Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien has spoken out after a recent meeting of the Featured Artists Coalition, calling musicians the “lifeblood” of the music industry.
The Featured Artists Coalition met in London’s Heaven nightclub last night (March 11th) to discuss musicians’ rights. Afterwards, Billy Bragg claimed he abhorred the prosecution of those who download music illegally.
One of the most prominent members of the group is Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien. Speaking to The Guardian after the meeting he commented on the row between Youtube and the PRS.
Due to a breakdown in discussions over royalties afforded to musicians, Youtube recently removed thousands of videos from its site.
O’Brien told The Guardian “no musician – or very few – will tell you they got into this business to make money. Artists and young bands are the lifeblood of sites such as YouTube and MySpace.”
“These are the things the FAC can look at. ‘You have our content, so don’t you think some of those huge ad revenues, some of that money, could go back to the artists?'” he argued.
“It’s about fair partnerships with others. We want to redress the balance a bit and change things for the good of the whole industry.”
