PRINCE Is A Free Agent As He & Universal End Publishing Deal

PRINCE and Universal Music Publishing have reached a mutual agreement in terminating their long standing publishing deal, Kiran Sharma announced this morning. The deal may have ended weeks ago but an announcement was not made until today.

PRINCE is also not signed to any record labels as well and considers himself a free agent when Drfunkenberry spoke to him about this late last month.

Sharma added “this is a great opportunity for PRINCE to consider fresh and new ideas for all his music.”

PRINCE expressed interest in trying new mediums to release music and relished in being totally a free agent.

PRINCE’s publishing is quite vast, spanning 35 years of hit music for himself and many hits for others.  His hit albums include but are not limited to are: Musicology, 1999, Sign O’ The Times, Diamonds and Pearls, Parade, Around the World in a Day, Emancipation, Purple Rain, and the Batman Soundtrack.

He is currently producing the new Andy Allo “Superconductor” record set for release later this year.-DocFB

Question: In what new medium would you like to see PRINCE’s music released?

Comments

comments

103 Comments
  • Timmy
    Posted at 06:41h, 09 July

    Prince should set up his own free website shop – allowing fans all over the world to purchase and enjoy new (and any older) music he sees fit.

    This would allow him nearly 100% profit and the chance to finally speak to his fans directly without anyone’s interference.

    Granted this has been tried to some degree before but never with his full commitment to it – it is the only way to go in this day and AGE!

  • Anonymous
    Posted at 06:35h, 09 July

    On recycled vinyl…

  • JamezK
    Posted at 06:02h, 09 July

    The purple one lost his luster a long time ago. He could be ruling new media, but he either doesn’t have a clue or hires people that don’t have a clue – as listed by conga777 above. Louis CK seems to be setting a new path for artists, selling his concerts online for $5 and now getting rid of ticketmaster and selling all his tickets to his concerts at a flat rate. Prince will have to follow now instead of being a leader. One thing he could do is a live IMAX concert. It would push IMAX and concerts to a new level. It would have to be the normal IMAX price though, not some bloated give-me-all-your-money deal. Then also sell the blu-ray 3D versions. The only other new media would be to come to my place and perform live! 😀

  • Scarpo
    Posted at 06:00h, 09 July

    “PRINCE is also not signed to any record labels as well”

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Please get a proofreader.

  • chocolatebox
    Posted at 06:00h, 09 July

    Eye would like him to do what Lionel Richie did go on a Home Shopping Network or buy his own Music only network & sell his music that way..Like a preorder. That way he can be the only one we c selling his own projects …

  • conga777
    Posted at 05:37h, 09 July

    1993 – Prince live: “Next time bring your tape recorder” but still: “drop your cameras & iPhones or we stop playing…”
    1994 – Prince song: “free the music”
    2004 all the PAID Musicology Albums & Singles are unplayable today (DRM)
    2009: www – Lotusfailure (some t-Shirts still not arrived!)
    2009 – Montreux DVD cancelled
    20ten: no comment
    2012: Days of wild/Mutiny/Dance Electric: yawn versions
    2012: the 1982 “Lust You Always” leaked – just best “new” track i’ve ever heard since 14++ Years…!

  • Rover
    Posted at 05:30h, 09 July

    I think he should go into lockdown at Paisley Park, smoke a big fat joint, and create the best music he’s done in 20 years

  • Terri Walsh
    Posted at 05:30h, 09 July

    You know, if he performed and had his own branded channel on youtube, he could make an INSANE amount of money.

  • Hump
    Posted at 05:20h, 09 July

    sup with the incomplete Spotify collection?

  • Markus Bonten
    Posted at 05:14h, 09 July

    Hey master, send the people a download link after they paid the 7.77 dollar…then we can enjoy new music and choose between a live album and 2 new studio album´s….we know that something is already finished for 2012…….so bring us da funk back in 2012….and come 2 europe soon….MB

  • Giovanni777
    Posted at 05:12h, 09 July

    This is interesting news indeed, and I hope this means we could all be hearing new music from Prince soon.

    What medium, you ask?

    Album in both Vinyl and CD format… I’d buy both.

  • Percula
    Posted at 05:01h, 09 July

    Watch him sign up to one of those 360 deals he’s been so dismissive of in the past…. And then fall out with the company a few months later…. And then get some interns to try and do it all in-house…..

    I am dismissive of this (an the usual “PR” puff). It’s poor business and poor management to finish one deal without it’s replacement being in place……..

  • BLR
    Posted at 04:42h, 09 July

    Quote: “he should release music via the medium of telepathy. no one has done that before”

    ^^yeah, DO THAT 😉
    Best idea since Google glasses.
    Next disrupt!

  • Terri Walsh
    Posted at 04:38h, 09 July

    I’d like him to lock himself away by himself, and push himself, I’d like to hear something different from a mature man who’s seen the world, and not through some censored religious filter either.

    How about some good, bad, and ugly feelings, truth, pain and joy Prince? How about sounding new again? Abandon the familiar…..

  • Marcuskuip
    Posted at 04:31h, 09 July

    Well, since it’s a long time ago an album saw the light, I suggest he opens his own website to distribute his music.

    And this time, please learn from the past mistakes;

    – no subscription, just let people pay per album or/and song;
    – make it easy to start up and navigate;
    – don’t abandon it after 3 months but improve it!

    It’s a shame that somebody like Prince, who was pretty much the first one to succesfully sell his music on the internet, abandoned the best way to bring music to the fans.

    I hope he finally realised this himself, but it’s hard for me to be optimistic…

  • princefanno1
    Posted at 04:27h, 09 July

    he should release music via the medium of telepathy. no one has done that before

  • BLR
    Posted at 04:25h, 09 July

    A better offer, you must be kidding? Right? Who in the business wants to work with Prince? The same Prince that has worked with the 5 major labels, who is such a pain to work with that nobody wants to sign him a record distribution deal for Andy Allo?

    Come on!
    He can do whatever he wants, and if he wants to be his self agent, and be bothered by answering ALL requests to use his music, well, that’s his prerogative. My point is that he would better give that task to someone else, and use his precious time to RECORD new music.

    Enough with talking bullshit, smoke screen about a situation that is far from being “great” etc.

    (I wonder how long it will take before you delete my ”negative” comment)

  • David Sanction
    Posted at 04:20h, 09 July

    Downloads on his own website similar to the Musicology era model. It’s sad to say but I think CDs have had their day and I’ve got over 1,000 of them!

  • drfunkenberry
    Posted at 04:15h, 09 July

    Good idea Andrew. Now….where could he do that? Hmmm.

  • drfunkenberry
    Posted at 04:14h, 09 July

    Judging by the comments, people do not understand what publishing rights entail. Approval of songs used in TV shows, Movies, etc….It has nothing to do with Masters, the ball is in Robber’s….er..I mean Robert’s court.

    He was not fired either. It makes sense for him to test the market to see if he can get a better deal than what UMPG gave him. Also, Universal had a few stumbles over the years, going after a youtube clip with a clip that sparked controversy a few years ago, and also giving “Glee” permission to use “Kiss” when it was never approved by Prince in the first place……

  • BLR
    Posted at 04:12h, 09 July

    Ahem, the internet is dead, remember?

  • andrewm7
    Posted at 04:09h, 09 July

    It would be great if he were to make his unreleased songs and recordings available to buy and download in high quality online

  • BLR
    Posted at 04:07h, 09 July

    In other words: bye bye remasters.

  • Niki
    Posted at 04:03h, 09 July

    Bring back NPGMC!!

  • peter
    Posted at 04:03h, 09 July

    in other words, he is fired 😉

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