Awesome, once again way to stick it to the man...

If I am going to pay 99 cents a song on Itunes or wherever, I want to be able to do whatever I want with it.

I should be able to burn 800 mix cd's with it over the time I OWN the music not OWN with restrictions... Uncool.

It'd be like buying a dvd and saying you can only play it on 2 dvd players. Sorry if you have 3 dvd players in your house, sorrryyy.. you can only paly it on upto 2. GAYYYY.

Go freedom train! GO!

No, "gay" would be an automatic substitution of "Elton John's Greatest Hits" if you tried to burn a homemade mix of major-label deathmetal.

Given their devious nature, I'm surprised the RIAA haven't attempted that yet!

Good for NIN and radiohead! Bands make most of their money from touring. I would rather go see them live than feed the label's money. Harvey Danger released their album for free too. Most bands would rather be loyal to their fans, not to the leaches that get most of the money from the band's sales.

Stick with mainstream music and you are stuck with mainstream distribution. Check out the Live Music Archive or find local bands you like and buy their CD's for 15 bucks or less at the show. I have an iPod, but I have never used iTunes store. Most of what I have is either direct downloads from the bands or cd's I have picked up shows.

Now THAT is a beautiful story...

They should make a movie about it and encourage people to steal it so that we can get the RIAA and the MPAA in one swift stroke.

and here I thought I couldn't love Trent Reznor any more. Now I have to buy the NIN blow-up doll to sleep easy.

Radiohead's recent move will change the modern music industry. This move by NIN simply reinforces that fact.

Trent - thank you for giving us one of the best tours in recent history (Downward Spiral 1994) and thank you for helping lead the music business out of the tar pit it's been stuck in for far too long...

Trent's been doing this for quite a while now. He's probably one of the most sensible and respectible artists in the industry. Not only does he make his music freely available, he even lets you download the garageband, logic, and acid track recordings off the website so you can remix them however you want and the best remixes of his songs win all sorts of prizes.

GO NIN GO!!! :-D

As a creator of direct to audience content, I fully applaud your moves!

If any of you out there are into family, fantastical entertainment, please check out

Pazzaria Productions

[www.pazzariaepk.com]

KEEP DIRECT MARKETING AND DIRECT SALES ALIVE!!

And yes, the RIAA needs to burn, majorly! Please, folks...

YOU KNOW THE FOLKS AT THE RIAA ARE AS "GUILTY" OF COPYING MUSIC AS ANYONE ELSE!!

Listen, my grandmother, who loves to listen to CDs in her car, wants copies of my music.

Bottom line, the RIAA can go up against all of the computer and component companies, and ban simple component to component connections - ROTFL!! Good luck!

As well, if you spend five seconds with iTunes, you will see that such capabilities are BUILT IN!! Does "Burn Disc" mean anything to anyone?

Fine, stupid RIAA - go up against Apple. Have fun!!

This is great for big-name bands and consumers.

Somebody's bound to bring up, though, how new artists will still need the RIAA -- I say, though, that this is an opportunity for big-names to just start promoting and helping the little-names that they happen to like. Many groups already do, to a degree...but if they step that up, they can get rid of the stupid RIAA forever. Big artists helping up-and-coming artists make it big is much better than big-wigs-wearing-suits forcing crap "entertainers" down our throats, and charging consumers exorbitant fees to do it...

I am extremely happy to see this happening.

But, buying music from iTunes isn't really as bad as it sounds if you just plan on listening to it on your iPod and computer.

And even then, you can burn the music to a CD and then rip it back to your computer and it will be DRM-less, or pay a few dollars extra and get the album in iTunes plus, if it is available.

And, it is often only as much as or cheaper than buying the CD if you buy the entire album, and it is much more convenient than going out and buying the CD.

" BY ANDHAM AT 08:01 PM

I am extremely happy to see this happening.

But, buying music from iTunes isn't really as bad as it sounds if you just plan on listening to it on your iPod and computer.

And even then, you can burn the music to a CD and then rip it back to your computer and it will be DRM-less, or pay a few dollars extra and get the album in iTunes plus, if it is available.

And, it is often only as much as or cheaper than buying the CD if you buy the entire album, and it is much more convenient than going out and buying the CD. "

Um, yeah, so lets say that you find a different MP3 player. Oh, you are out of luck. Oh, and your "burn to CD and re-rip" method makes it sound like total crap btw. iTunes plus is a joke, it is way overpriced (25% more!!)and there are hardly any songs.

Buying DRM-free is actually the cheapest way to go using Amazon. Hopefully they will get more labels on board. I am looking forward to the new Zune store that will supposedly be DRM free as well.

