YouTube blocks videos from Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, others in dispute with SESAC
A number of YouTube videos featuring music from artists such as Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, and R.E.M. have been unplayable in the United States
A number of YouTube videos featuring music from artists such as Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, and R.E.M. have been unplayable in the United States since Saturday.
YouTube has blocked music videos featuring several popular artists, including Bob Dylan, due to a dispute with the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), a performing rights organization that represents over 35,000 music artists and publishers. The dispute has resulted in the removal of these videos from YouTube in the US, with users instead seeing a message stating that the content is not available in their country.
The issue is not limited to just a few videos, as many songs by these artists are no longer playable on YouTube. However, it's unclear whether all videos featuring these artists are blocked or if some have simply been overlooked.
YouTube has blamed the situation on failed negotiations with SESAC, stating that despite their best efforts, they were unable to reach an equitable agreement before the current deal expired. The company is now in active conversations with SESAC, hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.
This situation is similar to a dispute between Universal Music Group and TikTok earlier this year, where UMG pulled songs by popular artists including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande from the platform while negotiating over royalties.
SESAC is not a record label, but rather an organization that collects royalties for songwriters and publishers, similar to ASCAP and BMI. The organization represents a wide range of artists, including Burna Boy, George Clinton, Kenny Rogers, Kings of Leon, and many others.
The dispute highlights the ongoing challenges and complexities of copyright and royalty negotiations in the music industry.
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