The Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores: Music Industry Attacks Sunday newspaper’s Free Prince CD
Posted June 29, 2007 — in Music News
The new album by Prince is being launched as a free CD with a national Sunday newspaper that has drawn widespread criticism from music retailers.
Music biz execs are simply outraged…
“It’s all about giving music for the masses and he believes in spreading the music he produces to as many people as possible,” said Mail on Sunday managing director Stephen Miron. “This is the biggest innovation in newspaper promotions in recent times.”
One music store executive described the plan as “madness” while others said it was a huge insult to an industry battling fierce competition from supermarkets and online stores. Prince’s label has cut its ties with the album in the UK to try to appease music stores.
“It would be an insult to all those record stores who have supported Prince throughout his career,” ERA co-chairman Paul Quirk told a music conference. “It would be yet another example of the damaging covermount culture which is destroying any perception of value around recorded music
HMV chief executive Simon Fox said: “I think it would be absolutely nuts. I can’t believe the music industry would do it to itself. I simply can’t believe it would happen; it would be absolute madness.”
Prince also plans to give away a free copy of his latest album with tickets for his concerts in London. The singer had signed a global deal for the promotion and distribution of Planet Earth in partnership with Columbia Records, a division of music company Sony BMG. A spokesman for the group said last night that the UK arm of Sony BMG had withdrawn from Prince’s global deal and would not distribute the album to UK
stores.
The Bottom line: The sea of madness will continue until the music biz can collectively construct a system that works. Honestly, SONY BMG has the right not to distribute the album in the UK. Giving away CD’s glued to newspapers is not a SEXY marketing campaign and could appear to be an act of desperate measure. Exposure is necessary, but how do you go about it? Aside from this, in all honesty, I never expected much from Prince other than Purple Rain. He always walked the line of cheeze and eccentricism. I always had a hard time buying into his act, but his character is fascinating.
(Guardian)
I completely agree, even as a fan of prince (musically). While i appreciate the notion of giving your music away for free to the people who have set you up to be able to do so, it seems to be more of a self-serving promotional tool.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just host your songs and make
them downloadable for free if your intentions are to give music back to your fans at no cost to them? What’s a CD anyway? Doesn’t this guy own an Ipod??
Comment by gideon merritt — June 29, 2007 @ 11:50 am
I could not disagree more. This just shows that prince understands that the value of a CD has fallen to nothing, so why not give it away for free as a means to promote something that does have value - his live shows.
“I always had a hard time buying into his act.”
Were you listening, or just watching?
Comment by sandy parakilas — June 29, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
I always had a hard time buying into his act.”
Were you listening, or just watching?
Both, listening and watching. He has a couple of good tracks. But I never could coin “Prince” as legendary. He had a good run in the 80’s though..
Comment by king — June 29, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
I’m gonna disagree with any “Prince sucks” type statements. I LOVE Prince. Sure, he doesn’t have a ton of smash radio hits, but he’s still an amazing artist. I would definitely consider him LEGENDARY. Just my opinion.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — June 29, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
Price doesnt suck, he had his moments for sure. Purple Rain, C’mon, it could be the soundtrack of the 80’s. I guess, that would make him legendary for something. I like the flamboyance and the over the top antics, and i always found his character more captivating than his music (Not including the favorites).
Comment by king — June 29, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
We give a lot of advice to bands and what I find myself saying more than anything these days is ‘give it away for free.’ If your goal is to expose your music, then that is what you have to do. When its free, there is no excuse for not listening.
Prince is an icon. He is one of the most recognizable people in music and I think he is aware that his persona has become more popular than the music itself. His decision to get the MUSIC into the hands of the PEOPLE, even if its for free, can only serve him well. There is no excuse for not listening.
Yes this is a business, and in any business, you need to advertise and promote. You have to create the demand for your supply. Sure, you could throw down a ton of money to try and get your songs on television and radio, but why do that when you can give songs away for free and let it spread organically? You might be eating the cost of production, but you’re establishing an audience. That’s a much better use of your money than hiring someone. If people love your music and its available for free, they WILL send it to their friends.
I think what Prince is doing is exactly right. Give it away. Let them hear you. If they like you, maybe they’ll buy a ticket to your show. If they LOVE you, they will buy everything you put out. Do you want customers? Or do you want fans?
Comment by AJ-KOAR — June 30, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
This is exactly the sort of thing Prince would do, especially with the music industry in the state it’s in. You have to give him credit because this could easily boost his image late in his career. Nothing would be said about him if he released another dead CD.
Comment by annie — July 1, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
Giving away music for free could of course help to promote someones artistic work, it will spread even to people who normally wouldn’t want to spend money on it. I do not understand, however, how this businessmodel works, it is a bit like giving away free rover cars to promote rover cars. Where and how does this eventually generate money for Prince Inc? Concerts? Wille he now be able to draw bigger crowds? Will this make him famous? He already is.
It seems that this approach is better suited for a breaking artist that nobody has heard of. But newspapers will not sell more if an unknown band does a free give-away. And that is where the real mystery is. The newspaper guys will increase their income by doing this. Does Prince get a piece of the pie?
Comment by Paul Mazure — July 2, 2007 @ 3:11 am
I’ve been a fan and supporter since the birth.
As a supporter I have a library of duds in my collection. Glad he’s giving it away now; I could use a freebie.
He can afford to do anything he wants. Clearly others are livid because they’re not profiting. Why shouldn’t fans get the residule for a change.
He’s one of the best business minds in the music business. This is purely a chess move.
I just hope this one can stand on all fours.
Comment by Brigitte — July 6, 2007 @ 5:51 am