The Artist Formally Available in Record Stores / July 16 2007
I am somewhat concerned that Planet Earth, the new album from Prince, the artist formerly known as ‘the artist formerly known as Prince’, was given away free this weekend with the Mail On Sunday newspaper here in the UK.
Prince probably feels that he has employed some clever marketing tactics and has outsmarted the record industry in the process – something that many musicians would dearly love to do on a regular basis. But he has manifestly done it at the highest level.
Although the performer himself (who received around £250,000 in the deal – more, in all probability, than he would have earned if the album went on sale normally, his last CD selling only around 80,000 copies in the UK), the newspaper, and around 3 million consumers - who may or may not be Prince fans - have greatly benefited from the promotion, the whole thing is an insult to high street record stores and other music retailers.
As a songwriter, musician and record company co-owner, I personally feel very uneasy about this move. It implies that music ought to be free and therefore has no value. Retail prices for CDs and tracks available for download have fallen considerably recently, and whilst this is obviously advantageous to the general music-buying public, it is a serious concern for the rest of the industry.
And while you ruminate on this, why not go and download the free 4-track Enormous EP, or the awe-inspiring EP from the critically acclaimed ultracool, punky pop band Slaughterhouse 5 . . . which, as luck would have it, is also free. Hehehe.
Filed under Download Music / Enormous / Free Music / Music / Record Companies
Comments
One comment on “The Artist Formally Available in Record Stores”
Graham Boffey / July 17th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Two concerns here Nap. Firstly, Prince is still recording. I’ve heard his new single, I love my Guitar, or some such. If I received a free copy of this, I would still be wanting a refund.
Secondly, anyone who uses that fascist rag to promote their musical chunderings deserves every failure. Does the Mail know that Prince is not British!
Cheers
Graham
Leave a comment
