### YouTube Music Dispute With SESAC Leaves Major Artists Unplayable in the U.S.

Since Saturday, a range of YouTube videos featuring music from prominent artists like Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, and R.E.M. have become unplayable within the United States. Attempting to play iconic tracks such as Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" now results in a message stating, "This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country." In some cases, viewers are still shown a pre-roll advertisement before encountering the restriction.

The block, however, does not cover all videos of these artists, leading to uncertainty about whether the accessible content is exempt from the conflict or simply overlooked. This inconsistency adds another layer of confusion for users.

YouTube has attributed this situation to unsuccessful negotiations with SESAC, a performing rights organization that claims to represent over 35,000 music artists and publishers. In statements made to the press and on social media, YouTube expressed its regret over the failed talks. "Despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration," the company stated. "We take copyright very seriously and, as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible."

The current scenario is reminiscent of a similar conflict earlier this year between Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok. During that dispute, UMG temporarily removed songs by major artists such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande from the platform while negotiating royalty terms.

Unlike UMG, SESAC is not a record label but an organization that collects royalties for songwriters and music publishers, similar to ASCAP and BMI. Beyond the high-profile names mentioned, SESAC's roster also includes artists like Burna Boy, George Clinton, Kenny Rogers, and Kings of Leon.