Prince Was a Tech Innovator Who Didn't Always Get Credit for His Early Commitment to Digital

Embraced e-commerce in the '90s

In 1997, Prince, who died today at 57, sold a three-CD set called Crystal Ball directly on the internet, making him one of the first major pop stars to embrace e-commerce. The only other way you could get the discs was by calling 1-800-New-Funk.

In 2006, the music icon notched a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking commitment to distributing his songs online. At that juncture, his NPG Music Club business was offering several full-length Prince albums exclusively on the internet.

AW+

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