Trent Reznor: ‘In Rainbows’ promotion was ‘insincere’

by on March 16, 2008 with 14 Comments in Radiohead News

As reported earlier, Trent Reznor has released the latest Nine Inch Nails album the ‘Radiohead-way’. Released in a variety of formats, Ghosts I-IV “immediately sold out” its 2,500 copy run of the “Ultra-Deluxe Limited Edition.” Signed by Reznor, the package was priced at $300.

Other versions of the release were a $5 download, a $10 physical copy and a limited but not ultra-limited edition version for $75. As for the Radiohead comparisons that seem to haunt a move such as Reznor’s, he’s addressed the band’s “innovative” approach to releasing music as “shrewd” but “insincere.” Speaking with ABC, Reznor said: “What they did was a cool thing; I think the way they parlayed it into a marketing gimmick has certainly been shrewd. But if you look at what they did, though, it was very much a bait and switch to get you to pay for a MySpace-quality stream as a way to promote a very traditional record sale.

“There’s nothing wrong with that – but I don’t see that as a big revolution [that] they’re kinda getting credit for. What they did right: they surprised the world with a new record, and it was available digitally first. What they did wrong: by making it such a low quality thing, not even including artwork… to me that feels insincere.”


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  • NSFW

    Agreed. Next.

  • Jeff

    The man makes a point.

    The new NIN approach is more comprehensive, giving half of the works away for free, the whole download (with art) for five bucks, or these deluxe editions for the hardcore fans. I dig it. That’s all I’m saying.

    When my discbox arrived in the mail, I took it to work like it was show and tell day. The packaging is so friggin’ cool. Would I have paid extra for some ultra deluxe, signed copy of In Rainbows? Eh, maybe. But probably not.

    Incubus to follow in these footsteps with their next album?

  • dadadala

    ya but all the art for the new NIN album is just photographs, sure its art, but at least radiohead had some real art, not just a bunch of random pictures with a NIN logo slapped on them

  • phantompenguin

    yeah, and at least radiohead had real songs, not just beats with melodies slapped on them.

  • Nathan

    To call Radiohead “insincere” for their method of release seems a little silly given that they were the first to do it this way. Of course there are improvements to be made. Hindsight is 20/20

  • superfunk

    trent reznor sold an instrumental album for $300.

    theres a difference between sincerity and point of view.

    he can critisize radiohead when he makes an album half as good as any of thiers.

    not that i dont love NIN, thier just not radiohead.

  • ishallnowperformanorwellianflipflop

    Whatever Trent… your delivery mechanism was a pile of garbage, I still haven’t gotten the FLACs I downloaded from the broken link I was sent, despite 3 emails to their support with no replies… You took what Radiohead and ran with it, true you released better quality songs, Radiohead clearly weren’t considering that much but they’re not as huge audiophile douchebags as NIN is. They couldn’t even come close to supporting the huge amount of downloading required for Ghosts while RAdiohead did it swimmingly on their first try. Don’t offer 600mb of FLACs and 270mb worth of MP3s on the same day if you have no idea what you’re dealing with. This is the internet, the word spreads fast even if you announce it as a surprise. NIN failed hard on their delivery. I paid $5 twice, one for MP3s and one for the FLACs, couldn’t get the MP3s until three days later and never got the FLACs, had to get them from torrent sites. You offered nothing for free either other than the first “album” of Ghosts… and all we’re left with for the money we spend is 2 and a half hours of 3 note elevator music. Radiohead “insincere”? Take a long hard look in the mirror, NIN.

  • ishallnowperformanorwellianflipflop

    And anyone who paid $300 for that discbox got screwed, I’m sorry. The “album” is total shit, background music for real tracks at best. Radiohead’s discbox at a much more reasonable $80 was a bargain, gorgeous package, a fantastic bonus disc, and hey, songs with goddamn lyrics. Sorry if I sound a little jaded here, but NIN totally ripped me off and it’s like a kick in the balls that they think they did better than Radiohead on the whole deal.

  • Joe

    Radiohead’s download was essentially free. And also, radiohead didn’t premeditate that this release technique would call everyone to dub them “revolutionists in the music industry”. They just wanted to get the album out easily and as quickly as possible.

  • http://dfsfsdfsfc h_e_n_r_y

    The truth is Trent’s just jealous that Radiohead made one of the greatest albums of the decade* and NIN [or anyone else for that matter] didn’t…

    ‘Tis true.

    [ * - This'll be proven right in 2028... if it hasn't been proven already.]

  • Pingback: Billy Corgan: Radiohead choose publicity over music | Radiohead At Ease [In Rainbows]

  • Androide Paranoiaque

    Well, nobody seems to realize this, but Ghosts was released under creative commons… And that particular creative common allows everyone to distribute the album for free! (I swear, just read the faq).

  • Neal

    I am glad Reznor gave away the level soundrack for Quake V away for free in high quality. /sarcasm
    Reznor, I love your albums and the way instrumentals tie songs together but if you take 36 extra instrumentals with no real relationship and make it an “album”, then it should be free.

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