Pete Townshend - Pete Townshend Brands Itunes A 'Digital Vampire'

The Who star Pete Townshend has taken aim at the online music culture, accusing Apple's iTunes website of "bleeding" artists like a "digital vampire".

The guitarist gave a lecture on the modern music industry at Britain's Radio Festival in Salford, northern England on Monday (31Oct11), and he took aim at the digital retail giant, insisting iTunes bosses should do more to help artists, rather than just taking the money.

The rocker claims the company should offer editorial guidance and "creative nurture" to acts who use the service, telling the audience, "Is there really any good reason why, just because iTunes exists in the wild west internet land of Facebook and Twitter, it can't provide some aspect of these services to the artists whose work it bleeds like a digital vampire... for its enormous commission?"

Townshend also spoke out against illegal file-sharing, insisting internet users who take advantage of free songs are guilty of "destroying copyright" and theft.

He adds, "The word 'sharing' surely means giving away something you have earned, or made, or paid for?... (They) may as well come and steal my son's bike while they're at it... (If someone) pretends that something I have created should be available to them free... I wonder what has gone wrong with human morality and social justice."