This is perfectly fine, until record labels have to start ripping off lesser-known bands in order to make up for the loss of music giants, and the music industry falls apart because there's no money in it.

"Go freedom train, go!"

@OmegaRed59:
I just started using Amazon instead of buying CD's. It costs less and is a good quality MP3. Never used iTunes because I wasn't going to jump through their hoops to get my music. Like you said, I hope more labels and artists jump on the DRM-free music train.

Time to download all the NIN albums thanks to Trent R, not like he would have minded if I did beforehand anyway.

This brings up an interesting question:

Is there a need for the RIAA in the 21st century?

You needed them for:

*Promotion
*Distribution
*Production

But now we have:

*Myspace and Youtube for promotion.
*iTunes and Amazon for distribution.

All that is really left is production, but, that is really only for the smaller players in the record business. I'm sure Jay-Z and Madonna have their own production studios at hand.

All we need is the indie labels to step up and help out the smaller artist and we can say good buy to the 20th century system.

Finally ... I've been waiting for Trent to finally stick it to the man and say F*CK YOU! I will definitely still end up with any NIN album released.

@Mixiboi: And, Trent does have his own studio in his house. he recorded all of Year Zero by himself in his basement or wherever in the house it is. He doesn't need all that garbage from the RIAA.

Sadly the thing is that it's nearly impossible for any unknow band to gain such status as NIN or Radiohead without the labels, so no, this will not be the way of the future. At least not as simply as everyone seems to think. If you are unknown band how are people going to find you and buy your songs without label or some substituting institution? Sure you can make your living without being mega popular, but to gain such stardom as the top bands have today, simply not possible without huge financial backing.

So how viable is this for acts who haven't had a decade or more of big-label distribution and promotion?

Trent Reznor just announced that Nine Inch Nails is going solo and cutting out the middle man so that he can have a “a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.” [via...

** clapping loud **

Trent has always been innovative in his music creation. Now he's followed in Radiohead's footsteps and done the next big thing.

I know he's released his own stuff before in smaller parts, but this just goes to show that the option to DIY is going to keep expanding.

@arashi: unknown bands like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah did their debut album on their own and sold 200,000+ records without a label. It's not Metallica or Madonna, but it's a start
[www.cbsnews.com]

Who sets the criteria for an a-list band? Certainly, NIN used to be in that category, but I am not certain they fit the definition anymore. If NIN had done it in the 90's (ignoring the fact it could not have been done), that would have been a coup. But today?

Let me know when Kanye West releases his next album directly to his fans.

@Monty:

When you still sell out tours and have Albums reach #1, your still a-list.

Kanye West won't be able to do it till his contract is up, which isn't till he release two more albums....

That is the only reason more bands don't do it, they got contracts that are longer then some of their careers.

I just paid 30 quid for Radiohead's new album because of their awesomeness. I hope NIN does the same option so I can pay them what they actually fucking deserve for their hard work.
I'm tired of paying the RIAA to sue me; I want to pay the bloody artists for their work!!!

This is almost as good as if every person on the planet stopped buying cd's tomorrow.

Highly popular Industrial Rock Band Nine Inch Nails have announced that as of today they are free agents, and will not be using the services of a record company in the future.

Umm, yeah, that's great that trent is doing that, but A-list? Who are you kidding? NIN has about the prominence today of Fugazi. Giving Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead that title is like suggesting Alf (that weird looking space alien with the really annoying laugh) is still A-list.

They are all about as dead as Spears' hair, unless perhaps, you read Gizmodo, where industrial is apparently still cool. Unfortunately, A-list today means desperate and trashy, whereas, A-list back then meant, well, much the same, but in those days some celebs pretended to be profound.

I was kind of surprised that so many tween readers here even knew of NIN. Who would put that crap on their iPod unless they wanted it to commit suicide? It probably sits next to KMFDM and Ministry. Rock on. Moby for you posers.

Anyways, while Trent is trying to get people to listen to his newest rants, today's real A-listers are acting like the same old stars who would ripoff their fans at every junction (when they were making money). Good luck if you think this will get Kanye or Colbie Caillat to give up their destiny of making the studios richer too. They, like Trent, would only freely distribute songs to their fans when they could not think of any other way to get them to pay for their music. And do you really think that Trent believes this will be less profitable for himself? He's a freakin' sadocapitalist, and he is going to rape all of you trendy gadget freaks with his nine inch nails one way or another.

