Things may be about to change for the better for many artists if a new coalition of artists gets its way
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7652053.stmUK pop and rock stars are taking action to try to gain ownership and control of their work from record labels.
Robbie Williams, Radiohead, Kaiser Chiefs and The Verve are among the acts who have signed up to a new pressure group, the Featured Artists' Coalition.
It wants artists to keep the rights to the music they create and to have a greater say in how their songs are sold - and a bigger slice of the takings.
It is a sign of a shift in power in the music industry in the digital age.
In the last 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.
This is a great move forward for UK artists and I hope others take up the cudgels against the corporate middlemen and thier lawyers who write grossly unfair contracts with glee and pay as little as they can to those who actually do all the creating, its like pledging your soul to the bank manager when all you really want is a loan to get you started.
