Remixing by the people--the future?
as reported in digitalmusicnews.com:
Nine Inch Nails, MySpace Offer User Remixes
"Nine Inch Nails is tapping the creative energy of its fanbase, with apre-release remix promotion now underway. Fans will be able to slice and dice the new single "Only," with NIN alter ego Trent Reznor bravely subjecting his opus to endless alterations. A collection of the mixes will be available on MySpace, with users able to sample and vote on their favorite versions. The effort follows a successful experiment involving thetrack "The Hand That Feeds," which was offered in the Apple GarageBand music mixing format. But Reznor is now broadening his support beyond Apple, with fans able to get their hands dirty with three additional remixing software packages, including Ableton Live (Mac and Windows), DigiDesign ProTools (Mac and Windows), and Sony Acid XPress (Windows only). By offering a new single and support for additional remixing formats, Reznor is certainly letting the concept fly, though where it lands is anyone's guess. On his website, Reznor explained that "there is no agenda here other than for you to explore, experiment, and have fun with it. Depending on how this goes we may construct a more formal community for remix postings and/or possibly some sort of 'official' endorsement by means of an EP or something." Meanwhile, the remixes allow MusicSpace to push the envelope on its music site further, with the online community a natural fit for the experiment."
This is the future right here. There are so many people buying production software and getting into music making that the smart folks like Reznor will start opening up their music to remixing possibilities. The future record label will release a single but in addition will include a package of remix elements allowing the consumer to create his or her own original version. The music will become more valuable when everybody can get something out of it. I don't know how many times I've heard a track that had great drums or an amazing bassline but the rest sucked; if it were made available in separate parts I still would have purchased it just for those drums or that bassline. I can see the future and it's a hell of a lot more creative.
posted by Jon at 9:57 PM
