Dude runs Disney's music side (Hannah Montana, High School Musical - he's my new hero!), but here's what he said about Prince:

Before joining Disney, what was your most enjoyable role in the industry?

It was always the creative part of the management business I enjoyed the most. Any little creative contribution, for example, to artists like Lovin' Spoonful; Earth, Wind & Fire; and yes, dare I say, Prince, is what I enjoyed most. Producing "Purple Rain," the movie, with my partners Joe Ruffalo and the late Steve Fargnoli, was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences.

Interesting interview.

http://www.billboard.biz/...1003644705

There's a good article comparing Prince and Trent Reznor's use of the Internet. Given what Prince is doing these days, it's interesting to see that the Billboard author actually thinks Prince has more risk than Reznor:

http://www.billboard.biz/...1003648365

THEIR WAY OR THE (SUPER)HIGHWAY: PRINCE AND REZNOR

October 06, 2007

At first blush they seem so similar.

Neither Prince nor Trent Reznor is afraid of taking creative steps to reinvent a music industry business model that is in major disruption, and pissing off most everyone else in the process.

Prince, the funky music rebel, irked labels and retailers everywhere by distributing his "Planet Earth" album on the covermount of a U.K. newspaper.

Nine Inch Nails architect Reznor irked labels and retailers everywhere by encouraging his fans to steal his album from peer-to-peer (P2P) networks or download it free from his own Web site.

Both moves share the same strategy: focus less on record sales and more on using recorded music as a tool to drive sales in other areas, like concert tickets or merch. But when you examine the artists' online promotional strategies, the similarities come to a crashing halt.

While Reznor is perfectly content with fans posting concert footage to YouTube or downloading his albums from Pirate Bay, Prince is prepared to sue the very same outlets for the exact same reason.

The issue is one of control vs. promotion. Prince is fine with using the Internet to distribute his work, and in fact is a pioneer of doing so. But he wants to control the substance of that content—the sound quality, the clip used, etc. This isn't the first time he's attempted to rein in the Internet activity concerning him. He famously sued nine fan Web sites in the late '90s in an attempt to control the information they were being fed, as well as transfer their membership to his official online fan club.

"Historically, artists have felt they should have a certain amount of control over how they're presented," says former EMI exec Ted Cohen, now a consultant with TAG Strategic. "I understand Prince's desire to have a degree of control, but the reality is that control has gone away."

Camera phones, mobile blogging, YouTube—they all evolved after file trading became popular, and the industry hasn't even found a way to shut that down yet. So not only are there more channels to distribute content, but more means for acquiring it. How does an act corral all that interest around it into something that can be controlled?

Reznor's answer is, you don't. "If you can't stop it, then the question is, How do you take advantage of it?" Reznor's manager Jim Guerinot asks.

Record labels have been taking advantage of it for some time now, utilizing strategic leaks as part of their marketing campaigns and considering the response to a given track when deciding future singles.

Indeed, in Reznor's eyes, P2P networks and YouTube are no different from radio stations. He can't control what's played or expect payment, but he can use them as a means of promotion.

That's not to say he doesn't try to manipulate the activity somewhat. Rather than waiting for his "Year Zero" album to be leaked, he leaked it himself—leaving USB drives in the restrooms of concert halls with select tracks. Traffic was then driven to an elaborate alternative reality "game" that built buzz around the album.

All the user-generated material out there that Prince wants to control is just free advertising to Reznor. What Prince sees as infringement, Reznor sees as engagement.

"If you want the high-quality experience, you have to participate with him on his terms," Guerinot says. "People will pay for proximity to the artist's vision."

Reznor can afford to take that chance. Whether he likes it or not, he's still part of the label structure and enjoys the full marketing muscle and financial support of Interscope Records. Prince doesn't. He independently records his own albums and signs one-off deals for production, distribution and some marketing, often jumping from label to label.

Reznor says he owes the label one last record under his contract, after which he'll sell his albums directly from his Web site for $4 each. But that's one more album with that safety net beneath him as he experiments and perfects these new models before he's out there on his own.

"Trent has a little more freedom to not worry about the outcome," Cohen says, "while Prince has to be a little more concerned."

And of course all this is complicated by the fact that there's no clear proof that the strategy of promotion over control is working. "Year Zero" sold 441,000 U.S. copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, but certainly was not a blockbuster.

"I can't quantify it, other than it's 18 years into his career and he feels bigger than ever," Guerinot says. "I'll take that."

RodeoSchro said:

I love this idea and we all know Prince likes a riddle. Prince really has nothing goin on online right now. There's been so little activity since the demise of the club. Unless his focus now is just ticket sales he needs to start coming out with more creative means and ways. Thanks for these articles. There is a link about Trent on www.3121.com as well.

That was a great read!

why, like the smashing pumpkins, does prince always get connected

very interesting