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.