Pink Floyd drumming man Nick Mason, in his guise of co-Chair of the Featured Artists Coalition, has told Music Week the artist-focused trade organisation might affiliate with industry-wide UK Music, despite the FAC speaking out against the cross-sector body's stand on three-strikes.

Asked about possible affiliation with the Feargal Sharkey-headed UK Music, Mason told reporters: "I think it is something we should review constantly. The more you can speak with one voice that is obviously better. We just need to make sure we do have the voice rather than finding ourselves signing up to UK Music and finding we are reduced in volume".

In terms of volume, the creation of both UK Music and the FAC has arguably reduced the prominence of the record companies - and therefore the BPI - in industry wide debates. Whereas news media and political types may have previously headed to the BPI whenever a music issue came up - even if it wasn't really an issue directly relating to the sale of sound recordings - increasingly it's UK Music chief Sharkey, or the FAC's more eloquent speakers like Billy Bragg, who are called upon for comment.

While UK Music, in theory, speaks for all of its affiliates, including the BPI and their members' collecting society PPL, some in the labels have in the past suggested Sharkey has his own agenda. Though, it has to be said, on three-strikes the UK Music position was very much in line with the BPI's position, even though one of its very original affiliates, the British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers & Authors, expressed similar concerns to that viewpoint as the FAC.

The Featured Artists' Coalition came into being just a few weeks after Sharkey formally reinvented the music publishing focused British Music Rights into UK Music last September. While the Music Managers' Forum, which was involved in the creation of the FAC, is a UK Music member (though it in itself is increasingly vocal also), the artist body has so far chosen not to affiliate. Some wondered whether FAC's disagreement with the UK Music stand on the government's proposals for a 'graduated response' to tackle piracy might have convinced the artists organisation that staying independent from the trade body of trade bodies was the right option long term. Even though the FAC's position on three-strikes post the Lily Allen debate wasn't so far from that of UK Music.

But both Mason and the body's acting CEO, Jeremy Silver, stress they remain on good terms with UK Music, and will continue to consider if and when affiliating with the organisation would be a good move. Silver: "We are having conversations with them [all the time], it is not like there is a big rift with UK Music at all. On the contrary Feargal and [chairman] Andy [Heath] are supportive of FAC".