Some of the biggest names in the music industry are getting behind the ongoing online music rights fight.
Meeting up today as the Featured Artists' Coalition, a flurry of bands and musicians, including Radiohead, Blur and Billy Bragg, are looking to discuss the situation the music industry is in and bid to give artists more control over their music, not labels.
Radiohead famously fell out with EMI over money problems, and are no strangers to releasing music online.
Their last album In Rainbows was put in the hand of its fans, with them choosing exactly how much they wanted to pay for the music.
Not targeting fans
Writing about the FAC on the Guardian's Comment Is Free blog, Bragg said about the meeting: "Our target is not the music fan but the businesses that are making huge profits by exploiting artistic content for which they pay little or nothing at all."
The words certainly hold some weight this week, after YouTube announced it is to stop 'premium' music videos from being shown on the site in the UK.
This drastic and sudden move came after a deal broke down between the website and the Performing Rights Society for Music (PRS).
YouTube and the PRS are still in talks about bringing the content back, with the PRS saying that the talks have so far been "positive".
Your comments (3) Click to add a new comment
avi
March 12th 2009
3. I'm sure that there is no future for the record companies in their present form, simply because they are much too expensive relative to the number of recordings that can be sold. Musicians a studios need to form an alliance and run Cyberspace Music Shops where people can hear short samples and purchase (and own) what they fancy. Cut them out of the loop!
The record companies have done enormous damage to the business because they are so greedy and unpleasant. They need to get a bloody nose simply to re-assure us punters that there is some justice on this planet.
I buy most of my music from iTunes now, I shall never buy another CD because it is much too expensive and too many tracks will be **** and I think even iTunes prices are much too high. I suspect others do too if 48% of those that voted are torrenting their music.
Record Companies need to realise this. The PPL and PRS are just record companies by another name. They are all awful.
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rttech82
March 12th 2009
2. And I bet there is no shortage of bottom feeding, blood sucker attorneys ready to jump on that gravy train! Lawyers love gravy!
RT
www.privacy.at.tc
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a.n.other
March 11th 2009
1. Julien-K is fighting this fight as well
http://digg.com/music/The_Death_of_Analog_Music
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