Google steps down from YouTube music video removal threat
Google is not going to carry out its threats to remove YouTube music videos from independent record labels following complaints about abusive contract terms.
Last month, Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s head of content, said that independent music videos would be culled “within a matter of days”, after the company signed deals with Sony, Universal and Warner.
The new licensing deals come as Google looks to challenge streaming service Spotify: something that made headway this week following the acquisition of Songza for over $39m.
A Google spokesperson told the Telegraph on the plans: “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.”
However, trade bodies for independent labels for artists such as Adele and the Artic Monkeys have suggested that Google holds a monopoly over the market.