Nine Inch Nails front man presses Radiohead model forward

Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor is taking his own dislike of the record industry and the new standard by Radiohead to the next level by releasing a collaboration album with Saul Williams for free on the internet, according to NME. The album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust, will be released on a special site for the album on November 1 and cost fans zilch. Billboard notes that a $5 donation for the album will be optional, but allows the consumer to get a "higher quality digital format" while either purchase will be free of Digital Rights Management technology.

The impact of this album may not be as influential or large as the Radiohead release a couple of weeks ago, but the effects are clearly starting to ripple through the music industry. Reznor states on the Nine Inch Nails website that the goal was to "improve upon [Radiohead's] idea" and "benefit the consumer," which is obvious from the obvious free choice. Reznor is also careful to mention that their situation is different from Radiohead's because "Saul Williams is not a household name" and they need fan support.

In the new era of digital music that is dawning, fan and consumer support will obviously be vital. If artists are willing to keep album prices down, then the success of this "revolution" will be insured. Unfortunately, it looks like no matter how many large acts get involved the work will be for the less known artists to make the new model work. In the end, the novelty of such moves will wear off, but if the labels can find a middle ground, the fans may embrace that method as well.