Songs by Kendrick Lamar, Adele, Nirvana, more blocked by YouTube due to Lega Dispute

YouTube said it was unable to reach an equitable agreement with performing rights organization SESAC before their contract expired.

Multiple hit songs are missing from YouTube and YouTube Music as it negotiates a new deal with performing rights organization SESAC.

what is sesac on youtube

SESAC stands for the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers which has been around since 1930 and according to its website currently licenses the public performance of over than 1.5 million songs on behalf of its 15,000+ affiliated music publishers, composers and songwriters.

SESAC has a searchable database of its repertory however not all songs listed there appear to have been removed.

44,267 page PDF available on site if you like to read the complete list.

Not all songs were affected.

Songs, Green Day, Mariah Carey, Bob Dylan, Kendrick Lamar, Adele and other are unavailable on Youtube due to contract fight between platform and SESAC a performing rights company.

this video contains content from sesac

Few songs by several artist were met by this message when trying to be played.

“This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country”

sesac youtube

Same legal dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group happened for multiple months earlier this year before they reached a music licensing agreement.

Some artist music was not available on TikTok at that time.

SESAC in US collects royalties and assist protect copyrights on behalf of songwriters and publishers.

Youtube said

We have held good faith negotiations with SESAC to renew our existing deal. 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 US. We are in active conversation with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.

Multiple Reddit threads popped up as consumer shared their angeriness over being unable to stream their favorite tunes with the problem seemingly starting earlier today.

Blocks like this are common when copyright organizations and distribution companies cannot agree on licensing deal.

The time period of legal fights can last months at a time.

Warner Music Group pulled music videos off of YouTube for the several months back in 2008-09.

SESAC is within its purview to block public performances of music from streaming to radio play though this is very difficult to enforce.

Other singers affected by the blockage consist of Burna Boy, Fleetwood Mac Alice in Chains.

Some of the musician songs display a black screen which reads Video unavailable with the subhead This video contains content from SESAC it is not available in your country not all tracks are affected.

SESAC is smaller than same companies like ASCAP and BMI but SESAC lists multiple mega artists in its portfolio.

In 2017 it was acquired by the private equity firm Blackstone.

Earlier most watched and listened to music on YouTube and YouTube Music disappeared on Saturday replace by short text.

Adele Someone Like You Green Day Boulevard of Broken Dreams REM Losing My Religion have been blocked by YouTube in a legal fight with SESAC.