YouTube has blocked access to music videos from several prominent artists, including Adele, Bob Dylan, and Green Day. Users attempting to play these videos have encountered a notification stating, “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.” This situation arises from a legal dispute between YouTube and SESAC, a performing rights organisation responsible for licensing music performance rights.
Ongoing Licensing Negotiations
The issue escalated over the weekend when YouTube removed videos from various artists due to ongoing licensing negotiations. This takedown affects both the main YouTube platform and the YouTube Music service, resulting in many hit songs becoming inaccessible to users in the United States. The removal of these videos has sparked discussions among fans and industry stakeholders.
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SESAC’s Role and Impact
SESAC represents a substantial roster of music professionals, including over 15,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers. It holds the public performance rights for more than 1.5 million songs. YouTube’s inability to reach an agreement with SESAC has left fans frustrated, as they find themselves unable to access music from popular artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Burna Boy, and others.
As reported by the Verge, Mariana de Felice, a spokesperson for YouTube, explained that the platform had engaged in good faith negotiations with SESAC to renew their licensing agreement. Unfortunately, the talks did not conclude successfully before the existing deal expired. Some sources suggest that YouTube’s decision to block these videos might serve as a negotiating tactic, given that the current agreement is said to remain valid for another week.
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The scope of the video removals is somewhat inconsistent, as not all SESAC-represented songs are blocked equally. For example, different versions of Kanye West’s song “Power” show varied availability, with one version blocked while another remains accessible.
YouTube remains optimistic about resolving the issue, with de Felice indicating that discussions with SESAC are ongoing. The platform hopes to finalise a new deal promptly.
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Artist Responses and Alternative Platforms
As of now, there have been no public comments from the artists affected by the video removals. Generally, artists defer such disputes to their representatives or performing rights organisations. While the absence of their music on YouTube may impact their exposure and streaming revenue, the artists typically allow their teams to manage the negotiations. Meanwhile, fans can still listen to the blocked music on other platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, highlighting a noticeable gap in availability on YouTube.
