GNG News Guy
03-05-2008, 05:50 PM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/92/69892.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Despite-Piracy-NIN-Experiment-Still-Nets-750000-92389)
As we mentioned Monday (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/NIN-Embraces-P2P-Again-Offers-Free-Music-92331), Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor is giving away the first nine songs of the bands latest album, Ghosts, for free via BitTorrent. He's also selling the whole album, DRM free, for $5 via the band's website (http://ghosts.nin.com/main/order_options). On one side, while the Torrent trackers are jam-packed (http://thepiratebay.org/search/Ghosts%20Nine%20Inch%20Nails/0/99/0) with people trading the album in all version qualities, the band also says they've sold all 2,500 copies of the deluxe edition of the album.
At $300 a pop, Reznor pulled in $750,000 in two days -- despite rabid "pirated" distribution of the album. While a common refrain is something to the effect of "yeah, but this only works with mega-bands," Techdirt argues (http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080304/162842435.shtml) there's no reason smaller bands can't take advantage of the same business model to become bigger acts:Now, before some people start complaining that this will only work for big name bands, there's an easy response to that: these days, the way to become a big band is to get your music out there. Newer bands can easily give away music as a promotion to get attention, build up a following, and throw in these types of options as they get bigger. Besides, smaller, less-well-known acts still have plenty of other offerings they can use to make money, even as a smaller band.
With the real money these days being in touring (http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9443082) and merchandising (http://www.forbes-global.com/forbes/2003/0707/078_print.html), smart artists are using the music as a promotional tool to promote the artist brand instead of the commodity itself. The labels may not like this because it turns their previous cash-cow business model on its head (and they don't profit as much from touring and merchandising), but if broadband music piracy cannot be stopped, it's not like they'll have much of a choice.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Despite-Piracy-NIN-Experiment-Still-Nets-750000-92389)
As we mentioned Monday (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/NIN-Embraces-P2P-Again-Offers-Free-Music-92331), Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor is giving away the first nine songs of the bands latest album, Ghosts, for free via BitTorrent. He's also selling the whole album, DRM free, for $5 via the band's website (http://ghosts.nin.com/main/order_options). On one side, while the Torrent trackers are jam-packed (http://thepiratebay.org/search/Ghosts%20Nine%20Inch%20Nails/0/99/0) with people trading the album in all version qualities, the band also says they've sold all 2,500 copies of the deluxe edition of the album.
At $300 a pop, Reznor pulled in $750,000 in two days -- despite rabid "pirated" distribution of the album. While a common refrain is something to the effect of "yeah, but this only works with mega-bands," Techdirt argues (http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080304/162842435.shtml) there's no reason smaller bands can't take advantage of the same business model to become bigger acts:Now, before some people start complaining that this will only work for big name bands, there's an easy response to that: these days, the way to become a big band is to get your music out there. Newer bands can easily give away music as a promotion to get attention, build up a following, and throw in these types of options as they get bigger. Besides, smaller, less-well-known acts still have plenty of other offerings they can use to make money, even as a smaller band.
With the real money these days being in touring (http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9443082) and merchandising (http://www.forbes-global.com/forbes/2003/0707/078_print.html), smart artists are using the music as a promotional tool to promote the artist brand instead of the commodity itself. The labels may not like this because it turns their previous cash-cow business model on its head (and they don't profit as much from touring and merchandising), but if broadband music piracy cannot be stopped, it's not like they'll have much of a choice.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Despite-Piracy-NIN-Experiment-Still-Nets-750000-92389)