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Thread started 04/21/09 2:56am

LondonStyle

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www.variety.com : Prince works outside record labels

http://www.variety.com/ar...id=16&cs=1
Posted: Mon., Apr. 20, 2009, 4:07pm PT

Prince works outside record labels biggrin
The Purple One eliminates the middleman - By ANTHONY D'ALESSANDRO


THIS YEAR'S MODEL:
Spending more time in L.A., Prince has been on a tear, hosting an Oscar bash, appearing three consecutive nights on 'Leno' and staging a tripleheader at the Nokia Theater.


I don't know about you," Prince exclaimed to the adoring masses at his March 28 Nokia Theater performance in L.A., "but I'm about to tear this place apart." lol

The Purple One applies the same principle to his business affairs: He has consistently torn down the established labels' sales model and built it back up in his own image.

While free file-sharing has eroded royalty accounting and emptied the wallets of many a pop icon, Prince has always been one step ahead of the game, dating back to 1997, when he became the first artist to sell an album ("Crystal Ball") directly to his fans over the Internet, for $50.

In the past few months, Prince has been at it again, revamping his business model by deciding to release the three-album set -- "LotusFlow3r," "MPLSound" and his protege Bria Valente's debut, "Elixer" -- on his own NPG Records and giving a facelift to his exclusive fan website, unplugged since 2006.

"The gatekeepers must change," Prince told the Los Angeles Times in January about his latest endeavor to work outside the record labels and other go-betweens.

Pulling off such a feat required the art of seduction that characterizes much of Prince's music. He began spending more time in L.A. than at his Minneapolis homestead, not only to sync up with the West Coast music scene but to court the media with private performances at his Beverly Park mansion. As the launch date for "LotusFlow3r" drew near, Prince played three back-to-back dates on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"; headlined the most coveted, and funkiest, post-Oscar party, at the Avalon in Hollywood; and topped it all off with a record one-night, three-concert event at L.A. Live's Nokia Theater on March 28 that sold out in a record 7.7 seconds.

Nonetheless, his "gatekeeper" philosophy isn't a newfound one. The pop artist's angst with the labels dates back to 1996, when he ended his 20-year contract with Warner Bros. Records; one of the sticking points was that the company failed to release some of his material. Since then, Prince has partnered with labels on a project-by-project basis. His 2007 album "Planet Earth" was released through Columbia Records and sold close to 300,000 units eek -- a figure considerably below his previous partnership with the label on "Musicology," which went multiplatinum with the help of free giveaways at his concerts.

Prince's revamped Web domain, appropriately Lotusflow3r.com, gives his loyal followers exclusive access to an array of film footage and music from the Purple One's "Vault" -- a library that contains an immense amount of unreleased material. At a lofty annual subscription price of $77, fans also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion and first dibs at tickets for last-minute, unannounced gigs, which have become a Prince trademark.

While some of the privileges are on par with Prince's previous html address, his Web designer, Scott Addison Clay, who has been behind such high-gloss movie sites as "The DarkKnight" and "Twilight," says Prince "felt his earlier fan site turned into MySpace. There were forums where fans could talk and see each other on the Internet." Lotusflow3r.com touts the highest-quality MP3s around at 320 kilobytes per second -- iTunes' typical average kbps is 192. There's also talk of a potential hookup with Microsoft's Xbox. eek

"Prince wanted (the) LotusFlow3r (website) to function like a videogame in its interactivity," says Clay, before adding, "but not in the way that you control Prince with jujitsu moves -- that wouldn't be appropriate."

Assuming that 1 million fans sign up worldwide, that's $77 million directly in the hands of the Prince empire -- untouched by a label's bookkeeper eek . The site's launch, coupled with his three-

concert L.A. event and the release of his three-disc album set exclusively through Target the morning after (at a price of $11.98) underscores Prince's MO to be a brand-name corporation unto himself, with money streams from publishing, touring, merchandising, advertising, ringtones, fashion and satellite radio gigs.

While the price that Target shelled out to Prince to sell his latest CD set is undisclosed, analysts put the amount at mid-six figures. razz razz razz

Sure, his recent album sales might be far from the 13 million "Purple Rain" benchmark, but it's not about being multiplatinum for Prince, rather multiplatform.

"When I'm taking all the proceeds, I don't worry about how well it does on the charts and I don't need a No. 1," Prince asserted at a 1997 Manhattan news conference pegged to his cyberspace foray. "I'm No. 1 at the bank." lol
[Edited 4/21/09 2:58am]
Da, Da, Da....Emancipation....Free..don't think I ain't..! London 21 Nights...Clap your hands...you know the rest..
James Brown & Michael Jackson RIP, your music still lives with us!
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Reply #1 posted 04/21/09 3:00am

David1974

First?

