I'm really not clear on the whole concept of the new album being released on multiple major labels.

How is it in any company's financial interest to release/distribute Musicology if other labels are doing the same thing? There may be a very logical basis to this concept but I'm not seeing it.

If there is no incentive for labels to participate in this "experiment" and they all balk, will Prince relent and sign a label deal with one company or issue Musicology as an NPG release ala TRC or ONA...Live?

Peace, David

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Never mind! Looks like there was some confusion as to what was intended by Prince's comments at the press conference. The Billboard article makes it clear that Prince is looking for *one* label to issue the album.

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Okaaaay. Now it looks like Prince *is* trying to get Musicology released by multiple labels. So back to my initial question...

[This message was edited Tue Feb 24 14:38:17 2004 by livewire]
[This message was edited Wed Feb 25 6:12:49 2004 by livewire]

Not quite

"We're talking to several labels at once," said the artist, who had an infamous falling out with Warner Bros. in the '90s. His decision will be based, he says on "[The record company] most hyped about pushing the product." He is serious about promoting "Musicology" and is "asking [labels] if they can guarantee their work."

I was already editing my post as you were writing this one. Thanks, Universaluv.

well if he's getting so serious on pushing this album, then he better have some great radio hits on it, or the record companies won't trust him again.

but prince could of had some greathits if, yes, he was promoted more
like "The greatest romance thats ever been sold" could have been another "The most beautiful girl in the world."

Even if Prince isn't a viable hitmaker in the here and now, he's always going to be a huge concert draw and he's sitting on a catalog goldmine, if only he and WB could get it together and finally come to some kind of agreement.

"I've been talking to all the major labels to help with promotion and distribution, the notion being that the pie, the market share, should be shared by all," Prince said. "So I'm going to ask all of them to release it at once. That might seem a little bit crazy, but I'm going to ask them."

If this is true, it is a stroke of genius by Prince. The limitations of the standard record industry contract IS that the label controls and pwns the material and can promote and distribute it as it sees fit. If they botch it, the artist suffers. If they want to hold it back (as Warners did with Prince), we don't get it or we have to wait years for material that sits in the can waiting for the releases dates that are based on nothing but maximizing profits and sales.

It seems to me that a record could easily be carried by several labels. It might even inspire some healthy competition. One label might choose to differetiate itself from the others with through packaging, promotion, or even extra cuts. If nothing else, it would be another pioneering move from Prince in regards to distribution - success or not.

livewire said:

Never mind the thanks, looks like you were on to something after all! Strange but True

NPGLOVER said:

Trust me... this is Prince being eccentric to generate some press. Capitalism requires businesses to have an exclusive product within a territory. If your competitors have the same exact product, you basically don't have a product to sell nor a rationale to do it.
[This message was edited Tue Feb 24 19:24:42 2004 by Aerogram]

Crazy

Prince has been suckin' Larry's crackpipe...

Peace, Serveitupfrankie*

(This is a joke people)

There is no way on God's earth that more than one label will be prepared to release the album at the same time - where's the business sense for them? It's just a controversial announcement that will generate some press. I guess what will happen (maybe) is that one label will come to a distribution deal with Prince. However, Prince obviously wants them all negotiating against each other.

Everything was going along nicely, but The Kid just had to pull the weird shit again.

His idea won't work. Please just sign to one label Prince.