A similar dispute between Universal Music Group and TikTok raged on for several months earlier this year before being resolved. In a statement to Variety, a YouTube rep said: “We have held good faith negotiations with SESAC to renew our existing deal. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.” A source close to the situation tells Variety that the previous deal actually does not expire until next week, and suggests that YouTube’s move is a negotiating tactic. SESAC is far smaller than ASCAP and BMI — with approximately 30,000 members and 1.5 million compositions while ASCAP has nearly 800,000 members — but as the caliber of artists affected by the block shows, it represents a comparatively large percentage of the marketplace.
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