According to Financial Times, YouTube is determined to enter the game of music subscription services and is about to launch a new service. However, several independent record labels (XL, Domino, 4AD, Cooking Vinyl…) have refused to sign up to the licensing terms that they judge unfair, and, as a result, YouTube is threatening to remove videos of theses labels’ artists. And they aren’t joking, as these videos may be blocked ‘in a matter of days’ declared Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s head of content and business operations.
‘While we wish that we had a 100 per cent success rate, we understand that is not likely an achievable goal and therefore it is our responsibility to our users and the industry to launch the enhanced music experience’ added Mr Kyncl to the Financial Times.
However, XL has Adele, Atoms for Peace, Jack White, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Vampire Weekends and The XX, Domino has the Artic Monkeys, and 4AD has Bon Iver, TV on the Radio, The National, St. Vincent, Pixies, Iron and Wine…, so we aren’t really talking about obscure artists.
Does this mean that all these artists will soon disappear from YouTube? This is a major change! Independent labels are calling YouTube’s licensing terms ‘Highly unfavorable’, whereas Billy Bragg told Music Week: ‘YouTube are shooting themselves in the foot with their attempt to strong-arm independent labels into signing up to such low rates. They’re in danger of launching a streaming service that lacks the innovative and cutting edge sounds that independent artists bring.’ Alison Wenham, chief executive of the Worldwide Independent Network, called YouTube’s tactics bullying’ and according to Rolling Stone, ‘YouTube’s proposed contracts to independent record labels are non-negotiable’.
Of course, YouTube reps have denied the charge of a ‘mass cull’, but why would YouTube arm small labels? And above everything, do we really need another music service? YouTube has been a free-of-charge and very useful tool to discover music, I wonder what will be the exact consequences… Does this mean that, I won’t be able to stream any music on Youtube if I don’t subscribe? And what will happen to all these concert footages we all upload on Youtube? I don’t like any of this.
