Google are acting like ‘bullyboys’ in their dealings with independent record labels and artists, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien has said.
The guitarist and co-founder of the Featured Artist Coalition was speaking during the Music Producer’s Guild (MPG) Q-Time in London's Covent Garden.
Responding to a question asking if Google or artists get more value from YouTube, Ed said that as invention, YouTube is ‘fantastic’.
However, ‘when looking at the bigger picture, they’re just bullyboys. I don’t understand how in the 21st century we aren’t more aligned,' he continued.
‘It’s not sustainable business practice - they might have this market dominance at the moment but if you look at all long term successes - they need balance, they need harmony. There isn’t any balance here between Google’s intentions and artists.’
The comments follow an ongoing dispute between the independent record label community and YouTube over licensing terms surrounding a new music streaming service from the Google-owned platform.
While the majority of speakers criticised YouTube, Laura Kidd, an independent artist, also on the panel, had more positive comments.
‘In 2004 I couldn’t put a video on the internet. In 2005 I could thanks to YouTube,’ she explained. ‘As an indie artist, I can put videos up and people can find out about you who didn’t know you existed before. I’m not looking at YouTube as a way of making money, just a way of marketing my music.'
The panel also included Kerry Harvey-Piper (manager, owner of Red Grape Music), Jon Webster (CEO of the Music Managers Forum) and Tommy D (KT Tunstall and Corinne Bailey Rae producer) alongside Ed and Laura.
Today (16 July), more than 700 independent record labels signed the Fair Deals Declaration calling for fair treatment in the digital use of their work. Click here for the full story.
The guitarist and co-founder of the Featured Artist Coalition was speaking during the Music Producer’s Guild (MPG) Q-Time in London's Covent Garden.
Responding to a question asking if Google or artists get more value from YouTube, Ed said that as invention, YouTube is ‘fantastic’.
However, ‘when looking at the bigger picture, they’re just bullyboys. I don’t understand how in the 21st century we aren’t more aligned,' he continued.
‘It’s not sustainable business practice - they might have this market dominance at the moment but if you look at all long term successes - they need balance, they need harmony. There isn’t any balance here between Google’s intentions and artists.’
The comments follow an ongoing dispute between the independent record label community and YouTube over licensing terms surrounding a new music streaming service from the Google-owned platform.
While the majority of speakers criticised YouTube, Laura Kidd, an independent artist, also on the panel, had more positive comments.
‘In 2004 I couldn’t put a video on the internet. In 2005 I could thanks to YouTube,’ she explained. ‘As an indie artist, I can put videos up and people can find out about you who didn’t know you existed before. I’m not looking at YouTube as a way of making money, just a way of marketing my music.'
The panel also included Kerry Harvey-Piper (manager, owner of Red Grape Music), Jon Webster (CEO of the Music Managers Forum) and Tommy D (KT Tunstall and Corinne Bailey Rae producer) alongside Ed and Laura.
Today (16 July), more than 700 independent record labels signed the Fair Deals Declaration calling for fair treatment in the digital use of their work. Click here for the full story.
