Several YouTube videos featuring music from artists including Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana and REM have been unplayable in the United States since Saturday.
For example, if you try to play “Like A Rolling Stone” by Dylan (either the classical album recording either a live performance), instead it says: “This video contains SESAC content. It is not available in your country.” Sometimes you can even see a pre-video ad before you receive the message.
However, not all videos featuring these artists are blocked; It’s unclear whether playable videos are exempt from the current dispute or have simply been overlooked.
In statements to the press and on social networksYouTube attributed the situation to failed negotiations with SESAC, a performance rights group that says it represents more than 35,000 artists and music 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 discussions with SESAC and hope to reach a new agreement as soon as possible.”
The situation echoes a dispute between Universal Music Group and TikTok earlier this year, in which UMG removed songs by artists including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande from the short video platform while negotiating royalties.
Unlike UMG, SESAC is not 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, he also represents Burna Boy, George Clinton, Kenny Rogers, Kings of Leon and many others.