Nine Inch Nails to record labels: so long and thanks for nothing
Last week Radiohead made waves when the band announced that it would be distributing its new album without the help of a record label. Not only will you be able to download the new album online, and not only will your money go directly to Radiohead, but you can set your own price.Now Nine Inch Nails appears to be following suit. Frontman Trent Reznor posted a brief message on the band's homepage that says the band is a "free agent," after spending 18 years watching record labels transform. Reznor says he's looking forward to developing a "direct relationship" with his audience. While he doesn't say anything about digital music downloads, all signs point to a Radiohead-like announcement in the near future.
Reznor has a history of encouraging fans to do interesting things with his music. While some are arguing that these moves by popular bands like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead signal a dramatic shift in the recording industry, things aren't really that simple. Yes, these bands are popular enough that they can afford to tell off the record labels. The bands will sell music, sell out concerts, and make plenty of money anyway.
But there are a thousand websites where you can already pay for music by independent musicians or download tracks for free. And the truth of the matter is few, if any, of the artists on these sites will ever be the next Nine Inch Nails or Radiohead. That's not because their music isn't good. It's because it's hard to attract the kind of following that well known bands have without a huge advertising budget.
What do you think? Are we seeing the start of a trend? Or are Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails just getting a lot of attention for doing something pretty insignificant?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pete said 5:24PM on 10-09-2007
Not a new trend but very significant. Reznor has been talking about this for awhile. He feels the labels are ripping off the consumer. The bands that need the exposure are not seeing the income as much as you would think. The fan's money isn't going through the label to the artist at a fair share but more-likely stopping at the label and slightly filtering to the artist.
A statement like this from a major group or two or more says a lot to their fans. "We want you to enjoy our music w/o breaking the bank". There is more meaning to art when money is out of the equation or at least not a major motivator. You think these groups make great music now, imagine what they could do w/o the pressure of the label on their backs.
But yes the little guys sad to say will need to be taken advantage of if they really what to get their names out there.
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Deviation said 9:17AM on 10-10-2007
I see a brave new future where bands can't get signed by labels without signing away at least their first five albums, all as options for the label that can be declined. And all at even lower percentages for the artists.
I know stuff like this is already in place but it's going to get much, much worse.
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Shibathedog said 6:12PM on 10-09-2007
They are definitely doing the right thing to cause some change to happen, but unfortunately its not going to be enough until ALOT of bands do this.
You know the only way to force change is to put a dent in the right persons bank account. Sad, but true.
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VerSuS said 8:38PM on 10-09-2007
I think it´s both things, it´s obviously that Radiohead and NIN doesn´t really need more money, that´s why they can do so easily things like this, but i´m sure they also have the intention to change the panorama of the music industry.
Ask Metallica if they have the intention of doing something like this someday...
I really don´t think so...
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Matthew Clapp said 8:38PM on 10-09-2007
Mega-popular bands may just be a thing of the past. There is so much creativity out there it's amazing that so much money gets poured into such little talent. I think it is a welcome shift. The record companies won't give up easily.
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Andy Chapman said 11:05PM on 10-09-2007
Nothing particularly amazing here. Radiohead and NIN are already house hold names so they don't need the same level of marketing; they can get away with this and it will work.
However, the majority of new artists are going to need help with marketing. Call that help a "record company" or a "marketing company", but in the end it's the same thing. Someone has to take a risk on new talent, and it IS a big risk, and no-one is going to do that as a charity.
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Shiva said 8:23AM on 10-10-2007
The premise is flawed. You can't simply state that their music is good. Most of the music people create is awful, some is average, and very rarely, great finds for us all.
Writing and performing really good music is hard. You trivialize it by saying there are thousands of excellent bands out there -- there are not. I used to go to shows a few times a week, for years on end, in the NYC area. It's a small sample size but NYC is an undisputed music capital, and I was seeing shows at Maxwell's, Irving Plaza, Mercury Lounge, Arlene's Grocery, etc. The truth hurts but it's still the truth: most bands suck.
That, and that alone, is the biggest reason why tiny little indie labels and stupid music sites fail. they have zero product.
~
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RIFRAF said 3:37PM on 10-10-2007
I think it's time to say goodbye to the record industry of yesterday. I believe that while what NIN and Radiohead are doing is noble, we're not going to see a lot of bands jump on the independent bandwagon. There's still quite a bit a label does, that any indy can't get accomplished (i.e. radio promotion) What I do see is the possibilty of new record labels out there restructuring to keep their bands from leaving them in a good way, doing the things they forgot to do because they got greedy. Of course you'll have those out their that won't change, but we all know they're out there sweating on where their next million will come from...
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mxb11 said 12:32PM on 10-11-2007
Bands can promote their music themselves using www.ipromote.com
Now they can "spread the word" easily with even a small budget.
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