Another Model for the Distribution of Music on the Internet?
Here is an interesting article about how Trent Reznor, the lead-singer of Nine Inch Nails, has found another way for musicians to distribute free music to fans via the Internet, while still providing a way for the band to make money. Unlike Radiohead, which offered fans the ability to name their own price (as low as nothing) to download their latest album, Reznor is offering his latest instrumental album Ghosts I-IV (there are four albums total) at a variety of prices. User’s can download Ghost I for free, pay $5 for a high quality digital copy of all four albums, pay $10 for the digital copies and a CD copy of all four albums, or pay either $75 or $300 for deluxe editions, which include things such as blue-ray DVD’s, vinyl, etc.
The article estimates that Reznor made about $750,000 from this staggered price model in about three days. Although smaller bands would not be able to gross as much money, this seems like a good option for many musicians, as audiophiles will pay more for high-quality music. This would allow music to be distributed freely, while still providing artists with a way to make a living.
Writer,
TheNelsMantra
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2 Responses to “Another Model for the Distribution of Music on the Internet?”
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April 16th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Aside from the legal and regulatory strategies employed to maintain the traditional structure of certain markets, I am fascinated at the strategies that people use to adapt to how the internet has changed them. Itunes and Amazon have made profit off of what once was free, television epsiodes. Programs like HBO make portions of their shows available for free as podcasts. Networks make some of their programs available for free with commercials. And, in this example, musicians recognize that there are different kinds of listeners and can provide products with different levels of cost for these audiences. Just like the early days of cinema or television it is exciting to see the changes that the internet is bringing to the entertainment industry.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Your article really reminds me of much of what’s at heart in Lessig’s Code 2.0. Law, the market, technological architecture, and social norms are all ways of regulating something such as music downloads. Reznor tapped into the ideas that there are numerous different ways to regulate someone’s behavior, some of which are highly profitable, many of which have little to do with the law.