White fears music industry in 'dying era'

Musician Jack White today claimed the music industry was in a “dying era”, and told how artists now had to use “trickery” to make money.

The White Stripes and The Raconteurs frontman said every meeting he had with labels was “depressing” and in 10 years’ time it would be difficult for bands to make a living.

The US star – in London with his band The Dead Weather – explained groups needed to reach out to young fans who had grown up downloading music.

His band, performing a free Halloween NME Show at London's Shoreditch Church tomorrow, has also erected a “pop-up shop” in the venue, selling limited edition glow-in-the-dark vinyl with Halloween artwork.

White, married to British model Karen Elson, said: “It’s great that people can come down here and get something that’s real, and tangible and not disposable like an MP3 download that you can fast forward or throw away. The new generation needs to be taught about the beauty and romance of a record store.

“It’s like telling someone who’s been watching TV all their life ’If you go to a movie theatre, where the lights are off, you won’t believe how much better it can be.”’

He also predicted that bands would find it increasingly hard to make money in the future.

He said: “It’s a dying era right now for music and art, things are crumbling. Every meeting we have with a label is depressing, and you wouldn’t believe how hard it is, and how much trickery goes into a band just breaking even. It’s going to be so hard for bands in 10 years.”

White is one of a burgeoning group of musicians and filmmakers who have made efforts to provide limited edition work or exclusive offers for fans to sway them from downloading their work illegally.

US metal group Metallica have put out several fans-only releases which have now become collectors’ items, while Northern Irish indie band Ash have vowed to release a new song online with a corresponding vinyl every fortnight for the next year.

'This Is England' director Shane Meadows has said previously: “Maybe the future is that people will be able to download movies but maybe quite hardcore fans of mine will buy a version with a VHS version of the film in it, a Blu-Ray, postcards, images and signed things.

“You need to do more exclusive things.”