Hey, pig: Never let it be said that Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails doesn’t know how to program a mean iPhone/Touch app. Their latest effort in fan outreach, which should appear this week, is basically a music, video and image browser with a number if connectors to NIN.com, the band’s website. In short, it turns a band’s already existed social network and fan base into a portable social army and offers all of NIN’s music for streaming on the go for free.
The app also finds NIN friends nearby and then allows you to chat with other NIN fans and share images and profile information with them online.
Wired has a big fat interview video with Reznor, Rob Sheridan, and, in a special nerd cameo, Kevin Rose.
All of this came about when Reznor left his Interscope contract, allowing him to do odd things like “giving away music” and “listening to his fans.” It seems he’s making enough money offering free music and apps and this is just one more step in the ultimate NIN world domination.
In the realm of necessity, this app places second to last, finishing only above Kevin Rose’s appearance in this video.
Google Earth blows my mind every time I see it in use. It is one of the coolest things ever invented.
This may turn into one of my most frequently used apps. See ya later Slacker radio.
Okay, unrelated post, but you gotta check this out! 4 women are featured in this blog and they all want to date Mike! It’s funny funny! http://bit.ly/lw4VQ
This is funny! Hahahaha…all of them are too good for Mike Arrington!
This is a great day for superfans of any band. I hope every band with a little pocket change follows NIN’s lead.
Great post title.
Yes, great headline indeed.
To bad NiN is crap.
More like your opinion is crap. Let me guess, Jonas Brothers fan?
Finally, someone in the music business who knows how to handle technological change. Big surprise: It’s not one of the labels!
Good job, Trent.
beautiful app. i wish more musicians learned how to embrace technological evolution in stead of fighting against it. NIN is one of the great bands of all time and i can’t wait to get this app!
NIN is a has been bad. Anyone that is into them now is just trying to live off their past success. Why really bother.
Lance
It’s all about bands such as Funker Vogt and not NIN.
http://www.funker-vogt.com/
Great post title. You wanna feel it from the inside? hehe
I think it’s great to use a mobile app for musicians, but I wonder why they don’t sell the app? Are ads from the app enough to make money? I feel like there is an opportunity to sell the application since music downloads aren’t selling as much.
Wow, best caption ever. Seriously.
NIN is old and they suck; they had one good album in 1990. and if you’re actually cool you’d listen to ministry instead; they’re the real deal.
what sucks about today’s music biz is all the olds trying to stay alive by pump’n crap to stay alive.
i actually think the olds need to die and make way for the new… say like something from the 21st century.
Wait, what?
Is ministry using Torrents? Are they giving access to the source material for their music for remixes? Do they license content under Creative Commons? Have they provided their fans with 400+ GB of tour videos? Have they come up with apps for their fans? or a social networking website? Do they even listen to them?
Full disclosure: Yes, i like NIN.
Now, because what matters here in crunchgear is the technology behind all this, let’s listen to all those who don’t like NIN name bands that have:
Given away not four records (Ghosts I, The Slip plus 2 tour samples Lights over North America and NIN | JA),
Access to their source material to freely remix (even the old songs),
Licenced their newest content Creative Commons,
Uploaded their content to Torrent Trackers (such as TPB),
Created a social network website around their content and the fan remixes and videos,
Posted video of their latest tour (or even making the events camera-friendly) all 400+ GB of professionally captured footage and audio for free on the web (while still on tour),
Embrace the internet (youtube, flickr are used too by the band)
… and still managed to
Create visuals for one of the most awesome concert displays ever (in all it’s LED glory),
Actually make money out of it all,
Keep an active fanbase interested
Granted, NIN might not suit your taste, but the ideas behind the band (leaving the labels, distributing your material, embracing the internet, listening to your fans, etc) would surely be great for many bands that you might like.
If it is time to embrace 21st century, lets see some new bands follow Trent steps.