YouTube has reached a new agreement with SESAC, a performing rights organization, to restore music videos from several well-known artists that were recently removed from the platform. The removal, which took place over the weekend, impacted U.S. users and included songs from artists like Adele, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Green Day, R.E.M., Burna Boy, Rush, and Kanye West.
The dispute arose due to the expiration of a previous licensing agreement between YouTube and SESAC, which represents over 15,000 affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers, managing more than 1.5 million compositions.
SESAC noted that YouTube had “unilaterally removed” the songs before the original agreement expired on October 1, 2024. Scott Jungmichel, President and COO of SESAC, confirmed that the organization had reached a new deal with YouTube, which ensures equitable compensation for their songwriters and publishers. He added that YouTube had already begun the process of reinstating the blocked videos and expressed gratitude for the patience of SESAC’s affiliates during the negotiations, as reported by The Verge.
YouTube has stated that the videos will be restored over the next day or two. A spokesperson for YouTube, Mariana De Felice, told The Verge, “We’re pleased that SESAC reconsidered our offer. We’ve reached a deal, and content will come back up shortly.” The full terms of the agreement, including its length, were not disclosed.
A post by @TeamYouTube on X confirmed that the disruption affected both YouTube’s main platform and YouTube Music, and indicated that music videos would be fully restored within a couple of days. SESAC, which stands for the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, licenses the public performance of its members’ works across various platforms, including YouTube.
Featured Image courtesy of Lucy Nicholson/REUTERS
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