YouTube pulls songs from Adele, Nirvana, and others due to SESAC dispute

On Saturday, a significant portion of music on YouTube and YouTube Music vanished, replaced by a "Video unavailable" message citing content from SESAC, a licensing organization representing over 15,000 songwriters and composers. This affected popular artists like Adele, Kendrick Lamar, and Britney Spears, leaving users questioning the reason for the music's disappearance. SESAC, established in 1930, is smaller than similar organizations like BMI and ASCAP but boasts a diverse roster of artists. Acquired by Blackstone in 2017, SESAC licenses public performance rights for over 1.5 million songs. While SESAC has not publicly commented on the music removal, YouTube confirmed they were unable to reach a new licensing agreement with SESAC, resulting in the content being unavailable in the US. YouTube maintains they are actively seeking a new deal with SESAC, emphasizing their commitment to copyright protection. However, a source from Variety suggests this might be a strategic move by YouTube, as the existing agreement technically doesn't expire until next week. The extent of the music removed remains unclear, with some songs remaining available while others are blocked. While SESAC provides a searchable database of its repertoire, not all listed songs are affected, and the lack of clarity surrounding the removal and potential return of the music leaves users in a state of uncertainty.