Nine Inch Nails bypasses traditional distribution
Trent Reznor's band Nine Inch Nails - which was released from a major-label recording contract last year - has posted a 36-track instrumental album on the Internet. Consumers can get the first nine tracks of Ghosts I-IV for free on the band's Web site and on BitTorrent sites; buy the entire album in a digital version for $5; or get physical copies with bonus merchandise in packages ranging from $10 to $300.
Last October, British group Radiohead released In Rainbows over the 'Net and allowed customers to choose their own price.
The new Nine Inch Nails album is available on the Amazon.com MP3 store. A company called TuneCore put it there.
For about $30, TuneCore will deliver anyone's songs and albums to iTunes and Amazon. Unlike traditional distribution companies, TuneCore does not take a cut of sales. Like FedEx, it charges just for delivery, not anything that happens after. TuneCore has worked with artists like Ziggy Marley, Public Enemy and Tapes n Tapes.