Online music sales a swindle, whines Weird Al

THE RECORDING industry is using online sales to screw artists for more cash, according to comic musician Weird Al Yankovic.

The popular beat combo satirist told a fan on his web site that if the fan really wanted to makes sure his money went to Al, rather than the record company, he would be better buying a CD.

The fan said he wanted to make sure that the profit got to Weird Al and not to some music industry fat cat.

Al said that he was extremely grateful for the fan's support.

"Since you ASKED… I actually do get significantly more money from CD sales, as opposed to downloads," Weird Al said.

He said it was one thing in his renegotiated record contract that never made much sense to him.

"It costs the label NOTHING for somebody to download an album (no manufacturing costs, shipping, or really any overhead of any kind) and yet the artist (me) winds up making less from it. Go figure," he said.

Another fan did the maths and worked out that selling on iTunes earned Weird Al 85 percent less than a CD. µ