When Prince's new album Planet Earth was released in the U.K. on July 15, almost 3 million people picked up a copy. Normally, that kind of news conjures up images of record industry execs high-fiving each other and fans streaming into record stores to empty the shelves of their hero's latest offering. But in this case, the record industry execs are livid. And it's true there isn't a single copy of Planet Earth in any store in the country — but only because they were never there in the first place. In fact, Prince didn't sell any copies of his album in the U.K. He gave them all away.

In an unprecedented deal, Prince granted British tabloid the Mail on Sunday exclusive rights to distribute his new album as a freebie. Cutting out record stores, online sellers, and even his U.K. label, Sony BMG, he decided to take Planet Earth straight to the people, and all it cost them was the paper's $3 cover price. "It's direct marketing," the pint-sized popster said when the deal was announced three weeks ago. "And I don't have to be in the speculation business of the record industry, which is going through a lot of tumultuous times right now."

As his fans rejoice — another middle finger to The Man! — the music industry is reeling. While Planet Earth is due to hit shelves in the U.S. on July 24, Sony BMG announced that with so many free copies floating around, it won't be releasing the album for sale in the U.K. at all. Music retailers boycotted the paper, until HMV reluctantly agreed to stock it, just this once. "We decided we could either get marginalized or we could get right in there," says spokesman Gennaro Castaldo. "With whatever reservations, our motivation was to give our customers the choice and access to the album." But what the industry is really worried about is what happens next.

CD giveaways (or covermounts) are common practice, as magazines try to entice buyers with new indie rock compilations and newspapers look to shift copies with archive material from older artists. Just last month, the Mail on Sunday gave away a Peter Gabriel CD: a mishmash of not-so-famous tracks and live performances. But this is the first time in the U.K that a top-selling established artist has ever given away a full-length new release for nothing. What if others follow Prince's lead? How will retailers, who are already struggling to compete with supermarkets and online stores and Starbucks, survive if artists cut them out of the loop?

And without the income generated by big name acts, how will record labels support and promote lesser-known artists? "If we keep moving down this particular route, companies will only release records that are sure home runs," says Martin Talbot, editor of industry paper Music Week. "That means either stuff by established artists or unknown artists doing cover versions. There is the danger that it will no longer be worth it for companies to invest in new, up-and-coming artists. And if record companies don't invest in them, who will?"

In a world where free usually means worthless, many in the industry can't stomach the idea that one day consumers could pick up the new Eminem album with every packet of M&M's. But one man's freebie is another man's fortune. Prince was reportedly paid $500,000 over and above the royalties for each CD — typically around 10%. Considering that his last album, 3121, sold only 80,000 copies in the U.K., this deal may have earned him more than eight times as much. Plus, Planet Earth — which has gotten fairly good reviews so far — is now in the hands of thousands of people who may never have thought to buy it. Maybe they like what they hear ... and maybe they want more. They'll have to settle for buying up his back catalog, because the 21 shows he's playing in London in August and September are already sold out. Naturally, he's giving away a copy of the album with every ticket (a trick he pulled with Musicology back in 2004).

For its part, the Mail on Sunday printed, and sold, an extra 600,000 copies in addition to the 2.3 million they usually sell every week. Advertisers find it hard to resist those kinds of sums. And according to managing director Stephen Miron, his office has been flooded with calls from other artists wanting in on the action (as for who, he won't tell). "They are saying they think this is a much more effective and efficient way of building up their business."

There's no ignoring this bigger, stronger breed of freebie, but there's also no reason it has to signal the death of the music industry. Thanks to the rise of digital distribution, the business of making and selling music has been in flux for years, with labels, lawyers and retailers constantly forced to adapt. "In the record industry, you can barely hear yourself think for the sound of the business being dismantled and the paradigms being broken," says Conor McNicholas, editor of music weekly the New Musical Express. Those who can't keep up are flailing — last month, HMV reported its annual profits have more than halved — or already fallen: last year, retail giant Tower Record sclosed its stores and in June the U.K. music chain Fopp shut up shop. Meanwhile, record labels are looking for solutions in mergers and takeovers — any day now, British firm EMI could be bought out by investment group Terra Firma. Says McNicholas: "With the pace of change, you just have to be very quick on your feet and rework your business model every six months — that's the challenge."

