The late musical legend Prince had many websites over the last 20 years which were compiled into an online museum. 10 years after shutting down NPG Music Club, for example, the defunct property is now preserved for fans to recognize and admire once again. Known as Prince Online Museum, the website is an archive that highlights his interests in sharing music through alternative sources.
The director of said source, Sam Jennings, explained to Billboard: “We launch with 12 of Prince’s most popular sites, but over 20 years online, Prince launched nearly 20 different websites, maintained a dozen different social media presences, participated in countless online chats and directly connected with fans around the world. This Museum is an archive of that work and a reminder of everything he accomplished as an independent artist with the support of his vibrant and dedicated online community.”
The project was created and managed by those who worked on all of Prince’s Internet endeavors. Jennings continued: “The Museum was built by the people who worked directly with Prince on these projects. We are the originators, we are the experts. It is a labor of love, no money has been exchanged. There will be no downloads sold and no membership fees required. But we do have working versions of almost all of Prince’s official websites.”
Prince was partially known for fully embracing new technology as it grew and became more popular. He was one of the first artists to allow people to download select songs as a marketing means and to acknowledge fans. In essence, the late singer turned a new leaf early on for the world of music and pop culture, long before social media became prominent.