YouTube to block artists from paid music service: report

PARIS, France – YouTube is planning to block the videos of artists like Adele and the Arctic Monkeys after several record labels refused to sign up to its new subscription service, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Google-owned online media site will start blocking videos “in a matter of days,” Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s head of content and business operations, was quoted as saying by the Financial Times.

Record labels representing 95 percent of the music industry have signed up to the new terms, he was quoted as saying, although that doesn’t include independent labels like XL Recordings and Domino.

The move comes after a breakdown of talks between YouTube and the independent music trade organization about the new music streaming service late last month.

The Worldwide Independent Network said the contracts that YouTube was offering to independent labels are on “highly unfavourable and non-negotiable” terms.

YouTube is already the biggest online source of free streaming music, but it is planning a paid service to compete directly with other subscription services like Spotify. – Rappler.com