RIAA Tries To Stop Trent Reznor's Promotional Campaign For New Concept Album
from the whoops dept
In the comments to an earlier post today, a reader pointed us to an article about Trent Reznor's promotional campaign for his latest Nine Inch Nails album. It sounds like he's taken a page from the various alternate reality games that have been popular in promoting movies and video games over the past few years. That is, there appears to be a series of secretive websites that are being leaked out with various clues and there's a big group of fans all trying to track down the details. Also, at some Nine Inch Nails concerts, people have found USB keys in the bathroom with songs from the upcoming album. Not surprisingly, those songs quickly found their way online, all with Reznor's approval. Of course, no one seems to have told the RIAA about this marketing campaign. The RIAA went and demanded that various sites pull down the songs, even though Reznor wanted the songs to spread for promotional purposes. The RIAA always says that if artists want to promote their own songs by giving them away for free they have no problem with it -- but it seems that their mindset is so focused on the idea that no one would ever want to do this that they still have to issue takedowns when artists want the songs given away.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Reader Comments
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RIAA can eat my shorts
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Brilliant!
He's a smart man for playing RIAA for some free press.
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Re:
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RIAA Sucks...
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To Angry- Skinny Puppy isn't all that impressive.
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I don't believe the article...
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OMG! HE'S ALIVE?!
Um.... Yeah.... I don't think he's smart enough to think this far ahead. I sincerely doubt he inteded to "use" the RIAA.
However, since they are acting like total asses... he can exploit this. If he's smart, I mean.
I actually don't dislike the guy, just shocked he's still around. I never really saw what the big deal re:NIN was.
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just stick to the subject
"Hey, look at me everyone. I think NiN sucks. I think Trent Reznor is dumb. Aren't I cool?" No, your not. Exactly the opposite. Just go back to listening to your Britney then, or whatever it is you like. No, we don't care what that is.
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Re: OMG! HE'S ALIVE?!
nin rocks....
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Re: OMG! HE'S ALIVE?!
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Re: OMG! HE'S ALIVE?!
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And just because you like his music doesn't mean he's smart enough to do that.
I'm not a big NIN fan, but I have to admit he's probaby clever enough to use the RIAA like that. Either way he'll claim it now.
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how about a suit by whats his name
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Seriously, RIAA, just when I think you're ready to give the real world a chance, you go and pull this and prove the industry will never move into the 21st Century until my generation gets in charge.
Here's hoping the RIAA dies within my lifetime. It will be a glorious day.
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For art's sake of course, it should be an artists hope that his or her music reaches as many people as possible, as easily as possible. Free is easier.
Either way, whether you want to make money from your music or not, freely sharing it in the beginning (or when promoting a new album in this case) is a good idea. Of course, the choice to share YOUR OWN music is completely YOUR OWN choice.
This is the last step the RIAA will take before it violently tumbles down the haphazardly assembled staircase it has built in an effort to steal art away from the world...
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Re: Share and becomeyour art
I would defiantly would like to know where I can find your music!!!!
You seem to be an artist for arts sake unlike most of the music world. Being a deadhead, lover of the arts, full time geek and official old dude/hippie I would also like to point you to archive.org where you can place your "art" up for free and get the exposure that a true artist deserves.
Screw the RIAA I never support any of their " Clients"
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Message to "GoblinJuice":
Mr. Reznor is a huge star, like it or not.
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Re: Message to "GoblinJuice":
The days of the "star" are over, friends. There are a million artists, singing in a hundred tongues.
I thought I was being diplomatic with my original post, but - regretfully - some were hurt.
If it makes y'all feel any better, I'm sure 95% of you would think the music I listen to sucks. :-P
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Re: Re: Message to "GoblinJuice":
we have an uber hipster... Oh gee wiz what will we do.
Let me guess ... all of your music is that super cool cutting edge stuff that is from some local band that doesn't CARE about some label (until they have one)
Dude your tripe is older than grunge ... and grunge is dead
OK ok ... sorry ... i mean .. your special
Just like everybody else
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now about NIN, for somone to say he is alike for any type of artist is so wrong you need to llisten to his music, EVERY album, esspically his latest ones are differnt in style, he accutuly tries to be creative and doesnt sell his music out to the stupid masses,
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Re:
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Re: Anon (#17)
I think there are people out there who are under the mistaken impression that the RIAA has been given the legal power to force completely non-affiliated artists and media outlets to follow their orders - while I am certain they would like to, and sure that they are trying to obtain that kind of control, it is not yet the case.
If you are an artist who releases only through non-RIAA affiliated labels, and who has no contract with the RIAA, they can not make you do a damn thing (unless perhaps you are violating some IP that they control), otherwise, RIAA can only affect those who have signed on with Satan.
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AGAIN
Aside from loving his music all the way through his collection and also loving how his music has evolved (am only 23, his music was out for a bit before I knew about it), he seriously is a genius. He has talked about stuff like this before. And now he is doing it. Due to my recent stint in video games I have not kept up with the marketing of his new album year, but you can bet yourself I will be looking into it tonight after work (oh yah, shouldn't be here). I have loved every concert I went to (not all of his openers though, but thats another story). He is a great showman. Knows how to present to his fans. And he really loves us (at least I get that impression). At one concert he seriously apologized for being away for so long (The With Teeth tour, when he was in Detroit at Joe Louis) because he had recently battled alcoholism. He stopped often to talk to the crowd. And everybody there loved him. He is one of the very few artists I feel honestly cares about his fans. I feel this can be evidenced by his recent campaign here, which is costing him far less than most advertising I would bet.
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Re: AGAIN
That having been said, Trent has said that he may just very well release albums independently after Year Zero Pt. II.
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Also...
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Remixing
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RE: Monostatic
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Re: #27
Had my hopes so high too.
Why did he have to sign such a long large contract so long ago. =(
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I still think...
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Re #29
WRONGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!
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Trent Reznor is a nerd
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Rapidshare search
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