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YouTube Blocks Videos From Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Others in Dispute With SESAC

upstart writes:

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 since Saturday.

For example, if you try to play Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" (whether it's the classic album recording or a live performance), you are instead told: "This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country." Sometimes, you even get to watch a pre-roll ad before you see the message.

However, not all videos featuring these artists are blocked; it's not clear whether the playable videos are exempt from the current dispute or if they've simply been overlooked.

In statements to the press and on social media, YouTube blamed the situation on failed negotiations with SESAC, a performing rights group that says it represents more than 35,000 music artists and publishers.

"Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration," YouTube said. "We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible."

The situation echoes a dispute between Universal Music Group and TikTok earlier this year, which saw UMG pull songs by artists including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande from the short-form video platform while it was negotiating over royalties.

Unlike UMG, SESAC isn't a record label, but rather an organization that collects royalties for songwriters and publishers, similar to ASCAP and BMI. In addition to the artists mentioned above, it also represents Burna Boy, George Clinton, Kenny Rogers, Kings of Leon, and many others.

Youtube Blocks Nirvana, Green Day, Adele And More Amidst U.S. Licensing Dispute

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Music lovers are having a turbulent time online right now. Not only did Spotify suffer an outage on Sunday (though it was quickly fixed), YouTube has also suddenly stopped serving many popular tunes. Unfortunately, it seems as though this issue won't be rectified as easily.

YouTube users in the U.S. received an unwelcome surprise this weekend, with the video streaming platform suddenly blocking a significant swathe of music. Numerous videos are now unavailable, replaced by a black screen and dour notification where they had previously been readily accessible.

"This video contains content from SESAC," reads YouTube's notice. "It is not available in your country."

Unfortunately, the licensing agreement between YouTube and SESAC is nearing its end, and the two have struggled to agree on a new deal. Without an agreement in place, YouTube will no longer be able to host songs covered by SESAC. 

"Over the last few months, our teams have been working hard to renew our agreement with SESAC," wrote the official TeamYouTube account. "Unfortunately, despite best efforts, we haven't been able to reach an agreement on terms for a new deal yet. For this reason, we need to block certain music content on YouTube in the US."

A wide variety of music has been impacted by the block, from Adele's "Rolling in the Deep,"  "Problem" by Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea, and Green Day's "American Idiot", to iconic tunes such as R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion," "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan. 

Official videos aren't the only ones affected either. All videos which use SESAC-licensed audio are no longer accessible, taking out fan-edited music videos alongside ones from the artists themselves. Covers are being blocked as well, so you won't even be able to enjoy KIDZ BOP's rendition of "Wake Me Up When September Ends." 

It isn't clear when this issue might be resolved. TeamYouTube has stated that while discussions with SESAC are ongoing, they "don't have any exact dates for future updates yet." However, a source speaking to Variety has claimed that YouTube's deal with SESAC doesn't actually expire until next week, speculating that the early takedown may be a negotiating tactic. 

If so, it's one that won't earn them any goodwill. Many YouTube users have expressed anger at being suddenly cut off from their music videos, with some threatening to cancel their YouTube Premium subscriptions.

Mashable has reached out to YouTube and SESAC for comment.

Until YouTube and SESAC can also reach an agreement, the former's musical landscape is going to sound very different.

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