Noel Gallagher enters Spotify debate

Noel Gallagher has spoken of his despair at the generation of music fans who believe they have the right to listen to music online without paying for it.

His comments come after pop superstar Taylor Swift withdrew her music from streaming website Spotify, which led some fans to grumble at her actions because they could no longer listen to her music for free.

Former Oasis star Gallagher has now aired his frustration that young people now regard access to free music as a right.

"It infuriates me that people are more willing to sit in a coffee shop and spend a tenner on two coffees, talking about the weather with their friends, and that coffee will last 45 minutes," Gallagher has told the Vice.com music site Noisey.

"Yet, they will physically get angry at you for asking them to buy an album for a tenner that will last a lifetime and might tell you about yourself and might even change your life or how you dress or the outlook on everything.

"It's a strange moment we're in where people are willing to spend money on s***."

Swift is thought to have removed her back catalogue from Spotify to help drive sales of her latest release 1989 which has gone on to top album charts around the world, including the UK.

Some artists have expressed concerns that Spotify does not fairly reward them for giving access to their music, although the company has defended its payments by claiming that it has passed on million of pounds in royalties which would not have happened if users had opted for pirate websites.

-AAP