The Prince Pipeline

The Purple One is a true early adopter. He's been distributing his music online and writing in SMS-style shorthand (as in "I Would Die 4 U") for ages. Prince has been off the mainstream's radar since his breakup with Warner Bros. in 1996. But he's continued to record at a frantic pace, using the Web to reach out directly to fans and to sell seven indie releases. Now he's back in the limelight with a critically acclaimed major label CD, Musicology. Wired caught up with the pop visionary via email to get his take on the importance of controlling your own product.

WIRED: So why did you ditch the majors and start your own label, NPG? PRINCE: Throughout the '90s, the music business was in a state of flux, especially Warner Bros. Records. Knowing that we could no longer remain on a ship that had no captain, plans were made 2 distribute r music independently. The 1st single NPG released was "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." With its success, the die was cast, so2speak.

And that led to NPG Music Club. What's it like selling your product and promoting your image online? It's a great way 2 connect with music lovers all over the world. This is old news now, but artists will always do better when they distribute themselves. Most of the manufactured music stars of 2day do not have deals that allow them 2 participate in the OWNERSHIP of their art, so they have 2 take a backseat when it comes 2 marketing and promotion.

What sort of marketing tactics are you using for Musicology and the current tour? We introduced the concept of purchasing a brand-new CD with the concert ticket. That's all that really matters anyway: getting the music 2 the people. By any means necessary.

Does that include P2P file-sharing? File-sharing seems 2 occur most when people want more QUALITY over quantity. One good tune on a 20-song CD is a rip. The corporations that created this situation will get the fate they deserve. 4 better or 4 worse, 4 every action there is a reaction. An MP3 is merely a tool. There is nothing 2 fear.

If corporations are the problem, why did you partner with Sony for the new album? Sony has graciously agreed 2 augment the Musicology project with worldwide promotion and distribution. They r cool because they do not restrict NPG's ability 2 sell the product as well. It's a win-win situation.

Suddenly you're getting terrific press again. Where has the media been the past few years? Perhaps they had another agenda. We should really xamine how and where we find out about new music. They don't call it PROGRAMMING 4 nothing!

When you changed your name to , you sent new font sets to the journalists covering you – quite a tech-savvy maneuver. Are you still on top of the PR game? True artists should b involved with every aspect of their work. Thanx again 4 ur help in getting the message out. Peace.

Your All-Access Pass NPG Music Club (www.npgmusicclub.com) members pay a one-time $25 fee to access music videos, concert footage, and chat rooms where they can gab with Prince and his band. The site has also been the exclusive distributor of MP3-only song collections like The Chocolate Invasion, Xpectation, and Slaughterhouse. NPGers also get the best seats in the house for Prince performances – members can buy concert tickets a week before the general public. Club founder Sam Jennings says that 10 percent of tickets are sold through the site.