The eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free CD with a national Sunday newspaper in a move that has drawn widespread criticism from music retailers.

And further on:
High street music giant HMV was similarly scathing about the plans. Speaking before rumours of a giveaway were confirmed, HMV chief executive Simon Fox said: “I think it would be absolutely nuts. I can’t believe the music industry would do it to itself. I simply can’t believe it would happen; it would be absolute madness.”

– Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper’s free Prince CD – Guardian

While Mark Mulligan, a Jupiter analyst sees this as “more a sad indictment of the state of Prince’s career than anything else.” in his post The Artist Formerly Known as Successful.

I don’t buy that at all. Prince used his head and is getting his music out to a couple million people for free [to them], while getting paid, has generated a ton of coverage in the process and remains one of the most captivating performers – TRUE performers in the music business today. An amazing Super Bowl half time show which Mark must have missed not with standing – my younger brother saw Prince in Toronto on his last tour through TO and said he has never seen a better performance to date [while that will mean nothing to anyone else my brother has enough taste in enough different styles of music for it to be quite meaningful in my eyes].

He also has a 21 night stand lined up in London + with the paper deal, someone in the UK must like him even if Mark doesn’t.

More:
Music Retailers Flip Out That Prince Wants To Give Away His Music – TechDirt

Paper pays £500k to give Prince’s new album away – Telegraph

Prince Giveaway Rankles Sony BMG UK, Dissolves Deal – Digital Music News

The Prince Flap – The Lefsetz Letter

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