Why YouTube removed music videos from Adele, Kanye West, Britney Spears and other popular artists

YouTube was abruptly removed Music videos by numerous high-profile artists including Adele, Kanye West, Britney Spears, Kendrick Lamar, Green day and others due to an ongoing licensing dispute with the performing rights organization SESAC. Users attempting to access these videos will now be greeted with the message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”
The shutdown, which occurred on Saturday, affects both YouTube's main platform and theirs YouTube music service.The dispute affects a wide range of well-known artists, from Kendrick Lamar and Green Day to Burna Boy, leaving music fans without access to many hits.
SESAC stands for Society of European Stage Authors and Composers and represents over 15,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization licenses the public performance rights for more than 1.5 million songs.
YouTube spokesperson Mariana de Felice told The Verge: “We have been negotiating in good faith with SESAC to extend our existing contract. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach a fair agreement before it expired.”
According to The Verge, an unnamed source suggested that this move could be a negotiating tactic by YouTube, claiming that “the previous deal actually doesn't expire until next week.”
The exact extent of the shutdown remains unclear, as not all songs represented by SESAC appear to be equally affected. For example, while a version of Kanye West's “Power” is blocked, the music video version remains accessible at the time of writing.
YouTube expressed hope for a quick resolution, and de Felice added: “We are in active discussions with SESAC and hope to reach a new agreement as quickly as possible.”