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David Byrne criticises music streaming sites

David Byrne has laid into online music streaming sites in a new opinion piece. In the blog, which was published by The Guardian, Byrne says that the 'pittance' paid by sites such as Spotify to artists means that new and upcoming musicians won't be able to survive without supplementing their income in other ways and focusing less on making music.

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David Byrne has laid into online music streaming sites in a new opinion piece.

In the blog, which was published by The Guardian, Byrne says that the ‘pittance’ paid by sites such as Spotify to artists means that new and upcoming musicians won’t be able to survive without supplementing their income in other ways and focusing less on making music.

Byrne writes: “I could conceivably survive, as I don’t rely on the pittance that comes my way from music streaming, as could [Thom] Yorke and some of the others. But up-and-coming artists don’t have that advantage – some haven’t got to the point where they can make a living on live performances and licensing, so what do they think of these services?”

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He added: “What’s at stake is not so much the survival of artists like me, but that of emerging artists and those who have only a few records under their belts (such as St Vincent, my current touring partner, who is not exactly an unknown). Many musicians like her, who seem to be well established, well known and very talented, will eventually have to find employment elsewhere or change what they do to make more money. Without new artists coming up, our future as a musical culture looks grim.” Read the full piece here.

In another blog post earlier this week David Byrne claimed that the wealthiest section of New York’s population has crushed the city’s creative energy. He expressed his feelings in another opinion piece published by The Guardian. In the article, Byrne said he fears that New York is becoming increasingly dictated by wealth and not culture, adding that he will leave the city if he perceives that is is getting worse.

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