YOUTUBE COULD SOON be removing music artists such as the Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, and Adele after a number of independent record labels refused to sign up to the licensing terms for its new music service.
Google, which owns YouTube, has been working on a music subscription service for a number of months, and is said to be blocking videos in a matter of days to ensure that all content on the site follows its new terms.
Speaking to The Financial Times, YouTube’s head of content and business operations, Robert Kyncl said the service will be launched later in the year.
The company is planning to do internal testing first over the coming days, giving it the opportunity to improve the user interface and quash any bugs before it’s released to the public.
According to Kyncl, record labels representing 90% of the music industry have signed up to the new terms. The remainder artists will likely be blocked from the platform.
The new paid-subscription site will be part of YouTube’s main services. Users will be required to pay a monthly fee to be able to watch videos or listen to music without adverts. They will be able to do this on any of their devices, even when they’re not connected to the internet.
YouTube attracts more than one billion monthly viewers, and has paid out more than $1 billion to the music industry through licensing deals. According to Kyncl, that figure is expected to double.
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