1 million for the website? Highly doubt that.
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Reply #2 posted 04/21/09 3:07am

HatrinaHaterwi
tz

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LondonStyle said:



Prince's revamped Web domain, appropriately Lotusflow3r.com, gives his loyal followers exclusive access to an array of film footage and music from the Purple One's "Vault" -- a library that contains an immense amount of unreleased material. At a lofty annual subscription price of $77, fans also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion and first dibs at tickets for last-minute, unannounced gigs, which have become a Prince trademark.

While some of the privileges are on par with Prince's previous html address, his Web designer, Scott Addison Clay, who has been behind such high-gloss movie sites as "The DarkKnight" and "Twilight," says Prince "felt his earlier fan site turned into MySpace. There were forums where fans could talk and see each other on the Internet." Lotusflow3r.com touts the highest-quality MP3s around at 320 kilobytes per second -- iTunes' typical average kbps is 192. There's also talk of a potential hookup with Microsoft's Xbox. eek

"Prince wanted (the) LotusFlow3r (website) to function like a videogame in its interactivity," says Clay, before adding, "but not in the way that you control Prince with jujitsu moves -- that wouldn't be appropriate."

Assuming that 1 million fans sign up worldwide, that's $77 million directly in the hands of the Prince empire -- untouched by a label's bookkeeper eek.


spit I know times are tight for the media industry but when the hell did VARIETY start doing verbatim press releases?
I knew from the start that I loved you with all my heart.
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Reply #3 posted 04/21/09 3:54am

Dayclear

confused
[Edited 4/21/09 11:25am]
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Reply #4 posted 04/21/09 4:28am

WetDream

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if he works with Microsoft over the far superior and more innovative Playstation 3, i will be very mad mad
This Post is produced, arranged, composed and performed by WetDream
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Reply #5 posted 04/21/09 5:39am

jimmyrogertodd

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He has stayed ahead of the game in most cases. I think the Target pricing was in genius move on his part cause it made his price affordable for everyone and meant that it made a great gift for you to share with others like I did with 3 of my brothers.There is simply something on the discs for everyone. He didn't have to do the one off deals that he has been doing for the last few years.
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Reply #6 posted 04/21/09 5:46am

japanrocks

One of these days there are gonna be some great reviews of his music, instead of how he tries to figure out how to make a dollar.

Oh, wait a minute.....I guess those days are gone.
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Reply #7 posted 04/21/09 5:55am

NouveauDance

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One million fans? Sounds a very optimistic figure given how little the site has to offer to new subscribers and how difficult the site is to join, let alone navigate.

I have absolutely no idea what the membership figures of his past online subscription websites were - What was the number of pre-orders at which they would press and send out CB? 100,000 and that took, forever. Granted that was 10 years ago, the net is much more a part of the mainstream now, but still, I have a hard time believing they topped even a quarter of million with NPGMC, and that's being generous. Complete guess work though.


.
[Edited 4/21/09 5:56am]
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Reply #8 posted 04/21/09 5:59am

Xpertlover

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LondonStyle said:

Assuming that 1 million fans sign up worldwide


falloff
"How embarrasing to be human!"
- Kurt Vonnegut, 'Hocus Pocus'
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Reply #9 posted 04/21/09 6:06am

laurarichardso
n

Xpertlover said:

LondonStyle said:

Assuming that 1 million fans sign up worldwide


falloff


Do not know if he gets a million people to sign up this go around but he might if he tours. You guys keep forgeting he sells millions of tickets and may have already received a six figure check from Target.

He knows how to play this game and yes it is as much about money as it is about music.
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Reply #10 posted 04/21/09 6:15am

chookalana

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WetDream said:

if he works with Microsoft over the far superior and more innovative Playstation 3, i will be very mad mad


Ditto
"So strange that no one stayed at the end of the Parade..." - Wendy & Lisa's "Song About" on their 1987 self-titled album.
uzi RIAA
mac 'nuff said.
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Reply #11 posted 04/21/09 6:18am

HatrinaHaterwi
tz

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laurarichardson said:

Xpertlover said:



falloff


Do not know if he gets a million people to sign up this go around but he might if he tours. You guys keep forgeting he sells millions of tickets and may have already received a six figure check from Target.

He knows how to play this game and yes it is as much about money as it is about music.


I'll agree that he knows how to play the game HOWEVER, it is more so about money than it is the music and it's been that way for quite some time!
I knew from the start that I loved you with all my heart.
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Reply #12 posted 04/21/09 6:23am

chookalana

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LondonStyle said:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002627.html?categoryid=16&cs=1
Posted: Mon., Apr. 20, 2009, 4:07pm PT

Prince works outside record labels biggrin
The Purple One eliminates the middleman - By ANTHONY D'ALESSANDRO

Lotusflow3r.com touts the highest-quality MP3s around at 320 kilobytes per second -- iTunes' typical average kbps is 192. There's also talk of a potential hookup with Microsoft's Xbox. eek

"



Wrong. iTunes is 256 kbps AAC. NOT MP3. AAC is far superior. Which is besides the point.

