Nine Inch Nails released another CD... this one completely for free in 24/96

[Steve Henningsgard]

Thoughts? I think this is the way of music marketing from now on: there's no money in CD's anymore.

 

[gdavi1]

I have heard of a few smaller acts doing this as well Four Year Strong had a 2 week promotion where it was free. Semi-Precious-Weapons also has there album for free.

The idea behind this is, "If people like our music they will come to a show, if they come to a show they will buy merch."
but for people to know the bands music they are going to need the cd or a few songs first.

It almost brings them back to the way you promote a high school rock band. Record a cheap demo. Hand out to everybody who is anybody. Hope they come to a show and like you and buy a t-shirt.

 

[Yonce N Mild]

I just bought 2 tickets to the Cleveland show..........$60 a pop.


Yeah he'll make his money.


I love what he is doing, and I'll continue to support it. I would have paid for the new album if I could have.

"as a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new nine inch nails album one hundred percent free"


Class act.

 

[DavidK]

Thoughts? I think this is the way of music marketing from now on: there's no money in CD's anymore.

It will make for some really crappy CDs.

There has always been a financial as well as musical incentive to record. There would be no reason to use something like a sax section on a track, too expensive. NIN is one thing, everybody else is another. They had the benefit of the label system to make their name and their bucks. For others, how hard are they actually going to try if they are giving away the product?

 

[legionserial]

It's all very well giving away your music for free. But it depends how much time you want to put into the music. In many cases, it isn't feasable to hold down a regular job at the same time....so, you have to make a living somehow. It's easy for Trent Reznor to give Cd's away. He's loaded. Your average Joe isn't.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

There's certainly not a lot of money in MP3 sales.

Ok, there is, what with iTunes now being the #1 music retailer...

But I digress. I like that people are giving out digital copies of their music. I don't want to pay for MP3s. I don't mind buying CDs; that is a physical object that has a cost to produce. But I don't like having to pay for an entirely digital (and reduced quality) product.

In counterpoint to DavidK, a good portion of live music nowadays is simply playing back the recordings. Bands go to great lengths to make their live shows sound exactly like the album. Worst-case, they just reverse the process. (i.e. the album sounds exactly like the pre-recorded live show).

 

[DavidK]

In counterpoint to DavidK, a good portion of live music nowadays is simply playing back the recordings. Bands ).

Not all music is centered around "bands". Plenty of people made great recordings and rarely performed. Mike Oldfield, Glenn Gould (in later life), Vangelis, etc. The Beatles went that way their last few years.

"Bands" are just one aspect of a huge business. I've been in the biz a quarter-century, yet never been in a band. Not many of the shows I do are using tape exclusively. Broadway, Jazz, Symphony, etc, they arent using tape.

As much as some people would like to think that The Sky is Falling, it isnt yet. CDs still sell, mp3s definitely sell. The day I am reduced to a T-shirt salesman is the day I get out of music. People can still make lots of money through recordings. Publishing, residuals, new usage in film and TV, it adds up.

 

[VomitHatSteve]

You're right.

I was limiting my scope to touring pop/rock bands because it's honestly the only part of the huge biz that I really care about .

Ok, it's not as bad as that, but I like many people devote a lot more attention to that sort of music than to any others.