rogifan said:

endiadj said:

rogifan said:

Very cool. Spotify is promoting the heck out of this with billboards and posters all over the place. I don't think Apple Music has promoted it at all. http://www.okayplayer.com...tions.html

"music's original five foot assassin" lol. I like it!

I also like the reference to his "mortal phase". Yeah...this past year just seems like his new era, and as always the rest of us are a few steps behind. Silly, sure, but it's kinda nice to look at it like that.

He's all over Nyc's subways!

rogifan said:

Very cool. Spotify is promoting the heck out of this with billboards and posters all over the place. I don't think Apple Music has promoted it at all. http://www.okayplayer.com...tions.html

The article is FANTASTIC! It's full of Princely references (underlined).

--

a series of deals with Universal Music Group, brought the dearly beloved catalog back to the world, igniting a purple party in the cloud.

--

How ferocious is this housequake, you ask?

--

And it’s not that we’re necessarily surprised about the very predictable 6,000%+ uptick in The Kid’s cloud-play,

--

And while we can all finally celebrate The Purple One with proper rotations,

--

And I LOVE the moniker of the "five-foot assassin."

All I can say is that this is really...bitter-sweet for me. Because I happen to KNOW good and damn well...that it COULD AND SHOULD have been like this...when Priince was still alive! #SignOTheTimes

"music’s original five-foot assassin"

ufoclub said:

"music’s original five-foot assassin"

I don't like that. I do understand what the author is trying to say because when it comes to music...Prince did "KILL"! But he wasn't an assassin because assassins kill for money. Prince was an EXECUTIONER!"

Think about it.

As much as I hate to admit it (because, at 45, I'm "old"), Spotify and other streaming music is the future. Anyone who says it isn't it a holdout, and living in the past.

Having said that, I do still enjoy purchasing CDs but I find that I do it a lot less than I used to.

With Prince's music, I will always purchase the music first - either digitally or physical - but I'll probably stream it here and there as an added income for the Estate.

and he holds 5 of the top 6 positions on the UKs Viral Chart too!

Mindflux said:

beautyunaffected said:

rogifan said:

Mindflux said:

rogifan said:

Well streaming services aren't going anywhere. At least this expose his music to more people and it's not costing the Estate as it's not like people were buying his CDs outside of die hard fans. Just maybe having his back catalog on streaming services will make more people likely to buy new stuff that gets released. The estate can control when that music goes on streaming services.

I didn't say that streaming services shouldn't exist - they should just compensate the artist more fairly. They seem to be making enough themselves, but wouldn't be making anythimg without the content. So, exposure is worth being exploited? I guess slavery is ok because at least the slaves have work? Someone has to take a stand against malpractice, otherwise it just continues and gets worse. Prince (and a few others).did force some changes in terms of better compensation, but it's not where it should be yet. It still pays a pittance. And there is little evidence that people who listen to music via streaming then go and buy a physical format - they just continue to stream. Revenue for artists now lies almost exclusively with live performance - and Prince was very good at raking in money from that. The problem for the estate is that he's no longer around to do that, so they are forced to monetise every asset in every way possible and I don't have a problem with them putting his stuff on these platforms. It's just it won't really make a dent towards the huge tax-bill (his 4.7million streams in the first few days equates to around $70k :-/), but it's still a revenue stream.

Streaming companies like Spotify and Apple Music are paying out billions of dollars each year...to record labels. How much of that revenue is ending up in the artists' pockets? Well, that is the question, and has been ever since we've had record labels. This problem isn't specific to streaming, it's specific to record labels and artist contracts.

+

Warner Music Group's digital revenue went up by almost 30% last quarter to $402 million. That means they make more than a billion dollars a year.

+

How much of that goes to the artist? That's the issue.

+

Reagrding Prince's catalog, though, since all of his music is now on the NPG label and just licensed through WBR, I'm guessing the estate makes more in this situation than an artist whose music is not on their own label. It's more like an independent deal, which is much more favorable to the artist.

+

And finally, I would compare the revenue from streaming and purchases to this: Streaming is a long-term flow of pennies and nickels, purchases are a short term torrent of dollars.

+

And let's not forget, the best CD royalty rates for top artists was maybe $2 per unit. Which means a gold record, or one that sold 500,000, would make the artist 1 million (aside from publishing). So I would say streaming is a long game, versus the former method of the quick dash for cash.

alannevets said:

rogifan said:

Mindflux said:

It's not how it "could and should have been" at all! They don't pay, they exploit. Prince didn't have anything against the format or idea, it was the fact they were and still are ripping off artists. So, he took a stand, which few others were prepared to take, allowing the situation to perpetuate.

