SuperSoulFighter said:

Just wondering... I've been out of the bootleg trade for years because I have what I want, but... A lot of folks who download bootlegs justify their actions by saying, If Prince released this, I would buy it! But very often, live albums are compilations of several concerts with the order of the songs mixed up. So, just for the sake of argument, if Prince were to release a "1999 Tour" CD made up from different concerts from 1982-83 and you had the chance to download a full concert illegally, what would you do? Get both of them? In that case, releasing live CDs doesn't really stop the bootleg trade. [Edited 1/30/14 9:43am]

It's not the issue. The question isn't whether releasing material will stop bootlegs but whether bootleg prevent official material to sell. Arguably anyone who downloads bootlegs has every official album in their possession. Casual Prince listeners don't download Prince bootlegs. Hardcore fans want everything. There's no way Prince or any artist can prevent bootlegging anyway. They couldn't when it was physical and they can't in the digital age. Now of course every fan would either buy or download illegally (or legally, depending on the country) every official material and even with downloads Prince could still make money with it. The point is not to stop the bootleg trade, it won't be stopped. The point is to make profit from material that could be made available and isn't. Ideally of course Prince could make EVERY concert ever recorded available and that would obviously put an end to bootlegging but that would imply such a considerable website that it's near impossible, but he could easily have a website that releases, say, a new show every month (both new and from his back catalogue) and people who get boots would definitely buy that.

[Edited 1/30/14 10:15am]

The Black Album is a good example. Obviously 99% of the people who bought it as a bootleg owned every Prince official album, 99% of these people bought it again when officially released and virtually no one bought it as a bootleg after it was officially released.

SuperSoulFighter said:

You've got a point. But The Black Album was such a big hype in 88 that even people who weren't big Prince fans wanted to hear it simply because it was such a hot item. And they didn't bother with the official release years later after the hype died down.

Your turn to make a point. TBA was too hip I'll give u that. But let's say tomorrow Prince releases both versions of Madhouse's 24 on a double CD and official download from his website: I'm quite sure only hardcore fans have the 2 24, and I'm sure 99% of them would buy the official release (or download it illegally), and I'm sure no one would ever download or buy bootlegs of either album again except maybe a few dummies who'd want to download the official version illegally and mistakenly get the boot instead.

Same with Montreux 2009, I'm quite sure only fans have the boot and almost everyone whould have wanted the official release, physical or digital, if it had been released this year as promised, if not for the sake of collecting, at least for a pristine version (despite being excellent, the boot wasn't HD either), and that no one woulda downloaded the boot anymore save once again some dummies trying to get an illegal copy of the official version.

I absolutely can't see how boots can make artists lose money, really. That they're mad that stuff they don't want out is out is another matter, but money?

SuperSoulFighter said:

Just wondering... I've been out of the bootleg trade for years because I have what I want, but... A lot of folks who download bootlegs justify their actions by saying, If Prince released this, I would buy it! But very often, live albums are compilations of several concerts with the order of the songs mixed up. So, just for the sake of argument, if Prince were to release a "1999 Tour" CD made up from different concerts from 1982-83 and you had the chance to download a full concert illegally, what would you do? Get both of them? In that case, releasing live CDs doesn't really stop the bootleg trade. [Edited 1/30/14 9:43am]

I'd pay Prince for the official compilation CD AND download the full concert illegally.

databank said:

It's not the issue. The question isn't whether releasing material will stop bootlegs but whether bootleg prevent official material to sell. Arguably anyone who downloads bootlegs has every official album in their possession. Casual Prince listeners don't download Prince bootlegs. Hardcore fans want everything. There's no way Prince or any artist can prevent bootlegging anyway. They couldn't when it was physical and they can't in the digital age. Now of course every fan would either buy or download illegally (or legally, depending on the country) every official material and even with downloads Prince could still make money with it. The point is not to stop the bootleg trade, it won't be stopped. The point is to make profit from material that could be made available and isn't. Ideally of course Prince could make EVERY concert ever recorded available and that would obviously put an end to bootlegging but that would imply such a considerable website that it's near impossible, but he could easily have a website that releases, say, a new show every month (both new and from his back catalogue) and people who get boots would definitely buy that.

Hell yeah, I'd buy that!

Every. Single. Month.

databank said:

The Black Album is a good example. Obviously 99% of the people who bought it as a bootleg owned every Prince official album, 99% of these people bought it again when officially released and virtually no one bought it as a bootleg after it was officially released.

djThunderfunk said:

databank said:

It's not the issue. The question isn't whether releasing material will stop bootlegs but whether bootleg prevent official material to sell. Arguably anyone who downloads bootlegs has every official album in their possession. Casual Prince listeners don't download Prince bootlegs. Hardcore fans want everything. There's no way Prince or any artist can prevent bootlegging anyway. They couldn't when it was physical and they can't in the digital age. Now of course every fan would either buy or download illegally (or legally, depending on the country) every official material and even with downloads Prince could still make money with it. The point is not to stop the bootleg trade, it won't be stopped. The point is to make profit from material that could be made available and isn't. Ideally of course Prince could make EVERY concert ever recorded available and that would obviously put an end to bootlegging but that would imply such a considerable website that it's near impossible, but he could easily have a website that releases, say, a new show every month (both new and from his back catalogue) and people who get boots would definitely buy that.

Hell yeah, I'd buy that!

Every. Single. Month.

me too.. if he did that.. and charged $25 for the download.. he would have $25 from me every month for life.

maybe that isnt enough $ ?

lets say 5,000 people did it every month (which is probably a high #)... that is $125,000 per month.

that is $1.5M per year

figure P would have to pay to have the site maintained, the credit card company gets a percent.... and he walks away with $1M per year....

probably for any of us, that is a ton of dough.. but its probably nothing to him and not worth it...

plus he would have to hear us all complain that he hasnt offered this show or that show or this tour or that tour... and its a nightmare waiting to happen!

[Edited 1/30/14 22:25pm]

I hate to say that, but free sharing/free bootlegs damages the artists more than the ones that you pay for. Of course you wouldn't buy a concert bootleg when you can buy an official release, but people would still download the free one. Heck, I did this myself, downloading albums I missed all at one for free (because I NEEDED to hear them, in an addicted sort of way), and THEN buying them one after the other when I had the money, because after all I support him... But I can totally see why he won't release something that is already there for no cost at all. And anything he releases would be on share after just a little time, so I think he's not really motivated after all... Such a pity.