Trent Reznor Interview Shares Details About Secret Apple Project and More

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor was part of the Beats team when Apple announced the acquisition. Beats has been undergoing major changes since it became part of the Apple family, and Trent Reznor joined Apple to work on a secret project.

Speaking with Billboard, Reznor said he was happy to join Apple, as he had been a “life-long” fan, advocate, and consumer of Apple products. The company was interested in tapping Reznor’s creative energy.

He sees joining Apple as an evolution of his Beats role, as he is in now a unique position from which he can benefit them. While he didn’t reveal any details, he did say that his secret Apple project is related to music delivery.

You’re working with Apple. Is this an evolution of your Beats role?

It’s related to that. Beats was bought by Apple, and they expressed direct interest in me designing some products with them. I can’t go into details, but I feel like I’m in a unique position where I could be of benefit to them. That does mean some compromises in terms of how much brain power goes toward music and creating. This is very creative work that’s not directly making music, but it’s around music.

Is it about music delivery?

It’s in that world. It’s exciting to me, and I think it could have a big enough impact that it’s worth the effort. I’m fully in it right now, and it’s challenging, and it’s unfamiliar and it’s kind of everything I asked for — and the bad thing is it’s everything I asked for.

When asked about the U2 Songs of Innocence album giveaway through the iTunes store, he said that the only issue was with the wording: “If it had been, ‘Here it is. If you want it, come and grab it . . .’, the artists would have avoided the situation the free album created.”
The full interview is available on Billboard’s website.

Image credit: Antiquiet