Well streaming services aren't going anywhere. At least this expose his music to more people and it's not costing the Estate as it's not like people were buying his CDs outside of die hard fans. Just maybe having his back catalog on streaming services will make more people likely to buy new stuff that gets released. The estate can control when that music goes on streaming services.

Their are two ways of looking at this, for me, we have to realize that the casual fan, mainstream, is here for Purple Rain and the hits, 1999, Diamonds, Batdance, etc...Though a few deeper cuts are getting out there because places like Apple Music are creating "deep playlists" though i checked them out and what they choose and its still not very deep. BUT people that are not going to buy Prince cds will go the streaming route and that is why there are two sides to this. Lets be real with the FACT that outside of the PR reissue whenever that comes, there is not going to be "new kids" lining up to buy other reissues of older albums. Someone who is spending 10 bucks a month to stream a million songs is not going to line up for the reissue of "PARADE" . Music right now is really not "strong selling" on any platform, CDs are going away soon, Vinyl has crept back in but till they get a handle on the prices they are not coming back in strength. Streaming may be the way of the new but it is not leading to actual sales, which labels don't really care about at this point, but if you are not a major artist you still need albums sales or direct purchases from your web site to fund you.

luvgirl said:

beautyunaffected said:

He's all over Nyc's subways!

Really? With pictures?

http://www.brooklynvegan....y-station/

lastdecember said:

rogifan said:

lastdecember said:

Their are two ways of looking at this, for me, we have to realize that the casual fan, mainstream, is here for Purple Rain and the hits, 1999, Diamonds, Batdance, etc...Though a few deeper cuts are getting out there because places like Apple Music are creating "deep playlists" though i checked them out and what they choose and its still not very deep. BUT people that are not going to buy Prince cds will go the streaming route and that is why there are two sides to this. Lets be real with the FACT that outside of the PR reissue whenever that comes, there is not going to be "new kids" lining up to buy other reissues of older albums. Someone who is spending 10 bucks a month to stream a million songs is not going to line up for the reissue of "PARADE" . Music right now is really not "strong selling" on any platform, CDs are going away soon, Vinyl has crept back in but till they get a handle on the prices they are not coming back in strength. Streaming may be the way of the new but it is not leading to actual sales, which labels don't really care about at this point, but if you are not a major artist you still need albums sales or direct purchases from your web site to fund you.

Indie artists are the ones being screwed the most. Major artists have touring, merchandizing and other ventures to rake in the $$. I do think companies like Apple, Google and Amazon should do more to help indie artists.

I believe that APPLE has the best "rate" of pay for all artists and highest for lesser known and indie. A lot of Indie sell direct and almost don't get on the streaming sites, but some do. As far as touring I see a huge decline with touring because it seems its always the same 10 performers sellling tickets. Its elton and jovi and billy joel who for a guy that has not had an album in 24 years he probably has not NOT sold out a show, where as you have top charters now cant even play a few dates without being exhausted of off key or just bored. I mean when these guys actually stop who is going to sell tickets?

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

All I can say is that this is really...bitter-sweet for me. Because I happen to KNOW good and damn well...that it COULD AND SHOULD have been like this...when Priince was still alive! #SignOTheTimes

He specifically did NOT want it like this.

sro100 said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

All I can say is that this is really...bitter-sweet for me. Because I happen to KNOW good and damn well...that it COULD AND SHOULD have been like this...when Priince was still alive! #SignOTheTimes

He specifically did NOT want it like this.

.

He was on TIDAL and by now, would have realized that it wasn't that great for him.

Unfortunately, no matter what he was streamed on, he didn't get the publicity when alive.

.

So conflicted here. like a song, I hate this, but i love it. Come on estate, their shit is beautifull where's my 'Hot Toys' Prince?. Cut a deal!

That is so cool!

sexton said:

luvgirl said:

Really? With pictures?

http://www.brooklynvegan....y-station/

sexton said:

rogifan said:

Mindflux said:

It's not how it "could and should have been" at all! They don't pay, they exploit. Prince didn't have anything against the format or idea, it was the fact they were and still are ripping off artists. So, he took a stand, which few others were prepared to take, allowing the situation to perpetuate.

Well streaming services aren't going anywhere. At least this expose his music to more people and it's not costing the Estate as it's not like people were buying his CDs outside of die hard fans. Just maybe having his back catalog on streaming services will make more people likely to buy new stuff that gets released. The estate can control when that music goes on streaming services.

You do realize that nobody sold more albums in the USA than Prince did in 2016. Prince was the top selling artist of last year (album sales). So, if they are smart, they should do what Adele did and not stream the new stuff right away.

sexton said:

luvgirl said:

Really? With pictures?

http://www.brooklynvegan....y-station/