San Francisco - After revealing that just one in five consumers chose to pay $5 for a 320kbps MP3 version of Saul Williams' "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust" album, rather than downloading a free, 192kpbs version, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor expressed mixed feelings on the numbers in an interview with CNET News.com posted on Thursday.

"I'm not disappointed with the numbers with Saul at all. I think, particularly looking at what he's done historically and in the climate of today's music scene, that's something to be proud of," Reznor told News.com.

"I think if we could wave a magic wand and do it again I think (we would) offer an inexpensive version in addition to a premium physical product that could be shipped out afterward."

Reznor, who is currently not signed to a label, also said that a future Nine Inch Nails album would likely be released in a similar fashion, albeit supported by a physical product.

Reznor goes on to say that he might favor an ISP tax as a means of ensuring that artists benefit when their songs are downloaded for free on file-sharing networks, after being leaked before their release on a physical CD.

"I think if there was an ISP tax of some sort, we can say to the consumer, 'All music is now available and able to be downloaded and put in your car and put in your iPod and put up you're a** if you want and it's $5 on your cable bill,'" Reznor told News.com.

Related Links:
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9847788-7.html

http://snipurl.com/1x3xv (Billboard)