YouTube has removed songs by artists like Adele and Nirvana due to a dispute with SESAC.
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Some of the most popular music on YouTube and YouTube Music vanished on Saturday, replaced by a brief message:
"Video unavailable. This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country."
This unexpected outcome frustrated many fans trying to stream tracks like Adele's “Rolling in the Deep” or songs from artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Britney Spears, Green Day, Kanye West, and Burna Boy.
This situation raises two key questions: What is SESAC, and when will the music return?
SESAC, or the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, has been in operation since 1930 and, according to its website, currently manages the public performance licensing for over 1.5 million songs on behalf of more than 15,000 affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Although it is smaller than similar organizations like BMI and ASCAP, SESAC represents a host of prominent artists. It was acquired by private equity firm Blackstone in 2017.
Determining when the SESAC music ban on YouTube and YouTube Music will be lifted is more complicated. SESAC maintains a searchable database of its repertoire, though not all listed songs appear to be affected. The database even includes a massive 44,267-page PDF of its entire catalog. Notably, while one listing for Kanye West’s “Power” is blocked, the music video version remains accessible as of now.
While SESAC has not publicly commented on the situation, YouTube did respond to inquiries from The Verge. A spokesperson, Mariana de Felice, stated:
"We have held good faith negotiations with SESAC to renew our existing deal. 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 hope to reach a new deal as soon as possible."
An unnamed source cited by Variety suggested that YouTube's actions might be a negotiating tactic, as the previous deal reportedly does not expire until next week.