http://www.gigwise.com/news/54257/Radio ... igital-Era

Radiohead's Ed O'Brien has rubbished claims that piracy is killing the music industry.

Instead, the guitarist hit out at the record industry for using an “analogue business model in a digital era.”

In an exclusive interview with MIDEM ahead of the 2010 music conference, O'Brien said: “I have a problem when people in the industry say ‘it’s killing the industry, it’s the thing that’s ripping us apart’. I don’t actually believe it is ... (Pirates) might not buy an album, but they’re spending their money buying concert tickets, a t-shirt, whatever.

“It’s an analogue business model in a digital era. The business model has to change. You’ve got to license out more music - have more Spotifys, more websites selling more music. You’ve got to make it slightly cheaper to get music in order to compete with the peer-to-peers.

“BitTorrent is very utilitarian, it’s deeply unsexy. The Richard Branson of nowadays would be able to set up a really amazing website for 14- to 24-year-olds that deals with their music ... and do something really innovative and make it really easy for people to buy music, and cheap.”

According to Paid Content, he continued: “A lot of 14-to 17-year-olds don’t have credit cards, so how are they going to get music digitally? These are very, very, very basic issues - I find it staggering that the industry seems to be really dragging its heels on this - this is stuff that you could do in one week. Move quicker!

“That’s been the whole problem in the last 10 years. Why are we here now? Because the recording industry dragged its feet over digital.”

Law of averages says that eventually even someone in Radiohead will have an interesting thought.

This isn't it.

man, solid burn.
solid.

agreed
it's not difficult to buy music. it's difficult for most to want to buy it.
the movement of music is unfortunately totalitarian, even in peer-to-peer. look at the leak thread. probably hundreds of records will be released this month, but there are specific ones that still monopolize attention. a functioning public utilitarian model would be very sexy.

One of the guys in Radiohead could save your life and you'd still find something to complain about.

and would probably only require a significant genetic mutation on the part of the 'public'.

sorry i wrote that while taking my mid-day dump.

elevensies!

I don't disagree with his points, but there's a wide gap between saying "do something really innovative" and actually doing something really innovative. That's like pointing at the life science community and saying "god hurry up and cure cancer already you lazy fucks." Except, per his point, they probably really aren't even trying to do anything.

And one of the guys in Radiohead could invade your babymama M & V and then jizz in your fave pair of kiddie Vans and you'd still find something to fawn about.

I guess we're at an impasse.

mind if i join you guys

Not at all, Drinky. It's what you do.

hey toots

come on in, make yourself comfortable

(sorry about the mess)

Oh great a circle jerk over radio head, I feel like this is some sort of cliche come to life.

Tell us more about you how you feel.

hang on...

okay, finished.

They did leave their label and make millions giving away their album for free while suggesting donations. That's something. It's like a scientist . . . i dunno, i got nothing. It's like a scientist quitting cigarettes?

Jewels almost made a think there.

i couldn't be left out of the obner circle jerk