YouTube blocks videos of Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, others who oppose SESAC

Several YouTube videos featuring music from artists such as Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, and REM were unplayable in the United States as of Saturday.

For example, if you try to play Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” (whether it’s a classic album record or a live performance), you’re told: “This video contains material from SESAC. It is not available in your country.” Sometimes, you even get to see a pre-rolled ad before getting the message.

However, not all videos featuring these artists are blocked; it is not clear whether playable videos are exempt from current competition or simply ignored.

In a statement sent to the media and social media, YouTube blamed the situation on the failure of negotiations with SESAC, a human rights group that claims to represent more than 35,000 artists and music publishers.

“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before the deadline expired,” YouTube said. “We take copyright seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active discussions with SESAC and hope to reach a new agreement as soon as possible.”

The situation follows a dispute between Universal Music Group and TikTok earlier this year, when UMG pulled songs from artists including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande on a short video platform during debt negotiations.

Unlike UMG, SESAC is not a record label, but rather an organization that collects benefits for songwriters and publishers, similar to ASCAP and BMI. Besides the artists mentioned above, it also represents Burna Boy, George Clinton, Kenny Rogers, Kings of Leon, and many others.