NIN Nails the Recording Industry

The early success of Nine Inch Nails' experiment on the Internet may mean that Armageddon is one step closer for the recording industry, writes Tony Sclafani for MSNBC. The industrial rock powerhouse released a new album on its website Sunday without a label's support, and the response has been both lucrative and overwhelming.

Trent Reznor and crew, following a path forged by Radiohead, give free samples and allow downloads of all 36 tracks of Ghost I-IV for $5. Many fans, though, are scooping up pricier options, including a $300 package that includes vinyl albums. “I think quite clearly this is going to be the model for major bands in the future,” says one analyst, who figures that Reznor netted a tidy half-million in the first day or so. (More Trent Reznor stories.)