As the biggest video streaming website is preparing itself to launch its very own paid music streaming service, YouTube confirmed to delete indie music videos from all indie artists who will not sign up for their new paid music streaming service called YouTube Music. YouTube's own head of content and business operations Robert Kyncl confirmed to Financial Times, saying: "We will begin blocking videos within a matter of days to ensure that all content on the platform is governed by our new contractual terms."
YouTube was reported to be discussing its paid music streaming service plans to big record labels such as Sony, Warner, and Universal and is currently negotiating license agreement with these companies. While YouTube will seriously delete indie music videos from its website "in a matter of days," independent records labels claim that they were offered the same deal as those Big Three record labels.
And if you think only upcoming indie artists are highly affected with this, big named artists such as Adele, Jack White, Arctic Monkeys and even Radiohead are already affected with these changes as they still stick to their indie record labels despite gaining much success in music.
As expected, indie record companies, artists and fans find this move seriously unfair if YouTube pursues to delete indie music videos. According to the CEO of Worldwide Independent Network Alison Wenham, "This is not a fair way to do business. WIN questions any actions by any organization that would seek to injure and punish innocent labels and musicians - and their innocent fans - in order to pursue its ambitions. We believe, as such, that these actions are unnecessary and indefensible, not to mention commercially questionable and potentially damaging to YouTube itself, given the harm likely to result from this approach" Wenham also happens to be the chairman of the Association of Independent Music in UK (AIM).
The Verge was told by a YouTube spokesman about their goal: "Our goal is to continue making YouTube an amazing music experience, both as a global platform for fans and artists to connect, and as a revenue source for the music industry. We're adding subscription-based features for music on YouTube with this in mind - to bring our music partners new revenue streams in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars YouTube already generates for them each year. We are excited that hundreds of major and independent labels are already partnering with us."
However, as the tension rise between YouTube and independent artists, will YouTube Music fare well to its competitors such as Spotify and iTunes?
