| Trent's got the idea! I'd guess that the sales of the "ultra-deluxe" package alone will cover most of his production costs for the entire album (since he does almost all of the work himself). The 5/10/75 dollar options will be pure profit. Digital distribution costs him next to nothing, and he's adding $6.99 to the physical deliveries... enough to cover the cost of the media and shipping.
If he unloads a million units he's seeing revenue of at least $5M, and probably much more with the upgraded versions. That's mostly profit, and not one cent to a record company.
How many albums would he have to sell under regular distribution methods through a record company to net $5M?
I think the genius is getting the music out there cheaply and making money on "upgrades" and touring. BTW, if you've never seen a NIN show, it is WELL worth the price of admission. |
