March 4th, 2008
Perhaps taking a cue from Radiohead, Trent Reznor is releasing the latest NIN album online himself. Though not pay-what-you-will, it can be had for as little as $5, which includes a booklet in PDF format.
The musician’s experiment relies on the theory that customers would be willing to pay for the music if there’s extra value included, so he released the album in various packages. The first 9 tracks are available for free in a high-quality, DRM-free MP3 format, and a 40 page PDF book and a digital extras pack with wallpapers, icons, and more come included.
Everything in the free package is included in the 5$ set, but the rest of the album gets thrown in, and it’s available in a variety of DRM-free formats including 320 kbps MP3, FLAC Lossless, and Apple Lossless.
There are other packages as well going up to $300. Personally, I’m glad to see the album available in FLAC – Free Lossless Audio Codec. I’m glad that Mr. Reznor appreciates sonic fidelity in this day and age.
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