Over the weekend, you may have noticed an error when playing songs from specific artists on YouTube or YouTube Music. The error would look like this: “This video contains content from SESAC. This is not available in your country.” Well, you weren’t the only one; This was a widespread issue due to the music licensing dispute between YouTube and SESAC (the Society of European Performing Authors and Composers).
People were disturbed when they saw this message. A user took it to X, expressing frustration. The official YouTube account replied to their post, addressing the licensing dispute. This lasted all day. They then made an official statement to 9to5Googlefurther developing the situation:
“We take copyright very seriously, and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the United States. We are in active discussions with SESAC and hope to reach a new agreement as soon as possible.”
I tried playing Adele and Nirvana songs and had no problems. The problem could therefore be limited to certain countries, without us being able to comment on which ones. However, since YouTube has become the primary means of music consumption these days. The label should therefore conclude a licensing agreement very soon.
Things like this are not uncommon. Consider a recent example of Universal removing its songs from TikTok due to failure to reach a licensing agreement with the platform. So, are you currently facing this problem on your side, still not being able to listen to the songs of your favorite European artists? So let us know in the comments below.
Update 1 (01/10/2024 11:29 a.m.)
YouTube has reached an agreement with SESAC, as explained in a shared statement (via). All music blocked in the United States should be restored in the coming days. You will be able to enjoy your favorite artists again.
