U2 manager Paul McGuinness has written a provocative new article on the future of the music industry.
The debate over file-sharing is one of the most controversial topics in the music industry. The growth of the internet means that a generation of fans have been weaned on free music, and can see no reason to stop.
Furthermore, if groups complain about the situation then their own earnings are used against them. Well known for his anti file-sharing views, U2 manager Paul McGuinness has once again stepped into the debate with a new article.
One of the major factors in the band's success, McGuinness is known for his bullish attitude towards labels and his commitment to earning U2 a fair and equitable slice of royalties from their art.
Applying himself to the music industry debate, the music industry figure argues that the atmosphere of 'free downloads' is destroying the way fans consume and appreciate new releases.
"We are living in an era when "free" is decimating the music industry and is starting to do the same to film, TV and books" he writes in GQ. "Yet for the world's internet service providers, bloated by years of broadband growth, "free music" has become a multi-billion dollar bonanza."
Continuing, the U2 manager explained why high profile acts are reluctant to speak out. "Well-known artists very seldom speak out on piracy" McGuinness explained. "There are several reasons for this. It isn't seen as cool or attractive to their fans - Lars Ulrich from Metallica was savaged when he criticised Napster. Other famous artists sometimes understandably feel too rich and too successful to be able to speak out on the issue without being embarrassed."
Finishing, Paul McGuinness stated: "I think we are coming to understand that, across all businesses that invest in and trade in creativity, "free" comes with a price - and in my business that means less investment in talent and fewer artists making a living from music. If this point really is sinking in then we are making headway. It may be that the crisis for music has now got so bad that the issue of "free" is really being properly understood for the first time."
The article has caused an immediate wave of controversy on the internet, with fans split over the position taken by Paul McGuinness. Let us know your thoughts...
Read the entire interview HERE.
