Since Saturday, many YouTube videos featuring music from popular artists like Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, and R.E.M. have become unavailable to viewers in the United States.
For example, trying to play Dylan’s classic “Like a Rolling Stone” results in a message stating that the video contains content from SESAC and is unavailable in the United States. It’s important to note that not all videos featuring these artists are blocked. Some videos may be exempt from the current dispute or simply missed.
YouTube has blamed a dispute with SESAC, a music rights organization, for the recent removal of many popular songs from its platform in the United States. SESAC represents over 35,000 artists and publishers.
YouTube said in its statement:
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. 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.
This situation is similar to a dispute earlier this year between Universal Music Group and TikTok, which led to the removal of songs by popular artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish from TikTok.
Unlike Universal Music Group, SESAC is not a record label. It’s an organization that collects royalties for songwriters and publishers, similar to ASCAP and BMI. In addition to the artists mentioned above, SESAC also represents Burna Boy, George Clinton, Kenny Rogers, Kings of Leon, and many others.