London, Oct 4 (DPA) British music stars Robbie Williams, Radiohead, Kate Nash, The Verve and the Kaiser Chiefs are among those that founded a coalition Saturday to assert performers’ rights with their record labels.More than 60 bands and performers have joined the Featured Artists’ Coalition in an attempt to win back control of the music industry in the digital age.

“It is time for artistes to have a strong collective voice to stand up for their interests,” Brian Message, who manages Radiohead and Kate Nash, said.

The coalition wants artistes to hold onto the copyright to their music and then lease it to the record labels.

It is also demanding more information from the record industry about how and where its performers’ music was being used and a greater share of the income generated from it.

“The digital landscape is changing fast and new deals are being struck all the time, but all too often without reference to the people who actually make the music.

“The Featured Artists’ Coalition will help all artistes, young and old, well-known or not, drive overdue change through the industry in their interests and those of fans,” Message said.

Jazz Summers, manager of The Verve, said that the digital era was a great opportunity for music artistes.

“Digital technology gives artistes the opportunity to control their future; this is the time to seize that opportunity,” Summers said.

An increasing number of performers, like Radiohead and Oasis for example, are bypassing the record labels and publishing their albums and songs online.

Other artistes that joined the coalition are Iron Maiden, Craig David and David Gilmour.