YouTube blocks Nirvana, Green Day, Adele and more amid US licensing dispute

Music lovers are in a frenzy on the internet right now. Not only did Spotify have an outage on Sunday (although it was quickly fixed), YouTube also stopped playing many popular songs. Unfortunately, it seems that this issue will not be easily fixed.

YouTube users in the US got an unwelcome surprise this weekend, when the video streaming platform blocked a lot of music. Most of the videos are not available, instead it is a black screen and a notification where it was easily accessible.

“This video contains material from SESAC,” reads YouTube’s notice. “It is not available in your country.”

SESAC is a music licensing organization that manages the performance rights and royalties of thousands of artists. Although originally founded as the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, SESAC has since come together to represent many non-European artists.

Unfortunately, the licensing agreement between YouTube and SESAC is coming to an end, and the two have struggled to agree on a new deal. Without an agreement in place, YouTube will no longer be able to host songs compiled by SESAC.

“For the past few months, our teams have been working hard to renew our agreement with SESAC,” wrote the official account of TeamYouTube. “Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach an agreement on a new agreement so far. For this reason, we need to block certain music content on YouTube in the US.”

A variety of music has been affected by the block, from Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” Ariana Grande’s “Problem” ft. Iggy Azalea, and Green Day’s “American Idiot” to iconic tunes like REM’s “Losing My Religion,” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by -Bob Dylan.

Official videos aren’t the only ones affected either. All videos using SESAC-licensed audio are no longer accessible, releasing fan-edited music videos alongside the artists themselves. The covers are also being blocked, so you won’t even be able to enjoy KIDZ BOP’s rendition of “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”

It is not clear when this issue may be resolved. TeamYouTube said that while discussions with SESAC are ongoing, they “do not yet have specific dates for future updates,” however, the source said. Variety said YouTube’s deal with SESAC doesn’t expire until next week, suggesting that an early termination could be a negotiating tactic.

If so, it’s one that won’t do them any favors. Many YouTubers have expressed anger at the sudden cut off of their music videos, with some threatening to cancel their YouTube Premium subscriptions.

The Tweet may have been deleted

The Tweet may have been deleted

The Tweet may have been deleted

Mashable has reached out to YouTube and SESAC for comment.

TikTok faced a similar music licensing issue with Universal Music Group (UMG) earlier this year. UMG pulled its catalog from the platform after their partnership expired, halting TikTok’s sound economy as dozens of videos were muted. The two finally reached an agreement in May, returning music from UMG customers to TikTok, but it’s certainly been a strange few months for the video-sharing app.

Until YouTube and SESAC can reach an agreement, the former music scene will sound very different.