He should do what Wendy and Lisa do and sell his music track by track at .99. They have it figured out.

My signed Winter Flags of Chimneys is the best piece of memorabilia I have ever owned. Not to mention the LP which looks friggin' great!
"So strange that no one stayed at the end of the Parade..." - Wendy & Lisa's "Song About" on their 1987 self-titled album.
uzi RIAA
mac 'nuff said.
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Reply #13 posted 04/21/09 6:25am

funkyfine

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LondonStyle said:


and topped it all off with a record one-night, three-concert event at L.A. Live's Nokia Theater on March 28 that sold out in a record 7.7 seconds.



7.7 seconds?
Now there's a Prince-tinkered fact if ever I saw one.
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Reply #14 posted 04/21/09 6:36am

mypancakeplace
s

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funkyfine said:

LondonStyle said:


and topped it all off with a record one-night, three-concert event at L.A. Live's Nokia Theater on March 28 that sold out in a record 7.7 seconds.



7.7 seconds?
Now there's a Prince-tinkered fact if ever I saw one.


Yeah. It sounds awfully convenient to me.
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Reply #15 posted 04/21/09 7:09am

BartVanHemelen

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Variety said:

While free file-sharing has eroded royalty accounting and emptied the wallets of many a pop icon, Prince has always been one step ahead of the game, dating back to 1997, when he became the first artist to sell an album ("Crystal Ball") directly to his fans over the Internet, for $50.


Except it was a huge failure.

Variety said:

In the past few months, Prince has been at it again, revamping his business model by deciding to release the three-album set -- "LotusFlow3r," "MPLSound" and his protege Bria Valente's debut, "Elixer" -- on his own NPG Records


Like he's never done that before.

Variety said:

and giving a facelift to his exclusive fan website, unplugged since 2006.


That doesn't even make sense. There's NOTHING in LF that has got anythign to do with the previous site.

Variety said:

headlined the most coveted, and funkiest, post-Oscar party, at the Avalon in Hollywood;


Bwahahahaha. Yeah right.

Variety said:

Nonetheless, his "gatekeeper" philosophy isn't a newfound one. The pop artist's angst with the labels dates back to 1996, when he ended his 20-year contract with Warner Bros. Records; one of the sticking points was that the company failed to release some of his material.


Anybody wants to bother listing all the promised albums etc that haven't been released post 1996?

Variety said:

Prince's revamped Web domain, appropriately Lotusflow3r.com, gives his loyal followers exclusive access to an array of film footage and music from the Purple One's "Vault" -- a library that contains an immense amount of unreleased material.


And yet all we get is a crappy rip of a Japanese (!) VHS copy of The Sacrifice Of Victor.

Variety said:

At a lofty annual subscription price of $77, fans also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion and first dibs at tickets for last-minute, unannounced gigs, which have become a Prince trademark.


Promises, promises.

Variety said:

While some of the privileges are on par with Prince's previous html address, his [b]Web designer, Scott Addison Clay, who has been behind such high-gloss movie sites as "The Dark Knight" and "Twilight,"


99% of the time, movie sites are RUBBISH. Sheesh, that kind of experience means ZERO.

Variety said:

"Prince wanted (the) LotusFlow3r (website) to function like a videogame in its interactivity," says Clay,


Prince is an idiot.

Variety said:

[b]Assuming that 1 million fans sign up worldwide,


Bwahahahaha. Yeah right.
© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #16 posted 04/21/09 7:12am

Rorywan

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mypancakeplaces said:

funkyfine said:




7.7 seconds?
Now there's a Prince-tinkered fact if ever I saw one.


Yeah. It sounds awfully convenient to me.



My latins not great but I smell..
Taurus Excretus.

whofarted
"My God it's full of Stars"
Indigo Club, September 21st 2008, 4.24am
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Reply #17 posted 04/21/09 7:14am

BartVanHemelen

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NouveauDance said:

I have absolutely no idea what the membership figures of his past online subscription websites were - What was the number of pre-orders at which they would press and send out CB? 100,000 and that took, forever.


There's not a single shred of evidence that they made more than 20,000 copies of CB. Vicki from Sevenmag had a detailed post about this in an old PPML.
© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #18 posted 04/21/09 7:17am

jill4life

Prince is the Man. Love the way he continues to innovate his business; some projects will succeed others may fail, but when its all said and done, he is setting his own course and doing it his way. Furthermore, from the looks of it, he isn't doing too bad.

