Have you recently tried to listen to one of your favorite artists and realized that you can’t find them on YouTube? If so, you’re not alone. Ever since Sept. 29, 2024, there has been a big issue with the music library on YouTube. For many users, attempting to access specific songs has given them the error message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”
This is because of the fallout between the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC) and YouTube. SESAC and YouTube previously had a licensing agreement, which recently expired. This might make someone think, “There seems like a simple solution. Why not renew the license?”
Truth-be-told, that is the solution. But it is a solution that was not reached in time, which has led to YouTube blocking everything from SESAC in the U.S due to copyright law. “Everything” is not an exaggeration, every instance of music from SESAC is blocked, which includes videos that feature the music.
This is a big deal, because SESAC holds a great deal of influence in the music industry. According to their website, they have licensed “over 1.5 million songs from top-selling writers and composers.” Artists like Adele and Green Day are included in this, which means that they have been blocked by YouTube.
Luckily, YouTube has reached a new license deal with SESAC with undisclosed licensing terms. The president of SESAC, Scott Jungmichel, told Variety that they have “reached an agreement with YouTube to equitably compensate SESAC’s songwriters and publishers for the use of their music.” On Sept. 30, the TeamYoutube account on X released a message. “Content (that was previously blocked) will be restored across YouTube services over the next day or two.” So do not fear, your favorite artist will be back up on YouTube like nothing happened.
