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16-time Grammy Awards winner Adele, Kanye West, and Bob Dylan have had several of their songs removed from YouTube.
The issue stems from an expired licensing agreement between YouTube and SESAC, a performing rights organization. YouTube, the streaming giant, explained that the blockage occurred when they failed to reach new renewal terms with SESAC for both YouTube and YouTube Music platforms in the United States.
YouTube Hopes to Reach Renewal Agreement With SESAC
When users attempted to stream specific tracks, such as Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain,” they were met with a message explaining that the content was not available due to SESAC-related copyright restrictions in their country.
SESAC, which stands for Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, was founded in 1930, and currently manages public performance licenses for over 1.5 million songs for its affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Their catalog includes work from many high-profile artists, and the lack of a renewal agreement with YouTube has led to the temporary removal of a large amount of content.
However, it is important to note that not all songs are affected equally. For instance, while the listing for Kanye West’s “Power” is currently blocked, the music video version remains available for streaming.
This disruption has frustrated many YouTube users, including those with Premium subscriptions, who are disappointed by the disruption of access to their favorite songs.
See how @YouTube been knowing for months that they couldn’t come to an agreement with SESAC and didn’t say a damn thing now I can’t even listen to my music AND I pay for premium 😒 sick
— 2 for me 1 for you 🍙 (@TurdleButt) September 28, 2024
On September 28, YouTube responded to user complaints via its support page on X. The company explained that despite its best efforts to renew the deal, they could not reach equitable terms before the previous agreement expired. As a result, YouTube blocked all SESAC-associated content in the U.S. to comply with copyright laws.
@claybitkid we hear you. our music license agreement with SESAC has expired without an agreement on renewal conditions despite our best efforts. for this reason, we have blocked content on YouTube in the US known to be associated with SESAC – as in line with copyright law
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) September 28, 2024
In the US, the Copyright Act of 1976 establishes that authors have the right to reproduce, distribute, and publicly perform their creations, providing legal avenues to enforce these rights.
The impact of this disagreement extends beyond the superstars. SESAC also represents many lesser-known artists and songwriters whose exposure and income have been impacted in this dispute. For instance, YouTube Music pays artists $0.00069 to $0.008 per stream, excluding monetization through Content ID (which adds up to an extra $0.00087), which could add up to thousands of dollars in earnings for artists.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, YouTube has assured concerned users that the sharing platform was doing everything possible to reach a new agreement and restore the blocked content. However, SESAC has yet to release an official statement on the matter.
