In a rare interview, Thom Yorke of Radiohead warns young musicians not to tie themselves to the “sinking ship” of the music industry, suggesting it will soon collapse.
According to the BBC, Thom said: “When the corporate industry dies it will be no great loss to the world. So, I guess I would say, don’t tie yourself to the sinking ship because, believe me, it’s sinking.”
The songwriter made his comments in the Rax Active Citizenship Toolkit, to be published next month by New Internationalist magazine for students of GCSE Citizenship Studies (“Aimed at 14- to 16-year-olds, this resource is designed to accompany students through the key processes of the Citizenship Studies curriculum: critical thinking and enquiry, advocacy and representation and taking informed and responsible action.” Basically it’s to help young people to become more politically literate).
In the interview, carried out in February, Yorke said the fate of new artists was “an obsession” of bandmate Ed O’Brien, who is a leading member of lobby group the Featured Artists’ Coalition.
Yorke said: “When we discuss it, he says it’s simply a matter of time – months rather than years – before the music business establishment completely folds.
“He is involved in trying to build a world where artists would finally get paid. But we are up against the self-protecting interests of that industry.”
From In Rainbows, Radiohead‘s self-released, pay-what-you-want album, “All I Need” is the Song of the Day.
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“All I Need” by Radiohead
Although not a fan of Thom Yorke or Radiohead, I agree wholeheartedly. I’ve been saying something similar for years. Things will change because the sale and purchase of an actual tangible item that music is recorded on will cease. We’re already buying ones and zeroes over the internet, but this just makes it such that people simply don’t think of the transfer of these digits as thievery.
We, as people associated with music, need to come up with a way to give recorded music to those who want it for free, but still pay the artist. Including advertisements in the recording has yet to work, as evidenced by Sigue Sigue Sputnik’s 1986 release “Flaunt It”. A new version of the “record company” needs to be invented. I’m working on it — give me some time…