Sixx AM have poured further fuel on the fire of their battle with YouTube.
Last weekend, James Michael, Dj Ashba and Nikki Sixx said they’d ramp up their ‘Don’t be evil, do the right thing’ campaign against the Google-owned video streaming site.
Sixx AM say YouTube doesn’t pay artists a fair rate in exchange for hosting their videos and music streams and while they were gearing up to perform at Download, they released an open letter to Google’s Larry Page calling for immediate action.
YouTube have since responded, saying: “The voices of the artists are being heard, and we’re working through details with the labels and independent music organisations who directly manage the deals with us.”
But that has led to another statement from Sixx AM. The band say: “We are glad to hear that YouTube is listening, but actions speak louder than words. Previous meetings have been postponed and emails left unanswered, after YouTube asked us and other artists to postpone our protests in return for a meeting and action on the issues.
“The protests were restarted after a lack of activity by YouTube’s Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl, and we sincerely hope that this is not further spinning on their side.
“Larry Page is Google’s CEO, and our letter was to him. He’s accountable to shareholders and the board of Alphabet. Where is his response?”
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Meanwhile, Nine Inch Nails mainman Trent Reznor has added his voice to the fight against YouTube’s business model.
Reznor – Chief Creative Officer at Apple Music – tells Billboard: “Personally, I find YouTube’s business to be very disingenuous. It is built on the backs of free, stolen content and that’s how they got that big.
“I think any free-tiered service is not fair. It’s making their numbers and getting them a big IPO and it is built on the back of my work and that of my peers. That’s how I feel about it.”
