[techieMoe]

Reznor makes $750,000 even when the music is free

Apparently you can download part 1 of Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails for free. They're 320kbps MP3 files, along with a surprising amount of extras like a PDF booklet and two sets of wallpapers in standard and widescreen versions.

The whole album is $5 for a digital download, $10 for 2 CDs and a digital download. That's nothing to sneeze at. I don't mean this to sound like an advertisement (since Trent Reznor is paying me absolutely nothing to post this) but I just thought it would be neat for those of you interested in free (or cheap) music.

[ls354]

The first thing I noticed was the amount of options being offered.

NIN destroyed my partition

[flipjargendy]

Holly crap! I wonder if he makes that off his new stuff mostely or his old stuff? It seems like a lot of people who are into the average radio stuff are into his new stuff.

Oh, i just realized that was a link you had there... I just installed debian and it's default everything... it's hard to tell what things are.... soooo small screen!!

[Vergil83]

I download Ghost 1 from TPB as it was officially released. It is pretty different than the other NIN stuff I have heard. Not bad, just different.

[techieMoe]

Originally Posted by Vergil83

I download Ghost 1 from TPB as it was officially released. It is pretty different than the other NIN stuff I have heard. Not bad, just different.

I thought it was interesting that Trent Reznor purposefully released the first part of the album on torrent sites like The Pirate Bay. It's the exact opposite kind of thing that most record labels would have done... which is why I think I get a little subversive amusement out of it.

I'm going to pay the $5 for the full thing, as I really don't need the physical CDs. Even if I don't care for the other 3 sections, I like supporting experiments like this. Reznor seems to be offering something that I've not found in traditional music outlets in many years: value for your money.

[carlosponti]

had you read any of the articles where he was interviewed in Australia? He was upset at his label because of what they were charging for one of his latest album and he asked why. the guy who works for his label started saying that it was all this stuff they had to recoup and Reznor new it wasn't true. finally the guy admitted that part of the reason it was so high was that his true fans would pay it. He told the guy to lower the price and at a concert asked if any of the audience had noticed if it went down, the audience said no so he said "**** it steal it." which irritated his label and it wasn't long after that he left the label to release online. Part of the costs they were claiming they were recouping were studio costs and Reznor paid out of his own pocket the studio part of the album.

[bigtomrodney]

Originally Posted by techieMoe

...I like supporting experiments like this. Reznor seems to be offering something that I've not found in traditional music outlets in many years: value for your money.

It's like this, I'm a big music fan. I have an open mind but I know my tastes. To be honest my only knowledge of NIN is Johnny Cash's Hurt cover.

But for €3 to sample their new album legally? They're odds I like. If I don't like it I'm not out of pocket much, if I do I have the satisfaction of funding talented musicians without paying tax to a bunch of middlemen.

[fingal]

I love the idea - I downloaded CD1 from Pirate Bay last night using KTorrent. Sounds ungrateful, but I thought the whole CD counts as the longest intro. in rock history. I was unimpressed... Great idea though.

[techieMoe]

I listened to the whole album yesterday (some at work, some on the way home) and I can say that Ghost I is a good demo, but there are several tracks in Ghosts II-IV that I like much better. They have a more traditional Nine Inch Nails feel to them. Sort of like the stuff you heard in the background of Quake. Neat stuff, all around. I feel like I got my money's worth and then some.

[flipjargendy]

Originally Posted by techieMoe

...I can say that Ghost I is a good demo, but there are several tracks in Ghosts II-IV that I like much better. They have a more traditional Nine Inch Nails feel to them. Sort of like the stuff you heard in the background of Quake...

I am going to download Ghost I tonight and will probably buy them all if it's like the old NIN stuff. I loved the soundtrack for quake. I used to listen to it now and then, I still do actually. It's all on my iPod.