COLDPLAY - COLDPLAY AND ROBBIE WILLIAMS TO ATTEND MUSIC UNION MEETING

COLDPLAY AND ROBBIE WILLIAMS TO ATTEND MUSIC UNION MEETING

Coldplay and Robbie William are expected to attend the inaugural meeting of a group aiming to secure better artists' rights within the industry.

The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) is meeting in central London - though its plans may be hampered with the capital hit by heavy snow - and aims to give musicians a greater voice in a changing market.

"By making ourselves heard and arguing for what's fair, we can help reshape the industry," said Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, an FAC directors.

Kate Nash, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and singer-songwriter Billy Bragg are among the other directors of the coalition, which hopes to help musicians take advantage of the popularity of digital downloads.

"Musicians as a group do tend to grumble about what's happening in the industry - well, here's an opportunity to do something about it rather than grumble about it," Rowntree told the BBC.

"The doomsayers are saying that the music industry is over and the digital revolution has killed everything and we're all out of jobs.

"We're saying the digital revolution presents some incredible opportunities and has transformed the relationship the artists have with their fans."

He added: "There are a lot of big issues at the moment - the government's Digital Britain green paper, copyright extension and so on. It's no accident that this body is being set up now.

"It's absolutely vital that our interests are represented when decisions are made."

Badly Drawn Boy, the Feeling and Annie Lennox are also expected to attend today's meeting.