Trent Reznor and the Nine Inch Nails are not only breaking the rules and challenging the stale record distribution model, they are blowing it all in the face of the record labels and music business! Nine Inch Nails are releasing their complete new album, The Slip for free.
This comes hot on the heels of their recent Ghost album distribution in which people could download nine songs for free, and choose to pay $5 for a digital, $10 for CD, and a few hundreds for an exclusive special edition of the instrumental 30+ songs record.
And they are not going the Radiohead low-quality MP3 route, which many people felt cheated by. The music is available in a variety of formats including high-quality MP3, FLAC or M4A lossless at CD quality and even higher-than-CD quality 24/96 WAVE - all free. All downloads include a PDF with artwork and credits.
As for those who still want a physical product, a CD and vinyl version will be out in July.
Get the whole album for free.
Free Music Albums
The Slip by Nine Inch Nails
Trend Themes
1. Free Music Distribution - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore new models for distributing music albums for free to challenge the traditional record labels and music business.
2. Direct-to-consumer Music Release - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Embrace direct-to-consumer releases of music albums, bypassing traditional distribution channels, and allowing artists to engage with their audience directly.
3. Alternative Revenue Streams in Music Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore alternative revenue streams such as special edition releases or merchandise sales to compensate for offering music albums for free.
Industry Implications
1. Music Distribution - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Rethink the role of intermediaries in the music distribution industry and develop innovative platforms for free and direct distribution.
2. Record Labels - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Transform the traditional record label model to adapt to the changing landscape of free music distribution and artist-audience engagement.
3. Music Merchandise - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Diversify and enhance merchandise offerings to generate revenue and support artists who release their music albums for free.