It was big news when Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor broke ties with long time label Interscope Records (owned by Universal Music Group) after the release of “Year Zero Remixed” in 2007. In an interview with the Australian newspaper The Herald Sun in May 2007, Reznor described his distaste for the major labels and their actions. He recounted how he had entered an HMV in Sydney only to find that his band’s new album was priced $10 to $15 more than most other releases. He told the paper that in a conversation with a label rep about the situation he was told, “basically it’s because we know you’ve got a core audience that’s gonna buy whatever we put out, so we can charge more for that. It’s the pop stuff we have to discount to get people buy it. True fans will pay whatever”.
Since his departure Reznor has become the subject of a different topic. Recent actions by the artist have made him famous in the industry for not only his music but also his innovative marketing, promotional and releasing practices. Even when NIN still had ties to a major label, Reznor involved himself in such projects. Surrounding the release of 2007’s “Year Zero” he created a web-based alternate reality game (ARG) without the label’s involvement in an attempt to create a backdrop for the album. His goal, he said, was to create something he would be excited to find as a fan. There was no direct marketing monetization to be made from the project, but rather another platform by which to interact with the fans.
Nine Inch Nails is no stranger to effective marketing however. During their 2007 tour of Europe in support of 2005’s “With Teeth”, a viral marketing campaign for their next release began. USB key chains were found in the venue washrooms at their show that contained new songs as well as a noisy audio file. This file, when run through a spectrum analyzer, drew an audio wave in the shape of a phone number. The number led to answering machines that played back conspiracy theories. This complex trail was accompanied by various “fake” websites all over the Internet, which only served to increase the hype and speculation before “Year Zero” was released in April of that year.
More recently, Reznor broke the traditional mould again in 2008 with the release of his two-disc instrumental opus “Ghosts I-IV”. Free from label ties, NIN did things their own way and released the album in a number of different formats at various prices. “Ghosts I” (9 tracks) was free for download on the band’s site and the entire album could be downloaded for $5. A physical two-disc set could be purchased for $10, 4 vinyl LPs for $39, a Deluxe Edition with the CDs, an audio editing DVD, a Blu-ray slide show accompaniment, and a 48-page hardcover book for $75, and a Ultra-Deluxe Limited Edition set containing everything from the Deluxe set as well as 4 vinyl LPs and two Giclée prints signed by Reznor for $300. In addition, fans were encouraged to upload their own visual interpretations/accompaniments for the music to a special video channel.
It is no surprise then that NIN has once again taken innovative steps leading into their tour with Jane’s Addiction, appropriately titled the NIN/JA Tour. The first step was to provide fans with a free 6-song NINJA 2009 Tour Sampler download. In an attempt to maximize the free flow of tour experiences, the band also released a statement on April 28, 2009 permitting fans to bring personal audio and video recording devices to the North American stretch of tour dates. To discourage those that would take commercial advantage of the relaxed policy there are limits that prevent fans from bringing along a TV crew or a Pro-Tools rig to the show. However, the new policy is a drastic flip on the years of high security and prevention that has gone into keeping content under strict artist/label control (please click here to read the band’s statement).
In a final demonstration of the band’s commitment to fan interaction and innovation, NIN has created their own iPhone App that provides access to an interactive experience unlike any seen before. Uploaded to YouTube on April 6, 2009, a tutorial video led by band members walks fans through the use of its impressive features (please click here to see the video). Free to all, the application takes users to a site streaming with fan remixes, images from assorted shows and tours that can be downloaded as backgrounds, etc., band videos and a section whereby you can send and receive messages to other members. In addition, the iPhone’s GPS capabilities allows you to customize searches so you find and chat with other fans within a specified distance of yourself while perusing their profiles. The same feature lets the phone know if you are at a NIN show and allows to take and upload photos to the site immediately. Going above and beyond, the application provides links that take you via Google Earth to the location where NIN is plying their current show. In real-time, chats and photos being uploaded from this show will pop up for you to see and participate in.
In a time when everyone is still struggling with the traditional model of the industry to come up with the next big thing (an act, an image, an angle) there are a few individuals willing to test the boundaries and break conventional practices. A few years ago it would have been crazy to suggest giving away tracks online because albums equal money. You would be seen as shooting yourself in the foot to allow fans to record your shows since control meant limited supply and therefore money. People would question why you might devote the time and capital into creating free online games or applications that have no tangible monetization abilities because that would be a waste of money. Perhaps what the label reps failed to consider when they chose to take advantage of NIN’s fan base, was the fact that dedicated fans are (and always have been) the real money. Without those core fans an artist is nowhere. Trent Reznor understands this and has taken the time to develop this group. While giving away tracks, show privileges and access may seem frivolous it is one way in which NIN continue to provide their fans with the most comprehensive and innovative experience they can. The only question is what will they think of next.
Sources:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gifexqr5ld6e~T1
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21741980-5006024,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts_I-IV
http://forum.nin.com/bb/read.php?18,641167
0 Responses to “Breaking New Ground: The Nine Inch Nails Approach To The Music Industry”