A row between the Performing Rights Society (PRS) and the website Youtube has escalated with the site set to remove all premium music videos within the next two days.
Dark days for music fans. Since its inception Youtube has become addictive viewing, bringing together the latest releases with the rarest of fans videos. Sure, a lot of them shouldn’t be up there but the site is a treasure trove for music fans.
The legality of allowing users to simply upload their own content has long been disputed. The Performing Rights Society has been campaigning for a better deal for artists whose videos are streamed on the site.
However, Youtube claim the terms offered were unacceptable and have taken the decision to remove all premium videos from the British site.
According to Youtube director of video partnerships Patrick Walker the PRS was seeking a new deal with artist payments “many, many factors” higher than the last deal, reports BBC News.
Walker suggested that a compromise could be reached, though, saying: “We feel we are so far apart that we have to remove content while we continue to negotiate with the PRS.”
Negotiations are ongoing.
