janesaddiction Blog and Journals

It's no secret that Mr. Reznor, the brains behind NIN among others projects over the last 2 decades, has been at odds with labels and music industry giants of the past. It's also no secret that he does not keep quiet about his disdain with policies, and maybe that's why we have to give him some respect. He's got the guts to speak up and do something about it, not just complain when something is wrong with the ever changing world of music business. 

According to an article featured earlier this month on contactmusic.com, he tells us the moment that put his actions to leave his former label, Interscope, into motion. 

"One of the biggest wake-up calls of my career was when I saw a record contract. I said, 'Wait - you sell it for $18.98 and I make 80 cents? And I have to pay you back the money you lent me to make it and then you own it? Who the f**k made that rule? Oh! The record labels made it because artists are dumb and they'll sign anything' - like I did. When we found out we'd been released (from their recording contract) it was like, 'Thank God!'. But 20 minutes later it was, 'Uh-oh, now what are we going to do?' It was incredibly liberating, and it was terrifying." 

Sometimes the most terrifying experiences can be the most liberating, especially for artists in the music industry. So technically speaking, differences between label and artist couldn't be worked out, and the label was silly enough to let an incredible artist go. WHY? Because it's about all about money to these big wigs. According to Trent, he also claims that big music labels are out of touch with reality and the social environment of consumers and fans. 

Reznor says, "Anyone who's an executive at a record label does not understand what the internet is, how it works, how people use it, how fans and consumers interact - no idea. I'm surprised they know how to use email. They have built a business around selling plastic discs, and nobody wants plastic discs any more. They're in such a state of denial it's impossible for them to understand what's happening. "

You have to hand it to Trent, making his music available for fans in a much different way at a lower cost. 2007's Ghosts I-IV were released independently in 4 different formats, starting at a low cost of $5 (or a free partial download). Additionally, 2008's The Slip was released independently as he encourages other artists to leave their label and start finding other ways to sell their music rather than relying on labels. "As an artist, you are now the marketer." he says.

In addition to being in touch with what fans want and interacting with them via his Twitter, Trent worked out a deal with venues for the NIN/Jane's Addiction tour to relax the camera policy during shows on certain dates. As posted on NIN.com, he states the following: 

"For dates May 7,2009-June 12, 2009. To be clear: this applies only to the North American NIN/JA tour. 

Examples: 

I have a nice SLR camera and lens and I want to shoot photos. YES. 
I have a high-quality camcorder and want to record video / audio. YES. 
I have a shoulder-mounted broadcast-quality video camera and want to shoot the show. NO. 
I have a flash-based audio recorder with a stereo hand-held mic and want to record the show. YES. 
I have a full Pro-Tools rig running off a generator and want to record the show. NO. 
I don't have any recording devices but I'd kind of like to make out with Ilan. NO (probably)*" 

*(see, he has a sense of humor! I've been telling you!)

So for those of us who are protogs of concerts and those who just want to take a decent camera to the show, there you go. Pretty nice of the guy, eh? Full details must be read if you plan on taking advantage of this opportunity. 

So what are your thoughts on Mr. Reznor making such bold moves to protect his work? Do you think artists should ditch their labels and come up with their own creative methods of marketing and selling, or would this change effect you as a consumer not being able to pick up your favorite band's new cd on iTunes or Best Buy?Do you think it'd be a mistake or a step in a progressive direction for artists? Maybe this would eliminate the term "selling out" if all artists followed in Trent's direction? Speak up! 

As for SOME things, well...some things can't be undone....

Nice silk shirt! ^_^ We'll let it slide though, Trent, it was 1990 after all....