Prince Proclaims the Internet “Over”

The Internet has made life difficult for the music industry, both for labels and for artists.  There are those who understand how to use the Internet to their advantage (artists like Lady GaGa and Nine Inch Nails), and those who steadfastly refuse to release their music digitally (The Beatles, for example).  Now it looks like we have one more name to add to the list of those who refuse to release their new music online.

Prince, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror, proclaimed that his new album “20Ten” will not be sold online.  The reason Prince won’t sell his music online?  “The Internet is completely over.”  The pop star also pointed out that online distributors “won’t pay me in advance for it, and they complain when they don’t get it.” {Mashable}

Rather than distribute the album online, Prince will release the album to readers of the Mirror and other print publications in Europe.  Surely that’ll work, because we all know how well print publications are doing at the moment. Or perhaps it could help increase sales of the publications that have Prince’s album packed in.  In the US, the album will be sold more traditionally through Warner Bros., presumably in physical form only.

In 2007, Prince banned the use of his music on sites like YouTube, Pirate Bay and eBay, going so far as to levy lawsuits against the sites.  It wouldn’t be all that surprising if his new album shows up on the Pirate Bay or other sites shortly after release, just to spite the artist.  Not that we would ever condone pirating music.

Perhaps Prince’s next album will be released on 8-track and Betamax (for you retro video lovers) only so nobody can easily get it online.  With the way the world is moving, saying the Internet is over is just silly. He’s still a legend, but the internet is a big, flashing sign of the times.