Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor announced what he titled’ Big News’ on the band’s website today – revealing that NIN and their current record label Universal have had a parting of the ways.

Commenting on the band’s website, Reznor stated the band are now “free agents”.

He wrote: “I’ve waited a LONG time to be able to make the following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label.

“I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.”

Reznor then urged fans to stay tuned for updates on what’s in store for NIN in the future – including the band’s new album release… Which begs the question will NIN go the way of Radiohead – who have allowed fans to set the price they are willing to pay for a new release?