c|net's News.com has posted an interview with Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor regarding the release of songs from his collaboration with Saul Williams on the album "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust." The album, similar to the Radiohead release of "In Rainbows", was made available for $5 or free to see who was really willing to pay for high-quality, non-DRM music.
As it turns out, the answer is not very many when it comes to Saul Williams' album. Reznor reports that only one in five people were willing to pay. The interview reveals a different side the the "music in the new Internet world" debate. Reznor comes off very defeated and not sure where to go from here.
"The toothpaste is out of the tube and a whole generation of people is accustomed to music being that way. There's a perception that you don't pay for music when you hear it on the radio or MySpace.," he said.
One idea he has is an ISP music tax, whereby everyone pays around $5 extra and all music on the Web is free. If it's an optional tax, like taxes of gasoline or cigarettes, I don't think its a bad idea. However, I have a real problem with forcing a tax on people who "legally" acquire most, if not all, of their music collection.
Read the full article here.