Manager Garry Blackburn thinks it's a challenge the industry can't escape. There are rumors that one of the bands he works with, the veteran British ska group Madness, is considering a deal with another national newspaper to release their upcoming new studio album. Blackburn won't confirm or deny, but says he's a big fan of the freebie. "If everybody takes a deep breath and considers what's going on, this is a wonderful opportunity," he says. "Yes, it means the industry will be dramatically different in a few years, but I don't think screaming like a bunch of girls is going to help anything. They need to think of a way to use it to their advantage." Setting music free: could be a Sign O' the Times.

http://www.time.com/time/...27,00.html

Oooh...I can't wait to get my hands on you! I'll pay, I don't care...Purple Badness like a mother! As a matter of fact, I'm going to buy two copies just in case.

Sold out those are interesting words.

I love the fact he gave it away I have at least 4 non Prince friends who now listened and like it and now on about getting more stuff of his.
Best marketing in the whole world.

peachwish said:

Of course they on about getting more of his stuff for free...

blacksweat said:

That's the main point right there. The real problem is there. Lesser-known artists are the first victim of this system.

Majors will take lesser and lesser risk to develop new talents anymore. And only focus on promoting established superstars. That's very sad. Very sad.

Majors will take lesser and lesser risk to develop new talents anymore. And only focus on promoting established superstars. That's very sad. Very sad.[/quote]

Yes but that is not a manifestation of Prince's distribution deal. The fact of the matter is that the record companies have been unable to properly react to the paradigm shift in the business and thus are decaying. The process of developing new artists had been comprimised a long time ago. Artists are no longer developed and the results are clear. Where is this generation's Prince/U2/Bowie/Springsteen/Led Zep/Hendrix/beatles/rolling stones etc. Each decade had major artist that developed and released a bunch of music changing albums until the 90s. Now they come and go. Those that stick around do not develop and take chances mainly due to constraints from the record industry. If prince was beginning his career today and dropped dirty mind after his "mainstream" Prince album he would:
1. never get it released.
2. get dropped by label after poor sales.
The record companies are the titanic and all prince did was punch another hole in a sinking ship.

This is a review of the album published on italian newspaper "il messaggero". I can't translate cuz my english is crappy, but the journalist claims that Prince's talent is exorbitant, PE (the song) is terrific, and concludes writing that Prince is musically perfect.

Quando il rock finisce nella Rete

di Marco Molendini
ROMA (18 luglio) - Non si può certo dire che non sia un tipo bizzarro. Certamente è capriccioso. E testardo. Capace di rinunciare al proprio nome per finire fuori dal giro dopo aver litigato a morte con la propria casa discografica. O, come è successo qui in Italia, impelagarsi in un’annosa disputa legale e, quindi, essere off limits, per non fare dei concerti con poco pubblico. Ha sicuramente coraggio, anche se fondamentalmente è un tipo timido. Ma ha soprattutto talento, un talento fuori misura, imbarazzante che si manifesta pienamente anche nel suo nuovo album, Planet Earth, come al solito prodotto assieme al suo collettivo, la New power generation, richiamando in servizio le sue antiche collaboratrici Wendy e Lisa (non lavoravano insieme dal 1987, l’anno di Sign “O” The Times), sfruttando alcuni ospiti, come il sassofonista Maceo Parker, il sax di tanti dischi e concerti di James Brown. Un album suonato splendidamente, che aggiunge al suo sguardo ormai venato di misticismo (aderisce ai Testimoni di Geova) il fronte ambientalista, come fa nel formidabile pezzo d’avvio, Planet Earth, appunto, dove si domanda quale sarà il destino della Terra fra 50 anni.

Ma si tratta anche di un disco suonato fra trombe sordinate che ricordano tanto Miles Davis, sax aggressivi, perfino la citazione di un fruscio d’antan che rievoca il calore dei cari antichi long playing. Un disco dove c’è spazio per la sua chitarra («Ti amo bambina, ma non come amo la mia chitarra» canta in Guitar), e per le sue classiche ballate cantate in falsetto come Somewhere Here on Earth e Future Baby Mama. Un disco fresco, dal venti nei negozi, ma assolutamente spartano, senza neppure l’indicazione dei titoli delle canzoni (scarcabili dal sito internet di Prince) e già annunciato dal vento di forti polemiche. Come quelle alzate dall’idea di abbinare il cd gratuitamente ad un tabloid da 3 milioni di copie dopo aver affidato il singolo Guitar a una rete di telofonia mobile che lo ha fatto scaricare gratuitamente per un breve periodo.

