YouTube Removes Songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, and Others Due to SESAC Dispute

 YouTube has blocked songs like Adele’s “Someone Like You,” Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” Bob Dylan’s “I Want You,” and R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” amid a legal dispute with SESAC, a performance rights organization handling copyright issues for artists and publishers.

Other affected artists include Alice in Chains, Burna Boy, and Fleetwood Mac. While some songs display a black screen with a message stating, “Video unavailable” and noting that “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country,” not all tracks are impacted.

SESAC is one of several organizations that helps songwriters protect their original work and collect royalties. Similar to the earlier dispute between Universal Music Group and TikTok, which led to millions of songs by artists like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Adele being removed from the platform, SESAC and YouTube have yet to reach a renewal agreement. This allows SESAC to block public performances of music, including streaming and radio play, although enforcement can be challenging.

Frustrated users have taken to Reddit to express their disappointment over the inability to stream their favorite songs, with reports of the issue emerging earlier today. YouTube has not issued a formal statement but responded to users on its X account, explaining, “We hear you. Our music license agreement with SESAC has expired without an agreement on renewal terms despite our best efforts. For this reason, we have blocked content on YouTube in the US associated with SESAC, in accordance with copyright law.”

In subsequent replies, Team YouTube acknowledged the situation, stating, “We understand this is difficult, and our teams continue to work on reaching a renewal agreement.” They also noted that discussions with SESAC are ongoing, although there are no specific timelines for updates.

Such blocks are not uncommon when copyright organizations and distribution platforms fail to agree on licensing deals. These disputes can last anywhere from a few days to several months, reminiscent of the time Warner Music Group removed music videos from YouTube for nearly a year between 2008 and 2009.