Nine Inch Nails tries an online pricing plan

Without a record contract, Nine Inch Nails is free to follow in the footsteps of Radiohead and try to sell its latest album online from the wonderful price of free way on up to $300.

The New York Times says Trent Reznor and Co. are offering the first nine tracks and some free graphics of the 36-track collection Ghosts I-IV from nin.com or bittorrent.net. If you want the whole thing, it’ll cost you $5 at the band’s site or Amazon.com.

If you prefer the CD version, a two-disc set will be sold on April 8 for $10 from nin.com or this thing they call a “record store” — a $39 vinyl version will be available, too.

But wait, there’s more. There will also be a $75 CD version with a DVD full of multitrack data files to allow the truly geeky to remix to their heart’s content, plus a $300 deluxe set that will have all the discs, vinyl and bonus junk, plus Trent’s signature. Only 2,500 of those will be made.

And while this is the logical next step in the Internet world of music marketing (“a revolutionary digital distribution method,” they call it on their Web site), we can’t help but wonder just how many NIN fans are left after graduating from college.

[Photo: Trent Reznor and Aaron North. Calm down, NIN fans -- we have their albums, too. Getty Images]

Comments

[Preston]

"...we can’t help but wonder just how many NIN fans are left after graduating from college."

Um, the $300 limited edition (2,500 copies) already sold out, in less than one day, before many fans (myself included) had a chance to get it. and they didn't advertise anywhere.