YouTube blocks music from these artists in the US due to a legal dispute
According to a report, YouTube has blocked songs from popular artists like Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day and Kendrick Lamar in the US. This step is said to have been taken by the video streaming platform following a legal rights dispute with the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC) – a for-profit performance rights organization with more than 30,000 songwriters in its catalogue. In response to questions, YouTube acknowledged the content blocking, citing license expiration as an underlying factor.
Songs blocked by YouTube
YouTube say it has failed to reach an agreement with SESAC on the renewal terms “despite its best efforts”. For example, music from artists in the organization’s catalog is blocked from YouTube users in the US, in accordance with copyright law. However, citing sources, Variety reported that the deal with SESAC does not expire until next week and that this move could only be a negotiating tactic.
In a statement accompanying the release, a YouTube spokesperson said: “We take copyright very seriously and as a result, the content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are actively discussing with SESAC and hope to reach a new deal as soon as possible.”
When trying to play music from artists like Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Green Day, Mariah Carey, and REM, users receive the following message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”
Following this development, YouTube users took to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and complained about the unavailability of music despite paying for the video streaming platform’s premium subscription. Some of them too claimed that this move “ruined” their playlists and asked for a refund or compensation, but was met with disappointment when YouTube made it clear that it has no plans to offer any kind of discount to members. Users can cancel their YouTube Premium subscription as per the terms of service, it added.
Respond When asked by users about its hopes of reaching a deal, the video streaming platform says discussions on the matter continue, but there are no set dates yet for future updates.
