Feb 22 2009
The Featured Artists Coalition
Franz Ferdinand, Robbie Williams and Coldplay are now members of the FAC. This group lobbies to propose that artists have and keep all rights to the music they create, have a say in how their music is sold and that artists have higher earnings.
Today this is not common. Unfortunately, to many artists’ dismay, many recording rights belong solely to record labels. The 700+ members that make up the FAC want to see change, maybe with the bigger names joining board this is possible.
Instead of the labels owning all rights, musicians want to lease the rights to music labels or other business partners appropriate at the time.
Other member include Annie Lennox, Klaxons, Kaiser Chiefs and Jools Holland.
The meetings of this group come after the rapid downfall of the music industry. With so much illegal downloading, artist see next to no revenue from album and single sales. The FAC wants to encourage acts to exploit revenue streams like sponosorship and live music events or appearances.
Artists are upset that labels make money off new technologies like ringtones with Nokia and they see no profit from it.
Radiohead guitarist, Ed O’Brien and FAC board member explained, “The music companies had us by the short and curlies. This isn’t about revenge, but now we have to take responsibilitiy for ourselves.”
