The Slip

The Slip is the sixth studio album by Nine Inch Nails, released in May 2008 on Nothing/Columbia Records, given away as a free download without commercial release initially, one of the first significant free-release experiments by a major artist in the era when the music industry was grappling with the economics of digital distribution. Reznor wrote all material; the album's 10 tracks were recorded quickly and released as both a creative and commercial statement, demonstrating that giving away music could generate commercial goodwill and media attention beyond what a paid release would achieve in a crowded marketplace. 'Discipline' and '1,000,000' were the principal tracks; the album reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 (for the physical release made available after the initial free download) and has been certified gold. The Slip is regarded as a more modest creative statement than Year Zero or With Teeth but is primarily historically significant as a commercial experiment that anticipated the free-to-streaming transition that would transform the industry over the following decade. The Slip's historical significance as a commercial experiment has grown in retrospect, its free-release model anticipated the streaming-first commercial logic that would transform the music industry within five years of its release, and Reznor's willingness to use his commercial standing to demonstrate that giving away music could generate positive rather than negative commercial outcomes was one of the more prescient business decisions in the rock sector of the period.