Prince even formed an online proto-music-streaming service NPGMusicClub back in 2001. It gave him the freedom to experiment: An early adopter of the Internet, he was the first person to release an album online-his 1998 Crystal Ball record was initially only available through Internet and phone pre-order. Though vanity labels are de rigeur today, for a pop star of his stature to go independent remains an unprecedented move. Prince's fierce independence paved the way for artists to come. Will Emancipation also be sold direct via phone? "You bet," he says. Then there's the 1-800-New-Funk direct-selling hotline, which gets some 7,000 calls a month, for clothing and related merchandise. "Or give them the whole thing, and build it into the ticket price." "Maybe we could put a sampler on every seat," he says with a sly grin. Plans are for a worldwide tour to support Emancipation in 1997, worth as much as $ 45 million in ticket sales - and, of course, he'll sell albums at his concerts. Prince ended up re-signing with major labels to release future albums, including Arista Records ( Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic) and Columbia Records ( Musicology). The story emphasizes the importance of touring as a revenue stream-which remains true today-and includes some quaint marketing notions:īy this time next year the answer may be in. Of course, it wouldn't be long before nobody on the Internet would pay much for anything. Why let the middle-men make so much money? With no percentages to pay distributors, he figures he could net as much as $ 21 on the 3-CD set - a 45% margin on retail price. He's also considering pressing his own records and handling his own distribution. He plays all the instruments - except horns and tambourine - on Emancipation. When the musician talks about being independent, he means independent. "I polled kids on the Internet, and no one said they would pay less than $50 for a new 3-CD set," he says. It will probably sell for between $36 and $40. The first independent release will be a 3-CD, 36-song set called Emancipation. From the profile:Īlready stored in his studio vaults are literally tens of thousands of hours of music, including an unreleased album he made with legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.
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Twenty years ago, he was full of optimism about the possibilities for independence, few of which came to fruition. I know they're not all going to sell, but I know somebody's going to buy at least one of each." "I want the biggest shelf in the record store - the most titles. " My music wants to do what it wants to do, and I just want to get out of its way, " Prince told FORBES in 1996. Warner's opposition to this plan triggered the split and disagreement turned foul: While carrying out his last few remaining obligations to Warner, he had the word "slave" scrawled on his cheek. Prince outlined for FORBES his plan to flood the market with his work. A profile on Prince in the Septemissue of FORBES.
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