Price Bumping – Value Jumping

For all of us “legal” music downloader’s, the days of the .99 across the board tracks on iTunes are over.

I’m not surprised because the strategy is tried and true; lure us into a feeling and once we are hooked on it, bump the price of the experience up. Most of us are still hooked into the easy and popular way to legally get our music. So we will whine, but will crave our Apple fix. They do have rebuttals planned for our whining over this price increase, in the form of value added programs that jump at us in the form of “passes” to make us feel special. The Fray’s iTunes “pass” accompanies the release of the featured track. This pass is set at $17.00 and delivers songs, video’s and photos over a time frame in hopes to retain fans over the long haul.

Innovation and freeware supporters, Nine Inch Nails, are coming out with an app for the iPhone in hopes of connecting their fans interactively with the intent of being a fine “up-selling” group. “ One of the biggest wake-up calls of my career was when I saw a record contract," Reznor says. "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? Who the fuck made that rule? Oh! The record labels made it because artists are dumb and they'll sign anything' — like I did." (NIN iPhone App Extends Reznor's Innovative Run)



So, who will rule? Free and up-selling or expensive and value-added?

-Jodi

Price Bumping – Value Jumping

Spotify, A Blessing in Internet Music Streaming

I was reading on cnet news about a new music streaming source called Spotify. This full-service tool allows users to search and stream as their hearts desire instead of a typical music streaming service that works similar to radio broadcasts; once the song is over it’s gone until the next time around. Not only does Spotify let us listen to the same song over and over until we throw up (which I am shamelessly guilty of), but it can find playlists off of Last.fm and allow the users to share them. This is very cool.

This service has gained support from the major labels. It seems that they are learning from the mistakes they made with Napster by embracing complimentary music and playing “nice”. It’s good to know that they are opening their blind eyes to the fact we are educated music lovers that will support what is good and it’s not about being free. This is about control; our control. One of the creators is Ludvig Strigeus, who created the popular uTorrent. Strigeus has proven that he understands the resources needed to operate a successful P2P environment. NIN has publically released their music in torrent form as a symbol of being tuned into what the public is doing to get their valued music.

Have I sold you on this new music service that treats the consumer well and is getting amazing reviews from the important players? Now, everyone that lives in the UK, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Spain and France, go get it! As for me, who lives in the free democracy of the USA; it looks like I still don’t have control when it comes to my music. ☹

-Jodi

Spotify, A Blessing in Internet Music Streaming

'09 Tour W/ Jane's Addiction to be Last for NIN?

Nine Inch Nails

The following letter was posted by Trent Reznor on NIN's website:

Towards the beginning of my career in Nine Inch Nails, our biggest break came in the form of an invitation to perform a series of shows with Jane's Addiction. These performances essentially created and defined the term "alternative" rock in the US, created an ongoing festival franchise that is still thriving (Lollapalooza), set the stage for Nirvana to shift popular taste a few months later, and were really fucking FUN to play and attend - truly the best times I've had. The shows were epic. So epic, they propelled NIN to the "next level" (whatever that means), but caused Jane's to implode. The band broke up at the end of that tour.

Fast forward to the present. Corporate rock STILL sucks. A friend tells me they saw the original Jane's lineup play a tiny show in LA that was unbelievable. I break out my Jane's records and am amazed by how vital they sound. These guys were the real deal and in this current climate mostly dominated by poseurs and pussies it was refreshing to hear something that sounded dangerous, volatile, beautiful and SINCERE.

Emails were sent, phone calls were made, dinner was arranged, ideas were discussed and the next thing I know we're in the studio experimenting. We laugh, we get to know each other, we cry, we yell, we almost quit, we record LOTS of guitar solos, we discuss, we actually begin to all communicate, we yell some more, we become FRIENDS, we laugh again and we do some great things. I get to see first hand why they broke up all those years ago but I also get the chance to see four distinct personalities that become an INCREDIBLE band when they're in the same room.

In NIN world, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of our first releases. I've been thinking for some time now it's time to make NIN disappear for a while. Last year's "Lights in the Sky" tour was something I'm quite proud of and seems like the culmination of what I could pull off in terms of an elaborate production. It was also quite difficult to pull off technically and physically night after night and left us all a bit dazed. After some thought, we decided to book a last run of shows across the globe this year. The approach to these shows is quite different from last year - much more raw, spontaneous and less scripted. Fun for us and a different way for you to see us and wave goodbye. I reached out to Jane's to see if they'd want to join us across the US and we all felt it could be a great thing. Will it work? Will it resonate in the marketplace? Who knows. Are there big record label marketing dollars to convince you to attend? Nope.

Does it feel right to us and does it seem like it will be fun for us and you? Yes it does.

Look for tour dates soon and I hope to see you out there.

Trent

'09 Tour W/ Jane's Addiction to be Last for NIN?