Prince on the Web like it’s 1999

“These ones is hot,” says Prince, handing me a CD-R with four neatly handprinted song titles on the front case. IN A STUDIO console room decorated with two small purple sofas and illuminated by a fiber-optic tree light whose branches continuously morph into rainbow colors, the artist formerly known as the Artist but once again known as Prince spins around on his chair. On his own, Prince tapped into tech - selling a CD-ROM in 1994 featuring interactive videos. He launched a site, Newfunk.com, to augment his mail-order business. In one of his giant sound studios in Paisley Park, which resembles a gym, he has 60-foot risers packed with boxes of CDs and merchandise like Rave keychains and New Power Generation baseball hats ready for sale. Running his own record business with just 10 employees hasn’t been so easy. In 1998, Prince released Crystal Ball, a 3-, 4- or 5-disk set, depending on where it was bought. Though he promised it first to fans who paid upfront via the Internet, two retail chains also carried it. Some fans were angry when they saw their exclusive in stores before it had been mailed to them. The premium collection came in a clear plastic circular case; Prince put all the album liner notes online. He says he sold 250,000 copies and more than half were direct sales. He believes he made more money selling to the public than he could have if a major label sold a million more copies.