Nine Inch Nails New Release on Bit Torrent Sites

I love pretty much everything that Trent Reznor has done.

So this is quite exciting for me and other Industrial fans; hopefully this will pave the way for other bands and musicians.

Nine Inch Nails has released its new album, Ghosts I-IV, online but in a slightly different way. 

If you cast your minds back to when Radiohead released In Rainbows I remarked about Trent Reznors plans to take this idea and in a NIN way – twist it slightly.

Here are the ways you can get it:

• $0 – get Ghosts Vol. I which is 9 high-quality DRM-free MP3 files and the PDF of the album notes. This can be downloaded from both the album’s site as well as via BitTorrent sites.

• $5 – get all 36 tracks of Ghosts I-IV and a 40-page PDF booklet. These tracks are available in a number of formats.

• $10 – get Ghosts I-IV in a 2 CD set. This physical version will be available April 8th, but if you order via the site you can download all the tracks immediately.

• $75 – the deluxe edition package including the 2 CDs, 1 data DVD with all the tracks in various formats, and a Blu-ray disc filled with ultra high-quality audio.

• $300 – everything in the $75 package plus 4 LP real vinyl records and two limited edition Giclee prints. Limited to 2500 pieces, numbered and signed by Trent Reznor.

This method of release is only possible since the band is no longer controlled by a record label.  In fact, the band says in the torrent release notes:

Now that we’re no longer constrained by a record label, we’ve decided to personally upload Ghosts I, the first of the four volumes, to various torrent sites, because we believe BitTorrent is a revolutionary digital distribution method, and we believe in finding ways to utilize new technologies instead of fighting them.

See.  Just how cool is Mr Reznor?

Further more he acknowledges that he uses Torrent sites (like most musicians):

I steal music too, I’m not gonna say I don’t.  But it’s tough not to resent people for doing it when you’re the guy making the music, that would like to reap a benefit from that.

It’s interesting that NIN even admitted how difficult it will be to keep the full 4-volume set off of BitTorrent.  Further in the release notes for the torrent, the band says:

Undoubtedly you’ll be able to find the complete collection on the same torrent network you found this file, but if you’re interested in the release, we encourage you to check it out at ghosts.nin.com, where the complete Ghosts I-IV is available directly from us in a variety of DRM-free digital formats, including FLAC lossless, for only $5.

I think that there will be plenty of people going for the free and unauthorised versions (pretty much as people got In Rainbows for free) – but I’m hoping that fans and music lovers will find a few quid and buy. 

This could be paving a new way in which we get our tunes – I hope that the labels are watching!