If you’ve recently discovered that some of your favorite songs are missing from YouTube Music, you’re not alone.
Many users in the US have reported songs disappearing or becoming unplayable due to a licensing issue between YouTube and SESAC, a major performance rights organization.
Here’s what happened and when you can expect your music to return.
Why YouTube Music Songs Disappeared
The disappearance of songs from YouTube Music is the result of a licensing dispute between YouTube and SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers). SESAC represents numerous well-known artists, including Adele and Ariana Grande, and oversees the performance rights to more than 1.5 million songs.
When a company like YouTube wants to use music on its platform, it must obtain a license from performance rights organizations such as SESAC. These deals ensure that artists are compensated when their music is played publicly.
Unfortunately, the agreement between YouTube and SESAC recently expired without a new deal in place. This resulted in the removal of SESAC-represented songs from both YouTube and YouTube Music.
However, the removal was not consistent across all SESAC member artists. While some songs from popular artists like Adele and Nirvana disappeared completely, other SESAC-affiliated artists like Kesha remained available.
Users encountered an error message when playing these songs, which read: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.” Some songs also disappeared from search results, causing even more confusion.
YouTube confirmed this in a statement to 9to5Google, explaining that despite its efforts, negotiations with SESAC had stalled and as a result, songs under SESAC’s catalog were temporarily blocked.
When will my YouTube Music songs be back?
Fortunately, YouTube managed to secure a new deal with SESAC. On September 30, 2024, YouTube announced that it had successfully reached a new agreement with the performance rights organization.
This means that all missing songs will return to YouTube and YouTube Music in the coming days.
YouTube acknowledged the frustration caused by the outage and appreciated users’ patience. While it is a relief that the problem has been resolved, it may take some time for all missing content to be fully restored.
So if your favorite songs still don’t show up or won’t play, they will be back soon.
If you’re not already using YouTube Music, this is a great opportunity to try it out. Moreover, now you can also hum to search YouTube Music.