Videos from artists including Arctic Monkeys, Adele and literally thousands more could soon disappear from YouTube after several independent record labels refused to agree to the streaming service's licensing terms for its planned new music subscription service - and this could start rolling out in the next number of days.
Google, which owns YouTube, will remove all music which fails to adhere to its new contractual terms according to Robert Kyncl, YouTube's content and business analysis chief.
Kyncl says that 90% of the music industry has agreed terms to the new service but the remaining 10% will be blocked. The 10% are understood to be seeking assistance from European regulators.
Among those disputing the offer are XL Recordings, who count Adele and The xx among their roster and Domino, home to Arctic Monkeys and Villagers.
The new service offered by YouTube will enable users to listen to music and watch videos, online or offline, for a monthly fee and the company is aiming for a public launch later in the summer after a period of internal testing.
"While we wish we had a 100% success rate, we understand that it is not likely an achievable goal and therefore it is our responsibility to our users and our industry to launch the enhanced music experience", Kyncl added.
Google didn't disclose the terms of the deals they were offering labels but maintained that they were paying them "fairly and consistently" with the industry - but clearly not to the satisfaction of a certain percentage or record labels.
(via Financial Times/Irish Times)
