Adele, Arctic Monkeys, and Radiohead are just some of the artists that may have their videos pulled from YouTube in just a matter of days if an agreement cannot be reached.
The independent labels to which they belong have refused to agree on terms with the video-sharing site. Google, which owns YouTube, has been renegotiating contracts as it prepares to launch a music subscription service.
The dispute is said to stem from unhappiness with additional features being added to the free service, not the new Premium model, while YouTube insists the new scheme has been developed with their viewers in mind.
YouTube said it will be bringing “new revenue streams” to the music industry, and tells The Financial Times videos from independents could be blocked “in a matter of days” if the new licenses are not negotiated. A spokesman of the indie labels said YouTube was making a “grave error of commercial judgment”.
Vice President and Global Head of Business at YouTube Robert Kyncl recently claimed that they already had deals with 90% of the industry, and that they had no choice but to move forward.
Three major record labels – Universal, Sony and Warner – have all agreed terms with the site, leaving smaller independents like XL Recordings (Adele’s label) holding out for a better deal.
The Worldwide Independent Network (or WIN), an organization created to help push business, creative, and market access interests for the independent music community, is still working to get a fair deal for the indie labels of the world, which hopefully comes before tracks begin getting erased.
“We have tried and will continue to try to help YouTube understand just how important independent music is to any streaming service and why it should be valued accordingly.” said WIN’s chief executive Alison Wenham.
Featured image from the video, Rolling In The Deep