And FT.com, whose story on the topic last night was published before the snow forced postponement, quotes Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, a coalition board member: “There are new digital rights and revenue streams which have to be carved up and we have to get together and do it ourselves. Nobody is going to do it for us.”

Is it a coincidence that two of the highest-profile acts to become FAC members are either currently or formerly of the EMI stable? Twelve months ago, Thom Yorke told Wired “EMI wasn’t giving us any money for digital sales, all the contracts signed in a certain era have none of that stuff.” Robbie Williams, via his manager Tim Clark, last year threatened not to deliver his forthcoming album to EMI citing lack of confidence the label’s digital setup under new owner Terra Firma.

In many cases, the problems centre around artists whose contracts were signed prior to the online music retail explosion. But the digital landscape is still fast changing, the business models not yet set in stone and FAC artists want to secure a right to payment no matter what the future holds. The creation of the new org, however, does rather suggest that Merlin, the so-called “fifth-major” created in 2007 to give indie artists parity with majors on digital service royalties negotiation, hasn’t been as successful as hoped.

(Photo: angela n)