ACCESS: A philosophy that is changing the game
NIN continues to define new models of connection by offering a new touch application called “Nine Inch Nails: Access” (http://access.nin.com/download) — a mobile portal that allows fans to log on anywhere/anytime to the robust nin.com network via iPhone or iPod Touch. Fans will have access to news, blogs, image & video galleries, music, remixes, profiles, private messages, and forums — all formatted for easy viewing and updated in real-time from NIN’s fan-supported database.
But the game changer is a Nearby(TM) feature that lets fans exchange messages and photos with other NIN fans: Access users within a specified distance, localizing the conversation.
“The idea came to us on tour,” says Trent Reznor “We have a passionate online community that ends up gathered around each other physically at our live shows. We wanted to give them the tools to find each other and interact in the physical world (for better or worse) as well as extend the concert experience beyond the people actually attending each show.”
A video walkthrough of the app is available at http://vimeo.com/4021499.
If you don’t have an iPhone, you won’t be left out. A new feature on the band’s site allows fans to watch real-time incoming data posted with Nearby from all over the world on Google Earth. By zooming in to a concert location, you can follow the localized discussion during the show while viewing pictures posted live from the venue. To watch, please visit: http://access.nin.com/ .
This type of forward thinking isn’t new to Reznor and his creative partner/Art Director, Rob Sheridan. They have been quietly working over the past year to build the “ultimate resource” for the NIN community online: one that seamlessly integrates with services and technology their fans are already using — like Blogger, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, IRC, RSS, bittorrent, dynamic playlists — with further plans to incorporate Vimeo, Photobucket, MediaWiki, openID and Facebook Connect. The vision is to have a one-stop shop for community and content powered by the fans themselves.
“From a business perspective, we believe our open policy ultimately attracts more fans and creates a positive environment for consumers, making them more willing to pay when we sell music, merchandise, or concert tickets,” Reznor added. “However, the main concept is to simply make cool things and places for fans to experience and embellish.”
Expanding the access past music, NIN recently released 450gb of raw HD footage filmed by multiple cameras over three shows on their last tour, once again giving fans control and incentive to work together to create edits and DVDs and “whatever else they could dream up.”
Reznor has already seen the power of direct connection to his community through the online sales of Ghost I-IV and The Slip since he left his record label in 2007. He also adamantly supports Creative Commons, providing NIN music in multi-track audio packages, ready to use in any software, empowering and inspiring fans to remix, sample and create.
The response to all these initiatives has been overwhelming.
Source: Nine Inch Nails
CONTACT: Steve Martin, Nasty Little Man, +1-212 343 0740,
steve@nastylittleman.com
Web Site: http://access.nin.com/