Naturalmente la casa discografica, la Sony, non ha gradito, ha ritirato il disco dagli store del Regno Unito, ma il bilancio per Prince resta attivo: ha incassato dal “Mail on sunday” 750 mila euro, ha fatto distribuire alcune milioni di copie del suo album, ha riempito i giornali di articoli sulla sua scelta. Il fatto è che Roger Nelson da tempo ha capito, a differenza di tanti suoi colleghi, che è inutile restare attaccati alla barca discografica che affonda, meglio provarci in altri modi. E lui in questo campo è un sicuramente un pioniere, tanto da aver forse ecceduto a cominciare dal suo sciopero discografico degli anni 90 e ai suoi tentativi di vendita on line in tempi ancora non maturi. La sua idea è che tutto ciò che ruota attorno alla industria musicale va rivisto. Così per ogni uscita di un suo disco ne inventa una. Come ha fatto con Musicology: aumentò di 10 dollari i biglietti dei suoi concerti e in cambio regalava il cd. Ne vendette tre milioni di copie. O come ha fatto con 3121 abbinato a un concorso: ogni disco permetteva di partecipare a un’estrazione per un concerto privato nella sua villa.

A questo punto Roger Nelson da Minneapolis rischia davvero di vincere la sua battaglia. Certo lui continua a essere un irregolare, uno che fa a modo suo: decide all’ultimo minuto di fare un concerto a Montreux e poi i suoi biglietti si vendono in pochi minuti (giustamente perché ha messo in scena un set strabiliante passando dai Beatles ai suoi successi). Stabilisce di fare 21 concerti solo in una città, ad agosto a Londra, e manco a dirlo sono già sold out. Ha deciso che il mestiere della rock star gli stava già stretto vent’anni fa per intuizione e narcismo e per gli stessi motivi lancia un profumo che si chiama “3121”. E per lanciarlo, il profumo, ha fatto una serie di apparizioni musicali, ed è tornato a suonare al First Avenue club di Minneapolis, quello di Purple rain, ma il suo concerto è stato interrotto alle 4 del mattino dalla polizia. Ha quasi 50 anni Prince, ma ancora è lontano dal mettere la testa a posto come vorrebbero gli altri. Del resto, come dice di sé, giocando sulla famosa battutta di Billy Wilder, «Nessuno è perfetto». Nel suo caso però si può anche diventarlo, musicalmente parlando.

fmarasco said:

Yes but that is not a manifestation of Prince's distribution deal. The fact of the matter is that the record companies have been unable to properly react to the paradigm shift in the business and thus are decaying. The process of developing new artists had been comprimised a long time ago. Artists are no longer developed and the results are clear. Where is this generation's Prince/U2/Bowie/Springsteen/Led Zep/Hendrix/beatles/rolling stones etc. Each decade had major artist that developed and released a bunch of music changing albums until the 90s. Now they come and go. Those that stick around do not develop and take chances mainly due to constraints from the record industry. If prince was beginning his career today and dropped dirty mind after his "mainstream" Prince album he would:
1. never get it released.
2. get dropped by label after poor sales.
The record companies are the titanic and all prince did was punch another hole in a sinking ship.[/quote]


First of all Labels have never compromised the process of developing new artists. Labels have only been compromised to the public's tastes. They promote what the public wants, what the public buys and likes. Period.
Labels still develop new talents. Artists like Beyonce, Eminem, Kanye West, Outkast, Norah Stone, Alicia Keys, Usher, Coldplay etc sell millions of albums for years. Those are the Prince/U2/Bowie/Springsteen/Led Zep/Hendrix/beatles/rolling stones of the decade.

If prince was beginning his career today and dropped dirty mind after his "mainstream" Prince album he wouldn't have been dropped, but he wouldn't be supported the way he has been supported.

To develop an artist like Prince it COSTS A LOT OF MONEY. Something labels can do anymore. With the decline of CDs sales, Labels can't support an artist like P and wait 4 or 5 albums before selling big. That's impossible.