Fans of Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, and other major artists were shocked to find many of their favorite songs blocked on YouTube in the U.S. The blackout is due to an ongoing legal dispute between YouTube and SESAC, a performing rights organization that represents songwriters and music publishers. When attempting to stream certain tracks, users are met with the message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”
SESAC’s role is to protect songwriters’ copyrights and ensure they receive royalties. The conflict with YouTube arose after the two parties failed to renew their licensing agreement, leaving SESAC within its legal rights to block content on the platform. Fans quickly took to social media to express their frustration, and YouTube’s official response on X (formerly Twitter) acknowledged the situation: “Our music license agreement with SESAC has expired without an agreement on renewal conditions. For this reason, we have blocked content associated with SESAC.”
This isn’t the first time a major platform has faced such issues. Earlier this year, Universal Music Group and TikTok had a similar dispute that led to millions of songs being removed for months. Though licensing disputes like this are not uncommon, the duration can vary, with some lasting a few days and others, like YouTube’s conflict with Warner Music Group in 2008, dragging on for nearly a year.
SESAC is smaller compared to other U.S. performing rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI, but it still represents a significant share of the music market. Tracks from artists like Burna Boy, Fleetwood Mac, and R.E.M. are also affected, and fans are left waiting as both sides continue negotiations to resolve the matter.