The idea behind long-term recording contracts is that a label will invest in building a career. But Prince (in part because of Warner Brothers' promotion) has been a full-fledged star since the 1980s. So now a label's main job for him is to get the CDs into stores.
Prince also experimented with having fans subscribe directly to receive his music online, which turned out to be a better idea in theory than in execution. After five years he quietly shut down his NPG Music Club in 2006. Still, his Web site (which is now 3121.com) usually has a rare recording or two for streaming or downloading. Why not? There's plenty more.
Although Columbia probably thinks otherwise, how the album fares commercially is almost incidental. With or without the CD business, Prince gets to keep making music: in arenas, in clubs, in the studio. Fans buy concert tickets, companies rent his panache, pleasure is shared. It's a party that can go on a long time.
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