Prince’s Planet Earth CD: FREE!
p2pnet.net news:- Music retailers in Britain have their knickers in a twist, big-time.
What’s got them so upset? Prince.
Is it because Guitar, a track from his upcoming Planet Earth CD, is already on the p2p networks, and has been for some time, thanks to Verizon’s V Cast? Nope.
It’s because his, “eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free CD” by the Mail on Sunday, says The Guardian.
Prince’s 10-track Planet Earth CD, slated go on sale on July 24, will be available with an “imminent” edition, making it the first place in the world to get the album.
“It’s all about giving music for the masses and he believes in spreading the music he produces to as many people as possible,” the story has Mail on Sunday managing director Stephen Miron saying. “This is the biggest innovation in newspaper promotions in recent times.”
But, “The Entertainment Retailers Association said the giveaway beggars belief,” The Guardian says, going on:
“It would be an insult to all those record stores who have supported Prince throughout his career,” ERA co-chairman Paul Quirk told a music conference. “It would be yet another example of the damaging covermount culture which is destroying any perception of value around recorded music.
“The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores. And I say that to all the other artists who may be tempted to dally with the Mail on Sunday.”
Prince will also handout free Planet Earth CDs with tickets for his forthcoming concerts in London, says the story, adding:
“The singer had signed a global deal for the promotion and distribution of Planet Earth in partnership with Columbia Records, a division of music company Sony BMG. A spokesman for the group said last night that the UK arm of Sony BMG had withdrawn from Prince’s global deal and would not distribute the album to UK stores.”
Not only but also, Prince is giving away the first Planet Earth single to mobile phone users.
“Similar to David Bowie’s involvement with a Nokia phone launch last year and Paul McCartney’s plan to publish an album through Starbucks, Prince’s latest stunt is part of a trend for long-established musicians to try to interest new fans in their latest music by aligning themselves with the next new thing,” says Reuters.
“Guitar” is downloadable to Verizon Wireless phone V Cast song ID users. V Cast, “identifies songs for listeners who hold their phone next to a speaker,” says the story, continuing:
“Fans who download the free ID feature can then go to Web sites such as revver.com, myspace.com or veoh.com to play the video from the Prince single holding the phone close by.
“The phone will then provide information about the song and an option to download it wirelessly on the spot.”
(Thanks, Clint in Chicago 
Also See:
The Guardian – Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper’s free Prince CD, June 29, 2007
Reuters – Prince next single free to mobile phone listeners, May 31, 2007
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June 29th, 2007 at 11:56 am
“…the damaging…culture which is destroying any perception of value around recorded music.”
Typical. The only “value around recorded music” these greed mongers can even comprehend is monetary. This will promote Prince’s new CD in a way they cannot even grasp. Luddites.
This a-hole is so brazen he even resorts to threatening Prince and any other artists who would dare give away “free” music.
I’m not a violent person by nature, but when I come across this level of slime, well, let’s just say extermination is too good for them.
June 30th, 2007 at 12:59 am
I thought he was dead or at least retired on a dairy farm in east Alabama. .
June 30th, 2007 at 1:07 am
Wait. I just had another thought.
Which is more shocking? The fact that the PowersThatBe are protesting how the artist distributes his music or that fact that someone actually said “…most eagerly anticipated new album…” and Prince in the same sentence.
July 2nd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
This way (free CD included in newspapers) started in Greece since 1995 with a nationwide folk music magazine then followed by the most TV program magazines, enclosing at least one music CD with no further cost
On ca 2004-5 same happened with videos(VCDS DVDs ) , first with documentaries , in a nationwide newspaper , then extended to most national newspapers with movies , cartoons and more. Several publications include today up to 3 DVDS or total of 5 ‘movies’ at the twice of the nominal cost
Could this practice be a good solution to the problem?
July 2nd, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Hmm, it’s funny how people have different opinions… I think you underestimate the amount of fans Prince has… what are you listening to these days that is so much better? White Stripes, Bon Jovi? Some hip hop?
July 4th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
STFU
Listen to Prince before commenting crap , he’s a genius
July 4th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Have to agree with the first comment here. I’m always dumbfounded (though I guess I should know better by now) when I hear company executives say these kinds of things. A couple of years ago, an independent gas station owner was threatened by the parent company because he was pricing his gas “too low” and refused to raise it. But beyond smacking of soulless greed, such comments do suggest that those who say them are a bit backwards and probably not likely to succeed in the near term anyway. Who doesn’t recognize that these sorts of marketing strategies are pure genius? Moby’s done it, Bowie, Sting, U2. And, as you point out, it tends to be a particularly good strategy for an aging musician, as it finds consumers where they live and reminds them the artist is still kicking. And frankly, in the case of Prince, I would imagine he is absolutely still kicking. Didn’t anyone catch his halftime show at the Super Bowl, where he reminded people that, among other things, he’s one of the greatest living guitarists.
July 8th, 2007 at 6:32 am
WHY SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE AT ALL.
July 8th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Prince is an extraordinary and multidisciplined talent. You ignorant people who hate him just for the sake of hating are nothing but worthless pieces of shit.
July 8th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
PRINCE’S MOTTO IS LIVE 4 LOVE .CHARITY IS LOVE AND GIVING FREELY IS CHARITY ERGO PRINCE IS LIVING BY HIS MOTTO AS SHOULD WE ALL. MAY WE ALL LIVE 2 C THE DAWN AND LEARN 2 LIVE FOR LOVE
July 27th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
For those of you reading and not listening, Prince may be the closest thing to Mozart or Beethoven living. Many of his albums were great to listen to. Many more were really great to hear. As we all know, sometimes listening and hearing are two different things althogether. Some needed to be put away (For One Night Only) and then revisited a couple of years later, when I had matured enough to listen properly.
Either way, give yourself a chance to get away from Purple Rain and you might find ALOT of something to like.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:22 am
PRINCE is the man of my life.i love him and will love forever.i feel that we belong to eachother… for real
August 29th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Went to see him in concert……………….bloody great! Memory will live with me forever. I only wish i could play the guitar like that …………..astounding performance.
October 11th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
In the recording industry, it’s not the music that attracts buyers. In making wealth out of it, it’s not the money that counts. It’s the ATTITUDE.