Elbow frontman Guy Garvey warns streaming is threatening future of music

  • Granada

Elbow frontman Guy Garvey says streaming technology is threatening the future of music.

The Mancunian singer appeared in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

He appeared alongside Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien and singer-songwriter Nadine Shah.

MPs are looking into how the streaming model has affected artists and record labels, following increased scrutiny prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing the committee remotely during the inquiry, Garvey said: "It's not true that great art finds its audience. This is the reason I got involved in these proceedings. I have been 'new music', albeit some time ago when Elbow first started putting records out.

"We were lucky enough to work with record labels that got us from bedrooms and garages to a Mercury nomination on our first album. The reason I have come here today, and I can speak for Ed and Nadine here as well, is that the system as it is is threatening the future of music.

"That sounds very dramatic but if musicians can't afford to pay the rent, if they can't afford to live, we haven't got tomorrow's music in place."

Asked whether streaming companies and record labels were taking a fair proportion of revenue, Guy Garvey replied: "No, that's why we are here. I don't think they are.

"Business organisation are supposed to be good at business, and that's why there needs to be some sort of intervention. It has to be recognised that music isn't such a great job that you can do it on nothing."

There has been increased scrutiny of the business models of platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Google Play Credit: PA Images

The session also saw Tom Frederikse, a partner at Clintons Solicitors, give evidence.

Mr Frederikse said many musicians feel they had not benefited from the shift to digital streaming, despite it reducing the costs of their record labels.

"Artists feel that some levelling-up is needed to fix the balance that has increased and happened since the beginning of streaming, mainly because the huge risk and physical costs to the label which were the story of the physical world is largely gone," he said.

The inquiry comes after the Musicians' Union and Ivors Academy launched the Keep Music Alive campaign, calling streaming royalties "woefully insufficient" and urging the Government to undertake a review.

There has been increased scrutiny of the business models of platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Google Play after artist revenue from live performance was hit by Covid-19.