update: Prince [ tickets ]'s next album, "The Rainbow Children," is due in stores late next month, but members of the artist's online music club will be able to download the entire release beginning on Wednesday (10/17).

Earlier this year, Prince launched his NPG Music Club, a subscription-based service through which he has been distributing digital downloads of his music over the Internet. The club offers two subscription tiers: a basic membership for $7.77 per month, and a premium membership for a $100 annual fee.

Only members of the premium tier will have access to "The Rainbow Children," according to the club.

Physical copies of "The Rainbow Children" will hit stores on Nov. 20, according to Prince's publicist.

An album-listening party is scheduled for Friday (10/20) at Paisley Park Studios--Prince's recording studio near Minneapolis--according to Prince's website.

In April, Prince released "The Work--Pt. 1," the first track from "The Rainbow Children," for free via the Napster file-sharing network.

"The Rainbow Children" is the follow-up to Prince's 1999 release, "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic." That album was distributed by Arista, a label that Prince openly criticized for how it handled the album's marketing. The Arista distribution deal came in the wake of Prince's lengthy battle with Warner Bros. Records over creative control of his name and music.

Prince's new album will be distributed by Redline Entertainment, according to his publicist. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co. Inc., according to the company's official website.

Tour plans behind "The Rainbow Children" are not known. Prince kicked off what was supposed to be an extensive North American arena tour in June, but scrapped the outing after playing only a handful of dates. His publicist said at the time that plans for a rescheduled tour were in the works, but no details have since surfaced.