SESAC Removes Numerous Tracks from YouTube and YouTube Music Over Dispute
Due to a licensing issue with SESAC, many popular tracks on YouTube and YouTube Music have been removed from both platforms within the US. The songs that were taken down include chart-toppers from renowned artists like Adele, Nirvana, Green Day, Kanye West, Britney Spears, and numerous other beloved musicians.
Sources indicate that YouTube is currently in “active discussions with SESAC”and is aiming to finalize a new agreement soon. Multiple reports highlight that many well-known songs now display an exclamation mark, indicating potential playback issues.
When attempting to play affected videos, a fullscreen error message appears stating: “Song unavailable – This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”While this error does not show up in YouTube search results, it appears in the video player itself.
SESAC, which stands for the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, was established in 1930 and was later acquired by Blackstone in 2017. According to its official website, “SESAC is a Performing Rights Organization recognized by the U.S. Copyright Office. If your customers can hear music in your business, you likely need to secure a music performance license.”
The website further notes that SESAC licenses over 1.5 million songs from leading artists. Although it is not as large as BMI and ASCAP, SESAC boasts a portfolio featuring many top-tier musicians. Adele’s earlier albums still appear on the platform, but none of their tracks are currently playable, while newer releases remain accessible.
On the social media platform X, YouTube announced, “Our music license agreement with SESAC has expired without an agreement on renewal conditions despite our best efforts. Therefore, we need to block certain music content on YouTube in the US.”
A YouTube spokesperson addressed the dispute with the following statement:
We have engaged in good faith negotiations with SESAC to extend our current agreement. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we could not arrive at an equitable deal prior to the expiration. We take copyright matters very seriously, and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer accessible on YouTube in the US. We are actively communicating with SESAC and hope to establish a new agreement as soon as possible.
Please share in the comments below which songs, albums, and artists you notice are missing from YouTube and YouTube Music in the US.
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