Whatever, I've dated myself. You can feel cushy thinking that you listen to music that takes a stand like I pretend I am making a difference to my lungs when I smoke the organic (and more expensive) cigarettes. As long as you like to hear whining bitches complain about the futility of existence coupled with really annoying music in the background (is that still what it is?), then enjoy. Don't be surprised if you become cynical later in life though.

@capitalass: I don't know about that. NiN's latest album debuted at #2 in the charts and held its spot ok for a while. They seem to be selling quite ok. That's not irrelevant to me.

Awesome, Awesome Awesome. I ordered the radiohead album last week (Man that clothing site that's processing the transactions is going to make bank) and I'm glad radiohead's going this way too.

Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix.

--Christina Baldwin

it has begun...

once again, trent has showed me yet another thing to make me love him. NIN and trent have always been my favorite band and yet another reason to love the guy. the riaa is just the man to get stuck and i'm glad trent was there to take an early stab.

@Coder4Life: Not wanting to point out the obvious (or advocate DRM, 'cause it fucking stinks) but your 99c iTunes track can be burnt... 800 times, to 8000 mix CDs if you're so inclined.

Apple don't make CD players, so if you really want to use one - do so. They fear your music being played on a competitors' PMP - that's the biggest restriction (and the 5-computers-at-a-time, must-have-internet-connection bullshit)

As for Trent and Radiohead... they need to get some smart developers in, develop a very specific (most probably paid) social networking-based system. Let bands that don't have the money or success required to go out alone have a go at controlling their own distribution. Of course at certain point bigger bands become the new labels.

That'd really start sticking it to labels. Until then, new talent really has to look toward a contract with a label (of some sort) for the cash to promote their music, and to a lesser extent distribute it. The latter is easy, it's just getting it to a larger audience.

Seems not that difficult with the infrastructure in place, and it's clearly the RIAA and the parties it represents freaking out over their income streams.

That's great and all, but we're not out of the woods until a band can get as big and popular as radiohead or NiN without a record contract.

You can get pretty big on your own, by clearchannel won't care enough to play you on the radio.

@Collins1: "until record labels start ripping off lesser-known bands..." That's what they've been doing for decades. "The music industry falls apart..." Can't happen soon enough, if you ask me.

@capitalass: NIN's not A-List? Their most recent album's already sold 445k and the one before that's at 1.1 million. Total, they've moved 10.5 million albums in the US and another 10 overseas. Yeah, Trent's got a big problem getting people to buy his records. This must be a desperate way for him to get people to listen to his music.

Kudos to NIN and Radiohead for taking such of a bold step. And a bigger Kudos to NIN for being around for 18 years!

I'm actually surprised that Pearl Jam or Prince have not jumped on this bandwagon.

Speaking as a "Trent" myself (my real name is Trent) it makes me very happy to see another Trent stick it to the RIAA like this. I haven't purchased a NIN album since "The Downward Spiral" but you can be assured that I will buy his new album if it screws the RIAA in any way, shape, or form.

@sam-i-am: People still listen to the radio?! Who knew. With so many sheeps listening to their radioless ipods I would think radio has stopped becoming such a reckoning force in this industry.

In the tune of "Head like a Hole":

Chorus:
Pockets with holes
Money to burn
The RIAA can die as far as I'm concerned

Bow down to no record company
RIAA you will get what you deserve

@Steel_Pelican: If there is no record industry, there's no music.

If there was no motor trade, what would you drive?

@Collins1: Not true, there was music before recordings (any type of recording for that matter!) and there will be music LONG after the RIAA is finally dead. (Yes, I believe they will die off, and soon. I give the RIAA 5 to 10 more years at best.)

@capitalass: You got a problem with KMFDM and Ministry?

A REPLY THE THE POST BELOW,

Trent IS in fact helping newcomers and smaller name artists get their music out there without the help of the industry. Saul Williams seems to be doing quite fine since Trent Reznor took him under his wing and people love downloading his free content just like NIN you can remix saul williams and upload and share with the community at remix.nin.com I dont think this will be the last band to appear on this site either and we may just see other bands doing similar things such as reward their fans with free stuff. EQC AT 10/08/07 07:52 PM

This is great for big-name bands and consumers.

Somebody's bound to bring up, though, how new artists will still need the RIAA -- I say, though, that this is an opportunity for big-names to just start promoting and helping the little-names that they happen to like. Many groups already do, to a degree...but if they step that up, they can get rid of the stupid RIAA forever. Big artists helping up-and-coming artists make it big is much better than big-wigs-wearing-suits forcing crap "entertainers" down our throats, and charging consumers exorbitant fees to do it...