Radiohead, The Verve, Robbie Williams Unite For Artists’ Pressure Group

Radiohead, The Verve and Robbie Williams have backed calls for artists to have greater control over their music.

Kate Nash, Klaxons and Kaiser Chiefs have also joined the pressure group, the Featured Artists’ Coalition.

The coalition argues that artists should maintain the copyright to their music, which can then be leased to their record labels.

They should in turn also have control over how it is sold, the coalition argues.

Currently, the majority of record labels own the copyright to their artists’ output.

The coalition’s formation is further evidence of artists’ frustration at the lack of control they have over their own music.

One of its members, Radiohead, last year ended their agreement with EMI so they could release their latest album ‘In Rainbows’ on their own website.

Originally available for fans via an honesty box, the album still topped UK and US charts when it was officially released at the end of 2007.

Speaking to the BBC about the agreement, the band’s guitarist Ed O’Brien said: "For us, this is a no-brainer of an issue and we believe that all artists and musicians should be signing up to this too."

Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry and Iron Maiden are also members of the coalition.