YouTube hissy fit over as the music returns online

Davey Winder
Thursday, 03 September 2009 15:47

Your IT - Home IT

Patrick Walker now says that the company is "extremely pleased to have reached an agreement with PRS for Music and looks forward to the return of premium music videos to YouTube in the UK" but refuses to be drawn with regard to details of the deal.

Andrew Shaw, Managing Director of Broadcast and Online at PRS for Music is remaining equally silent about the detail, simply stating that it is "important that those who are creating music – the writers and composers we represent - be rewarded when their works are used".

Shaw added that the deal is "an achievement for songwriters, composers and the YouTube community alike and it reinforces the value of our members’ work".

We know from both YouTube and PRS for Music that the licensing deal is backdated to January 2009, when the previous YouTube license expired, and understand that it takes the form of a lump sum payment which extend the news license until 2012.

What seems to be clear is that YouTube did not get PRS for Music to agree to new methods of compensating rights-holders for their content as had been expected. Instead it would appear that the new license will effectively remain on a pay-per-view basis with YouTube sharing viewing data with PRS so that royalty payments can be correctly calculated.

We also know that the sum involved is likely to be many millions, but Google will no doubt have insisted upon a confidentiality clause in the license agreement to try and keep the exact numbers confidential.

After all, the last thing YouTube wants is rights holders around the world gaining leverage in their ongoing discussions when license renewal time approaches.