Tom Yorke: "the music industry is a sinking ship"

According to The London Evening Standard, Tom Yorke of Radiohead warns young musicians not to chase the dream of signing with a major label. The mainstream music industry is dying and that this will be "no great loss to the world". Aspiring musicians should not to tie themselves to a "sinking ship". Yorke suggests it will be "only a matter of time -- months rather than years -- before the music business establishment completely folds". Talented young musicians should find their own road to success rather than focus on a contract deal with a big label.

Radiohead left their label EMI after six albums, because they could not agree on new terms. It is not unlikely that the dispute between Radiohead and Emi concerned included the way the band wished to release its music. After the break Radiohead released their seventh album 'In Rainbows' as a free download from their own website. Like with the ‘Humble Indie Bundle' games, downloaders could decide for themselves how much they were willing to pay for the brand new album. This unusual release method gave Radiohead a lot of publicity. It is a pity though that the band has not yet released any exact sales statistics.

Yorke shared his views in a rare interview for a new school textbook. He was asked to give young people advice on how to make a difference with their music.