Prince to give away new album free.

[hibadelic]

Prince's new album is to be given away free in the Mail on Sunday. The music industry isn't happy.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2114557,00.html

I can totally see why Prince is doing this. He makes his money from touring. If more people hear his music he'll get more people willing to pay to see him live.

It's his music, if he wants to give it away free I can't see what the problem is.

[hixxy220]

Originally Posted by hibadelic

Prince's new album is to be given away free in the Mail on Sunday. The music industry isn't happy.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2114557,00.html

I can totally see why Prince is doing this. He makes his money from touring. If more people hear his music he'll get more people willing to pay to see him live.

It's his music, if he wants to give it away free I can't see what the problem is.

Is that no his perogative ......... or was that bobby brown?

[Colr]

I object to having to buy the Mail on Sunday.

[hibadelic]

Originally Posted by Colr

I object to having to buy the Mail on Sunday.

That's a fair point, you could always buy a ticket to his concert, they come free with those too.

[TattooedHibee]

Nice gesture. Good PR. Shite singer.

[Smurf]

Anyone got the stats of sales of his last album?

[hibadelic]

Originally Posted by Smurf

Anyone got the stats of sales of his last album?

It did pretty well but the controversy was that it was given out when you bought tickets to his concerts. He got himself released from his record label (sony or EMI or someone) by putting out loads of crappy albums in a short space of time and since then AFAIK he hasn't signed up for another big label and has had to find new ways to distribute his music.

He's been one of the top earning musicians in the world over the last few years. Mostly from touring the States.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by Colr

I object to having to buy the Mail on Sunday.

Indeed. And why doesn't he just stick it online, save pressing all those discs ?

[Colr]

Originally Posted by Brian

Indeed. And why doesn't he just stick it online, save pressing all those discs ?

That's true. Did the Mail pay him, I wonder.

[hibadelic]

Originally Posted by Colr

That's true. Did the Mail pay him, I wonder.

The paper, which sells more than 2m copies a week, will be ramping up its print run in anticipation of a huge spike in circulation but would not reveal how much the deal with Prince would cost.

Sounds like it.

I've got free CDs from loads of bands from Scotland on Sunday. Franz Ferdinand and The Proclaimers to name but two. Loads of bands have free tracks on their websites too. Presumably this is more of a problem for the music biz because it's a high profile artist giving away his new album.

I think the recording industry should start moving with the times in order to survive rather than trying keep the status quo through blackmail.