Ed O’Brien to give Midem Keynote

by on September 15, 2009 with 11 Comments in Radiohead News

Ed O’Brien will be giving a Keynote address at the upcoming MidemNet conference. The Radiohead guitarist has been invited to speech at the digital music busines conference in Cannes on January 23rd.

Billboard reports that Ed O’Brien, who is a director on the board of the Featured Artists Coalition, will describe the initiatives Radiohead has taken on the Web and discuss the opportunities for the artist to fan relationship in the digital era.

Recently Ed has hit out at the UK government’s plan to cut off the internet access of persistent illegal file-sharers: “It’s going to start a war which they’ll never win.” The FAC said “heavy-handed” tactics may turn fans away from music for good.

A BBC report states that The FAC, a pressure group formed to represent performers, has joined forces with the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and the Music Producers Guild. In a joint statement, the three bodies of music-makers said they “vehemently oppose” the plans to punish file-sharers. That is in contrast to major record labels and many other commercial arms of the music industry, who have welcomed the suggestions.

Speaking of the proposal to cut off pirates, Ed O’Brien predicted: “It won’t work. It’s as simple as that. I was talking to a serial file-sharer the other day, who is a friend. He downloads films and he hasn’t paid for music for six years. I asked his opinion of it and he laughed. He said, ‘even if they cut me off I’ll still be able to do it’. It’s something you do not want to take on, so move on.”

Ed O’Brien told the Times: “My generation grew up with the point of view that you pay for your music. Every generation has a different method. File sharing is like a sampler, like taping your mate’s music. You go, ‘I like that, I’ll go and buy the album’. Or, ‘you know what, I’ll go and see them live’. What’s going on is a huge paradigm shift.”


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  • Jayhova

    yay ed!

  • Pingback: Lily Allen: Ed O’Brien’s FAC statement is not okay | Radiohead At Ease

  • http://www.thenihilist.tumblr.com Paul from Oz

    I think this sums things up perfectly:

    “File sharing is like a sampler, like taping your mate’s music. You go, ‘I like that, I’ll go and buy the album’. Or, ‘you know what, I’ll go and see them live’. “

  • http://www.farawayjournal.com Dimba

    Did anyone else get an image in their head of a stupid, Jack Black or Chris Farley-style movie, where Ed is on the board of directors but doesn’t really belong there? Along the way he learns some lessons about life and the other directors learn to respect him as a person.

  • Mike

    Wow Dimba. That was slightly brilliant. I laughed.

  • Muldfeld

    It reminds me of when I was in university residence and this jack ass hallmate asked to use my internet socket because his wasn’t working; it turned out he had exceeded the download limit for that week. However, because I let him use my socket, I was also punished. I wonder if the same could happen to non-illegal file sharers when they let others use their computers or whatever unknowlingly for file sharing.

  • Muldfeld

    Paul from Oz, I actually disagree because it’s about degrees. Taping your friend’s music actually requires you to buy a tape and there’s a naturally limiting quality to that kind of sharing. It takes time and it’s limited to how many friends your friend has. File sharing is so dangerous precisely because so many millions can go to the same place and download.

    At the same time I have to say that due to some friends of mine willing to steal things online, they’ve exposed me to artists like Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire that I wouldn’t normally ever get to know. However, I think the artists who don’t mind having their work distributed should specifically have to make it available.

  • http://www.thenihilist.tumblr.com Paul from OZ

    Muldfeld, I think he is talking metaphorically in mentioning taping music.

  • Ant

    yeah, “i’ll go BUY the album” (that i’ve just got free) come on Ed!?? or i’ll go see them live, ???(so where is this magical venue i can go play in and sell tickets to people who’ve ripped my music in the USA, Britain, France, Sweden etc etc?) – i live in NZ. Ain’t no “file sharer” in Oxford going to pop down and catch my band are the Ed?. Sorry but these two ideas are naive to be kind, and to the point of deluded to be honest.

  • http://cannes-or-bust.com/ Michael Cannes or Bust

    This debate is not going away any time soon! Free music is now an important part of enjoying music and marketing it. Streaming services and cheaper downloads like eMusic.com are also important. But the current free-for-all is damaging music, there can be no question of that.

  • Pingback: File-sharing. Is it wrong? « -The Nihilist-










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