Introducing the Featured Artists' Coalition

The BBC News informs the IPKat (well, it's actually Birgit Clark who's doing the informing) of the creation of a new constellation -- if that's what a collection of stars is -- called the Featured Artists' Coalition. Initial members include such household names as Wet wet Wet, Robbie Williams, Radiohead, Kaiser Chiefs and The Verve, who are seeking to keep the rights to the music they create and to have a greater say in how their songs are sold - not to mention a bigger slice of the takings. This move reflects what the article calls "a sign of a shift in power in the music industry in the digital age.", since over the past 12 months, big names have seen their options multiply after a string of stars shunned traditional record contracts and found new ways of releasing music. Meanwhile, many acts feel ignored when their record labels and music publishers have struck new digital deals.

A spokesperson from the BPI -- the body that represents the UK's recorded music business -- said it was "looking forward" to working with the coalition. The IPKat thinks he can almost hear the gritted teeth through which those words were said.

The Featured Artists' Coalition's main demands include allowing musicians to keep the copyright to their own music, which can then be licensed to record companies. At present, record labels normally own the rights to the music their artists make. The coalition also wants its members to be consulted more fully on how their music is used, the ways it is sold and who gets the money.

The IPKat is fascinated by the continued efforts made on all sides of the music industry to develop new business models and feels that it's clearly apparent that there are almost as many potential business models as there are business interests -- this seems to herald the end of any "one size fits all" model. Yet there's safety in numbers, which means that even big name artists need to organise within groupings such as the FCA. Merpel says, I'm just puzzled that an organisation which employs an apostrophe in its name should dispense with the apostrophe in its logo.

Wet Wet Wet and an interesting trade mark dispute here
Radiohead here; Radiotail here
Earplugs here