Share

Prince music videos are officially on YouTube

New York - Official videos from Prince started appearing Friday on YouTube, a year after the death of the pop star who was a sworn foe of the omnipresent site.

Videos for some of his classic songs - including tracks from his 1984 movie Purple Rain such as When Doves Cry and Let's Go Crazy - became available on an official account for Prince.

The account was linked to Prince's imprint under Warner Brothers Records, which last month reissued Purple Rain in an expanded edition that reached number four on the latest Billboard album chart.

Prince was early to embrace the internet but later became an avid critic, charging that the ubiquity of free online music was short-changing artists.

The artist hired a team of online monitors who used legal means to take down videos of him, even short clips by fans of the sort that have become fixtures on social media.

Asked about his stance shortly before his death, Prince wrote on Twitter in a message he soon deleted: "Since YouTube doesn't pay equitable licensing fees, isn't this a nonsensical question?"

Prince died in April 2016 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota from an accidental overdose of powerful painkillers.

His family has since stepped up efforts to monetise his music, explaining that it needed to take action to keep the estate afloat.

His catalog returned earlier this year on all major streaming sites including Spotify.

The estate's commercial drive was recently criticised by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, who had reached an exclusive arrangement with Prince on his Tidal streaming service.

"I'm surprised you ain't auctioned off his casket," he raps on his latest album.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE