YouTube has announced it will reinstate music by popular artists like Adele, Bob Dylan, Kendrick Lamar, and Green Day for U.S. users after resolving a dispute with the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), a performance-rights organization.
The platform had initially removed content from artists in SESAC’s catalog due to a breakdown in negotiations over royalty payments.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube confirmed it had successfully reached an agreement with SESAC. Music that had been blocked will return to the video-streaming platform over the coming days.
Earlier, YouTube had notified users that it was unable to renew its deal with SESAC, resulting in the removal of tracks by artists such as Mariah Carey, Nirvana, and R.E.M.
Fans attempting to play these songs were met with an error message stating the content was not available in their country due to SESAC restrictions.
The removal caused an outcry on social media, with many users expressing frustration over disrupted playlists and some threatening to cancel their premium subscriptions. YouTube assured its users that negotiations were ongoing, and the latest update signals a resolution as the blocked music will soon be restored.