Reznor Nails Mobile Music

Trent Reznor knows the value of marketing, and is certainly aware of the opportunities presented by digital music distribution. Since ditching the traditional record label structure, he has sold plenty of downloads from his site, and is now targeting his mobile audience…

Breaking Away From The Records

Reznor is a staunch advocate of the independent musician model – and for an established (or even semi-established) artist, it’s hard to argue against it. He defined the traditional record label deal thus:

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?

That’s not to say that a record deal with a label should be avoided at all costs – particularly for new acts, the label’s resources could be vital to keeping the music alive. Nowadays, however, artists have alternatives, so it makes sense to refuse a deal if it is too heavily biased towards the interests of the label rather than those of the band.

Listening To The iPhone

Since going independent, NIN have been regularly in the blogosphere news with their digital distribution ploys. The latest of these sees them focusing on the potential of mobile phones – specifically the iPhone.

This is a good example of how to embrace and adapt to new technologies, rather than trying to curtail how people can use them.