July 28th, 2010

Prince Says the Internet Is Over? I Don’t Think So

In an exclusive interview with British newspaper “The Daily Mirror”, music legend Prince stated, “The internet’s completely over.” The artist has shut down his official web page, and banned YouTube, eMusic, iTunes, and other outlets from using any of his music. When referring to computers and digital gadgets, Prince says, “They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”

With all due respect to the legendary Prince, I’d have to say that he is completely wrong in his estimation of the internet’s longevity, or lack thereof. People have been proclaiming the death of the internet since the mid 1990s, when it was still a new phenomenon for much of the population, but, on the contrary, use of the internet has grown exponentially since it was founded, and it continues to grow at a rapid pace today.

From 2000 to 2009, global internet usage grew by 400%, and Australians are leading the way. Over 80% of Australians classify themselves as a regular internet user, which is much higher than the global average, and beats out the United States, of which 76.3% of the population are regular internet users. In 2009 alone, the internet gained 228 million new users globally, bringing the total number of global users to over 1.8 billion people. Does that sound like a dying trend to you?

Prince has given up on the internet as a means to connect with his fans and distribute his music, because he thinks artists should deliver their music via new and innovative channels. The new and innovative channel that he chose for his new album 20TEN is “The Daily Mirror” newspaper. The album was a free insert in the British paper. Through the internet, Prince’s music could potentially reach billions, but instead he chose an outlet with an average circulation of just 1,238,145. While Prince and some others may question the sustainability and value of the internet, there is no denying that it is often the most cost-effective way to reach the largest audience.

Will the internet last forever? I’m not sure, but if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that the internet won’t be going anywhere any time soon, even if Prince thinks so.

Communications