MyMediaMusings

Nine Inch Nails is following in the footsteps of a growing number of bands that have left the traditional world of labels and is self-distributing their own work.

In addition, they are offering fans the chance to download their basic album in for free, without any DRM.   As PaidContent points out, though, that’s just the beginning:

” — $5 download: All 36 tracks in a variety of digital formats, plus a 40-page PDF.
– $10 two-disc set: A double-disc set, packaged in a Digipak with a 16-page booklet, to be shipped on April 8. Includes immediate download of album.
– $75 deluxe edition: Ghosts I-IV in a “hardcover fabric slipcase containing two audio CDs, one data DVD with all tracks in multi-track format, and a Blu-Ray disc of Ghosts I-IV. Ships May 1. Includes immediate download of album.
– $300 “ultra-deluxe limited edition package”: Deluxe edition plus a four-LP set on 180-gram vinyl, which is packaged in a fabric slipcase. Two limited-edition Giclee prints are included; package is numbered and signed by Trent Reznor. Limited to a run of 2500, and one piece per customer. Ships May 1 and includes immediate download.”

This is definitely beginning to be a seriously interesting marketplace with so many bands exploring alternatives to traditional distribution and monetization methods.  It will be neat to see if they release reliable sales data so everyone can learn from their experiment.

As Mashable notes:

“Let me just stop here for a second and say that personally, I haven’t listened to NiN much since the Downward Spiral phase, but if there’s one album I’m gonna buy this year (I usually go to concerts and buy t-shirts, as I feel the band profits more directly from this; I have quite a collection), it’s going to be this one. Finally, you get good value for your money, and you get a fantastic number of options which cater to every pocket. I’m sure that fans will realize this and get the option they can afford, be it free, or the ultra-deluxe one.”