new music, dnt suppose you have a link?
- headzoo, on 03/13/2008, -0/+8I wonder what his overhead was on that project. Studio time (Maybe he has a home studio?), bandwidth, etc. Because even though that's not $20mil, it's all his. Some record company doesn't get 90% of it. Even if he only makes $200,000 in profit, that may even be more than he'd get by selling 5mil records through a big record company.
- fkr3, on 03/13/2008, -5/+13I said measly to emphasise how much people were getting for so little - to buy 36 tracks on iTunes or Amazon is going to cost you $30 or more - but at the absolute most only 1 in 5 people were willing to pay.
$5 is much more than reasonable in my opinion. - WarpFox, on 03/13/2008, -0/+8I believe he did it to "stick it to the man" as it were.
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