YouTube and the performing rights organization SESAC have reached a new licensing agreement that will restore music videos from popular artists such as Adele, Nirvana, Bob Dylan and others that were blocked for the United States (U.S.) viewers over the weekend.
Music blocked after licensing dispute
The issue started on Saturday, September 28th, when videos of songs by many major artists disappeared from YouTube and YouTube Music for users in the U.S. This happened due to a licensing dispute between YouTube and SESAC, an organization that represents songwriters and music publishers. The removal caused frustration among users, who received error messages when trying to access songs from impacted artists like Green Day, R.E.M., Burna Boy and Rush.
Content to return soon
On Monday, YouTube verified that it had reached an agreement with SESAC to end the conflict. A YouTube spokesperson said, “We’re pleased that SESAC reconsidered our offer. We’ve reached a deal, and content will come back up shortly. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.” Within the next day or two, the company promised that the videos would be restored.
SESAC president and COO, Scott Jungmichel, also shared his thoughts on the agreement. “We have reached an agreement with YouTube to equitably compensate SESAC’s songwriters and publishers for the use of their music,” he said. “We appreciate the support and patience of our affiliates, as well as the artists who perform those songs.”
SESAC’s role in music licensing
The Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, or SESAC, is an organization that defends copyrights and gathers royalties for composers, songwriters and music publishers. When contracts expire, the organization has the authority to prohibit content and licenses music performances in public. The operation of SESAC affects digital media sites like YouTube and traditional media outlets.