For the third time in as many months I have heard a song, looked it up on YouTube, and got hooked enough to buy the CD online. Yes I have an iPod and I know about iTunes, but thats a entirely different thread. I can say that Timberland, Boards of Canada, Kid Rock, and Katty Perry have benefited from having YouTube content.
Would someone please explain this to him. If someone is going to be satisfied with YouTube content, they arent going to buy your junk anyway.

NetFX said:

I don't necissarily agree with that. Youtube is cool but when P removed his music videos and clips I was like: I'm glad I have a TON of music, video clips and concerts in dvd and on my pc.

I really could care less he removed his music, I have 95% of the stuff he had on there anyway ...

It's all about artists' rights. If the fans have as much power in the industry as the artist, then it desecrates the bond between the two. If the fan can access anything they want to for free on sites like Youtube, it takes away the special feeling of anticipation you get when waiting for a song to come on the radio, air on MTV, or simply for the song to hit the wrecka stows. That is becoming a problem with music in the industry today; everything is just so over-exposed.

Artists are being defecated on from above by the bigwigs in their ivory towers already, they don't need to be 'slaves' to the fans as well. Just respect the artists' desires, even if you feel what they are doing is silly.

I think that is what Prince is trying to achieve, anyhow, and I respect him for it.

PurpleLove7 said:

good 4 u

I love YouTube, the usefulness of such a website as entertainment, information, and whatever is infinite, but its days are numbered in its current incarnation, it may live on for many years to come but not as it is now.

Prince is but one of a growing movement of content providers that don’t quite like the "free publicity" as some of you call it, and the fact that YouTube costs a fortune to keep up and running and loosing tons of money yearly, not to mention the lawsuits from deep pockets like Viacom. Google has money to burn, but I don’t know how long Google shareholders will let this thing go on in its current form.

I'm a firm believer in artist’s rights, and hope they can work a middle ground that will respect and protect the wishes artists and companies that do not want their content up there.

they are some videos of Prince on youtube including his interview with Mel B BUT there is NO sound in any of the videos

Yes, Prince is a genius. he's always kind of been ahead of things. I noticed he disappeared right after the Radiohead/Creep on youtube controversy. He's somewhere plotting a way to get back trust me. He doesn't like being called out on his decisions.

Technology to copy things has advanced so much...That all of the recorded music on cd's already is enough to intermarry on other discs....strip off instruments, and combine them digitally to form a band...The end of the true artist technically dies...and when music is shared in this manner...musicians will not be able to survive on their art...it will become a hobbie, even for the very best. And if this happens...It will be the Internet to blame, and the fact that people abuse every privelege they have ever been given.

Prince is a marketing dumbass these days.

purplesweat said:

I don't think Prince was ever a marketing genius... certainly not post purple rain....
he has made loads of decisions that has been to the detriment of selling albums
I don't think these have been bad artistically, just from a marketing viewpoint

eg. no singles pre SOTT (I hope thats right... or was it lovesexy?), no US tour for Parade, cover of lovesexy, some of the choices for singles (apparently not good.. "if I was your girlfriend').

He hasn't cared in the past, why would he care now.. he makes enough to have the freedom to do what he wants

he's NO marketing genius. Otherwise he would be known by a younger audience and would have had more hits. He did many choices that show that he doesn't seem to care about marketing or the public.

My two cents:

I understand that Prince could not want his music on You Tube because of his rights, or because he wants control over some songs/performances, but why doesnt he create his OWN channel where he can post the music/performances he wants?

Some artists/labels already do it.

graecophilos said:

Hopefully I didn't confuse too many. I noticed i forgot the [sarcasm] [/sarcasm] tags.
I realize the complex issues of P2P and YouTube, but pulling videos, seems odd. Especially if you are the only one. Others are embracing it as a marketing outlet.
I suppose that must be it, he just doesn't care.

GustavoRibas said:

Honey we've been asking that since npgmc was around, he's too stubborn.

Dayclear said:

He doesn't want to oversaturate or dilute his live performance. The music industry is dead as we knew it. It's not about record sales. Look at the Madonna deal. Prince is all about the live concert experience and albums are secondary. As a true independent artist, he does not benefit from Youtube. He wants people to crave and hunger to see him in the flesh.

jdcxc said:

if it's right that he's no record artists anymore, and doesn't earn his money with records either, then it would only be wise to let people watch your viodes on youtube. If someone considers to attend a Prince concert and doesn't know if he should, then watching a few videos would be the best way to judge.
I did so with Stevie Wonder, Madonna etc...

Singingboy said:

i agree with you.

and i think Prince is a marketing genius. Musicology tour (and the cd) and 21 Nights / Planet Earth were huge successes