I'm loving it all night long. cool
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Reply #19 posted 04/21/09 7:18am

BartVanHemelen

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laurarichardson said:

Do not know if he gets a million people to sign up this go around but he might if he tours.


Evidence?

laurarichardson said:

You guys keep forgeting he sells millions of tickets


Evidence?

laurarichardson said:

He knows how to play this game


Oh, so he was okay with it when one company he worked with put some extra tracks on a CD single?

If he "knows how to play this game", how come he has to come up with lame stunts each time, instead of letting the music speak for itself?
© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #20 posted 04/21/09 7:22am

BartVanHemelen

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jimmyrogertodd said:

He has stayed ahead of the game in most cases. I think the Target pricing was in genius move on his part cause it made his price affordable for everyone


Except for those who don't live near a Target. Like at least half of Prince's fanbase.

jimmyrogertodd said:

and meant that it made a great gift for you to share with others like I did with 3 of my brothers.


"Is the music any good?" "Dunno, but it was cheap."

jimmyrogertodd said:

There is simply something on the discs for everyone.


Oh please, they're rubbish. Lotusflower is already dead & buried.

jimmyrogertodd said:

He didn't have to do the one off deals that he has been doing for the last few years.


Yes he did. It isn't his choice.
© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #21 posted 04/21/09 7:38am

catpark

LondonStyle said:

fans also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion


Assuming that 1 million fans sign up worldwide,


Yes 'assuming' doubt it will ever happen even some hardcore fans havent joined. the org is free and theres no way near a million even on here! lol
As for live-cam from mansion cool idea but i will believe it when i see it.
FUNKNROLL! dancing jig "February 2014, wow". 'dre. nod
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Reply #22 posted 04/21/09 7:45am

FunkiestOne

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good article, but obviously doesn't paint a very realistic picture...the Crystal Ball direct sales were a debacle...and the "lifetime" membership for the NPGMC club just lasted a couple of years.

There's no way 1 million people paid the $77 to join the website...I'd guess it is less than 50,000...maybe way, way less.


.
[Edited 4/21/09 7:48am]
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Reply #23 posted 04/21/09 7:56am

Graycap23

catpark said:

LondonStyle said:

fans also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion


Assuming that 1 million fans sign up worldwide,


Yes 'assuming' doubt it will ever happen even some hardcore fans havent joined. the org is free and theres no way near a million even on here! lol
As for live-cam from mansion cool idea but i will believe it when i see it.

Excellent point.
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Reply #24 posted 04/21/09 7:56am

L4OATheOrigina
l

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oh the day a media outlet really tells THE TRUTH i will b faint cause they aren't telling the truth with this article about that website ..far from it!!
man, he has such an amazing body of music that it's sad to see him constrict it down to the basics. he's too talented for the lineup he's doing. estelle 81
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Reply #25 posted 04/21/09 7:58am

PEJ

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I don't know about how much truth this article holds or why it would need to bring up if 1 million fans subscribed Prince would make 77million dollars. The part that seemed like BS was "and also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion"
[Edited 4/21/09 7:58am]
To Sir, with Love
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Reply #26 posted 04/21/09 8:04am

Rorywan

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PEJ said:

I don't know about how much truth this article holds or why it would need to bring up if 1 million fans subscribed Prince would make 77million dollars. The part that seemed like BS was "and also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion"
[Edited 4/21/09 7:58am]



I think P couldn't even be bothered updating anything because the turnout has been so bad.

?
"My God it's full of Stars"
Indigo Club, September 21st 2008, 4.24am
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Reply #27 posted 04/21/09 8:26am

funksterr

Article is crap full of exaggeration and outright lies. Somebody must of owed Prince a favor.
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Reply #28 posted 04/21/09 8:27am

PharkyorLOVE

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Theres a lot of super intelligent games out there...

this looks good and its not that new..
http://www.youtube.com/wa...b7aDZeO_MQ
the concept was actually first seen in
a very old cartoon....

and Prince hasnt put enough good stuff into
the future to see whats coming up.....

it aint a b
http://www.youtube.com/wa...BgiP6rPa3Q

butt it is all in fun..... lol
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Reply #29 posted 04/21/09 8:27am

funksterr

Rorywan said:

PEJ said:

I don't know about how much truth this article holds or why it would need to bring up if 1 million fans subscribed Prince would make 77million dollars. The part that seemed like BS was "and also will be treated to such perks as live-cam concerts from the mansion"
[Edited 4/21/09 7:58am]



I think P couldn't even be bothered updating anything because the turnout has been so bad.

?


He didn't know his rep is bad with the fanbase? How many times can he take our money and run?
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