Warner Music Videos Pulled From YouTube After Talks Collapse

Guardian:

James Blunt, Madonna and Led Zeppelin are set to disappear from YouTube after their record company, Warner Music Group, fell out with the video-sharing site in a row over royalties.

Warner Music said it would pull hundreds of thousands of videos from the site following the collapse of talks with the Google-owned company about renegotiating a content-sharing deal. "We simply cannot accept terms that fail to appropriately and fairly compensate recording artists, songwriters, labels and publishers for the value they provide," the group said. Warner Music added that it was "working actively" to find a resolution with YouTube.

The company had yet to remove all material from YouTube by yesterday afternoon, with Madonna fans still able to watch a video for her single 4 minutes posted by WMG on the site - the promo for James Blunt's ubiquitous You're Beautiful was also available. Other Warner Music artists include Metallica and Bloc Party.

Read the whole story: Guardian

Comments

[HeartlandLiberal]

Warner can just go suck lemons and sulk and wallow in their greed, as far as I am concerned, and do without the revenue that would have been generated by sales from people attracted to their properties.

Over the past year I have discovered contemporary German popular music singers and groups that have resulted in my spending $100's of dollars on some really great CDs, CDs I would not have known existed unless I had been using YouTube last year, and decided I wanted to get an idea of where pop music in Germany was.

Try looking up Rosenstolz, Ich & Ich, and Christina Stuermern. Good stuff.

[Free2Speak]

Warner need to realize Youtube is the most utilized website in the world for satisfaction.I mean a place where people go and come away satisfied.They need to smell the coffee is not just about music.Artist may just skip Warner and go straight to Youtube to market their records,if Youtube turn part of it arm to music marketing.It would have the same effect as itunes , mp3's had on music cd's. and record stores.

[Villageyokel]

Once Google removes all Warner music off its Youtube site, they should just keep going and remove any references to Warner on its Google portal. Give Warner what it wants whole hog.

[politisophical]

the truth is Warner needs Youtube more than Youtube needs Warner.. im calling their bluff, Warner will be back to the table within months

[sparafucilli]

I love the movie August Rush and was going to buy it for the holidays largely based on being able to see pieces from it on Youtube. I especially loved the closing concert scene. I found it inspirational. Alas, that source of inspiration has now disappeared from immediate access. Warner, their distributors and retail outlets will now I am sure be gratified to hear that my intent to purchase has suddenly disappeared as well.

[stevebest]

Good F@#K warner they may be a for profit business, but they make cd's, the one manufacturing industry we dont need.

[rogerse]

I can't believe the idiots who expect music to be cheap/free......a for-profit industry certainly does not, and should not care if you can't afford their prices.

[TJCole]

This will hurt sales overall and especially for any of those new artists seeking exposure..!

You Tube is what MTV could have been when it comes to exposing and breaking new artists..!

Warner just shot itself in the foot...

[jham710]

Protecting the songwriters and artists is part of a record company's job, let alone its own sales. These promotional videos are getting airplay, basically, and people are owed money and WB has to pay them based on their agreements with the artists. MTV paid for music back when it actually aired music. It's a simple licensing fee that needs to be worked out. I am 100% behind WB decision.

[mediamarv]

Ever notice how it is never the artists complaining about their music being available to the public via Youtube, et al, but only the parasites: music company flacks, hacks, payola schemers and foot fetishists (?) make the noise, making their living on the backs and hard work of the artists.

They complain that they aren't making money on downloads ( a lie to be sure) yet they give free CDs to radio stations which promptly give them away or sell them at used record stores. Being a former dj, I know how these "retail" minded cretins work.. NO one is lazier than a non-artist in the music business.

Hypocrites and liars. And that's just the good one!!

[HIbbs4Prez]

Can't blame the music industry. People like to blame them for being greedy and evil (which often they are) but the fact is its a business. And the harsh reality is that consumers ARE NOT buying more musicc after getting a music fix on YouTube. The harsh truth that illegal downloads have ravaged the industry. Spoiled consumers think its their right to have anything they want for free and throw tantrums when the music companies actually protect their own interests. We are a cheating culture and we don't want to admit that our actions are just as much to blame to the pathetic situation the music industry currently finds itself in.

[mediamarv]

Who pays your salary??

Nice job of reciting RIAA talking points.

[arvada]

Another stupid move by the music industry.

I will never pay them a dime for anything they produce

[3dtrix]

In this culture, out of sight - or off site - is out of mind. The surest way for these videos to demonstrate just how unimportant they are is to be removed from view. Bad move on Warner's part - nothing new there. The artists must be furious - not on youtube = not hap'nin'. Not hap'nin' = drop-off in recording and concert ticket sales... Back to flippin' burgers. Bummer....

[Captaintrip25]

This is just the begining, the days when you can go on youtube and check out your favorite music video would soon be a thing of the past. Pretty soon the only thing that will be left on youtube are videos of people being silly - shoot it's only a matter of time before they start imposing some kind of fee on users - you wait and see i bet you greed and corporate america will f#$k up youtube.