BigChampagne's Ultimate Chart (a/o February 10th):
1. “What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger),” Kelly Clarkson
2. “Set Fire to the Rain,” Adele
3. “Turn Me On,” David Guetta
4. “Rack City,” TYGA
5. “Good Feeling,” Flo Rida
6. “Smooth Criminal (Glee Cast Version),” Glee Cast
7. “Young, Wild & Free,” Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa
8. “Domino ,” Jessie J
9. “Sexy and I Know It,” LMFAO
10. “Ass Back Home ,” Gym Class Heroes
Prince is totally clueless about technology and the internet. Or, is Prince a lot smarter than people are giving him credit for? So smart, in fact, that this is just a big publicity stunt that seems to be working?
That is the interesting question that many onlookers are asking, simply because a blatant statement like "the internet is over" seems too ridiculous to be taken seriously. "By making these comments he has been able to gather the attention of the world media to announce that he has new music to sell," reader 'zog' commented, part of a broader discussion this week. "Thanks for being part of Prince and his message machine - I'm sure he loves you for it."
Actually, Prince is not getting panned as "out-of-touch" by everyone. But is Prince really that talented at touching a nerve? "He's just said 'God is dead' to a generation of people who can't conceive of life without the internet," Suzanne Lainson, head of Research at Brands Plus Music noted.
Comments Closed
alden Friday, July 09, 2010
I think the distortion field around this has gotten so huge, unfortunately no one can read Prince's mind. But, I also think that really rich and powerful artists can easily get cocooned into their crazy worlds, esp creative types.
Idaho87 Friday, July 09, 2010
...the other thing is that rich and powerful artists don't really have to worry about having real digital strategies. because people will buy their albums, esp. fans of old who'll line up for anything. it's almost irrelevant to anyone trying to develop from the ground up.
Suzanne Lainson Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thanks for the quote. I see I made a few typos. But I guess I got my point across.
Yes, Prince has said, "God is dead" to a generation who can't conceive of life without the Internet.
presnikoff Saturday, July 10, 2010
Suzanne, we've updated accordingly, and yes, the core point remains intact.
Tonio Saturday, July 10, 2010
Why does it have to be one or the other? Maybe this is a savvy business move that people don't recognize (or understand) yet.
I'm sure Prince received nice advances for these covermount releases - something that iTunes wouldn't do. So not only did he most likely get paid upfront, but he's created a huge demand for his album which only makes it more valuable. So I ask the author, why does it have to be that he's either clueless or pulling a publicity stunt?
presnikoff Saturday, July 10, 2010
@tonio
I think there are actually two points to discuss here. One is the business strategy itself. So, withholding content from iTunes and feeding content to various publications via covermounts is a business approach that can be debated. In similar fashion, Kid Rock's decision to withhold from iTunes might have similar discussion points.
But, then declaring that the "internet is over" is a separate declaration that goes beyond simple business calculations. I think the question on this front is whether Prince actually believes that statement, or whether it was said to generate publicity and get a rise out of readers.
Eager to hear your response.
tonio Saturday, July 10, 2010
I agree there's different points to discuss...
As for the business strategy, I'm not certain that Prince has this all planned out, but I suspect that he does. He's an outspoken critic of the music industry and firmly believes in controlling his own music. Digital music is a great way to get your material out there, but I'm open to the idea that it might not always be the most profitable route (which is counter-intuitive to my profession). Of course, the vast majority of artists need digital sales to grow and survive, but Prince and probably some other select artists don't need them. This article pretty much sums up my sentiments regarding his potential business strategy: http://blogs.forbes.com/velocity/2010/07/09/prince-is-right-the-internet-is-over/
As for his declaration that the "internet is over", it's hard to know exactly what he meant. Although, I believe he meant the internet is over for him as an artist. I'm sure he still uses the internet, on his last album he mentions checking his email to receive party invitations. That said, I think he meant that the internet is over in relation to him as an artist, promoting and selling his music. I don't think he sees any personal benefit from it. However, I don't necessarily think that his statement suggests that all artists should adopt the same strategy...which is what the majority of people seem to think right now.
I wish we could hear more from him on the subject!
zog Monday, July 12, 2010
Prince is having money problems but then again who isn't, the man is very cleaver and smart . He's intelligent enough to understand that by giving away music and creating controvery
"the internet is dead" he hopes to brings new and old fans to his music which is the point. With Prince it's about the music,1st. Prince is all about publicty if you remember the 70's,80's 90's and recently the man understands the game and how it is played.
eight Monday, July 12, 2010
yes totally...
Prince is seeing the downturn in revenue, and he saw it 2 years ago too. He is doubtless ahead of the curve as far as artists are concerned (manager take heed - your artists can be and often are as smart as your latest intern researcher or indeed your legacy thoughts) and shows a way for an established artist to make money in total disregard to the digital distribution platform.
If artists are to make a few pence from a 0.99 download then why shouldn't they do the maths and look at the advances on offer for a limited run of 'prestige' CDs which are selling for 3-5x the price on ebay within a day.
we, in the business, used to complain about itunes poor payout, until others decided they couldn't even compete with that in terms of our own processing costs. Prince is just showing the fact that distribution in the digital domain has only the long tail and the ADD sales to examine.
it seems to me that finally repeated stunts like this will wake up the next generation of music execs to the challenges they are yet to understand. i place all my faith in the industry's ability to deliver the talent in management that can do this. i hope the artists understand that they still need the label but sometimes i wonder why i would sensibly hope this.
OUR SPONSORS
© 2011 All Rights Reserved
Follow Us