Youtube Blocks Music Videos for UK Viewers
The PRS claims that YouTube will only pay “significantly less than at present to the writers of the music on which their service relies, despite the massive increase in YouTube viewing.”
YouTube have decided to block all music videos from viewers in the UK after the Performing Rights Society, an organisation focusing on maintaining a fair share for publishers and artists, asked YouTube to pay more for the content.
Patrick Walker, Director of Video Partnerships for Europe, Middle East and Africa posted on the company blog that the site will block all “premium” music videos in the UK until it can strike up a new contract with PRS that is “economically sustainable.”
“But PRS is now asking us to pay many, many times more for our license than before,” Walker blogged. “The costs are simply prohibitive for us – under PRS’s proposed terms we would lose significant amounts of money with every playback.”
The body, which represents music publishers, added: “Google has told us they are taking this step because they wish to pay significantly less than at present to the writers of the music on which their service relies, despite the massive increase in YouTube viewing.
“This action has been taken without any consultation with PRS for Music and in the middle of negotiations between the two parties.”
The Music Publishers Association (MPA) joined with the PRS is urging Google to rethink.
“Music publishers are in the business of getting their music heard by as wide an audience as possible, and websites such as YouTube rely on this music to attract traffic. It is difficult to see how anyone’s interests are served by denying the YouTube community the content they most enjoy,” said MPA chief executive Stephen Navin.
