File Sharing – A Great Tool for Taste-Testing, Says Artist

Pharell Williams disapproves with the perception that file-sharing produces negative effects. The artist has expressed his opinion in a statement for MidemNet, where he suggested that this type of practice could actually have a pronounced positive impact, MusicWeek reports.

“You need to embrace technology and see how it can help you,” he said. “As for illegal downloading, does that really hurt you if they love you? It’s just taste-testing”, he then added.

Ed O’Brien of Radiohead aligns to the beliefs of Pharell, but has an even more aggressive position on the matter, condemning the UK government for its harsh policy regarding file sharers, who are being treated as if they were terrorists.

In a video message transmission, the guitarist from Radiohead explained that the Featured Artists’ Coalition opposes the government’s ‘three strikes’ approach, considering it to be dysfunctional. “You disagree on that point and you’re typecast as the Taliban”, O’Brien said in the message.

The music industry has been placed against the wall many times lately, despite the occasional praises received by the record labels for licensing to new services and for introducing innovations aimed at overcoming the present crisis.

However, O’Brien thinks that the industry’s efforts to reinvent itself and find feasible solutions are inefficient and slow. “Times of uncertainty are always accompanied by fear among some people,” Radiohead’s guitarist informs. “But there is scope for enormous creativity. That’s what the industry needs.”

Terry McBride of Nettwerk Music Group is convinced that online piracy can be effectively reduced by promoting the use of streaming services. Suggesting the fact that users’ hard drives are generally disorganized and packed with files acquired through illegal downloading, he pointed out that users wouldn’t mind the idea of paying for the services of a “digital valet” like we7 or Spotify. This would be the perfect way for users to get organized digital access to comprehensive catalogues.

McBride made an appeal to record companies and music services to consider the idea of sealing collaborations with these ‘valet’ services, as they could turn out to be very beneficial in the near future.