YouTube blocking music videos in the UK after royalty negotiations break down

YouTube is blocking most music videos on the site from UK viewers after royalty negotiations broke down.

YouTube said in a blog post that it would block premium music videos in the UK until it can agree to a new contract with The Performing Rights Society (PRS) that is “economically sustainable.”

“But PRS is now asking us to pay many, many times more for our license than before,” YouTube’s Patrick Walker wrote. “The costs are simply prohibitive for us – under PRS’s proposed terms we would lose significant amounts of money with every playback.”

Walker also claimed that the PRS is unwilling to tell YouTube what songs are included in the licensing renewal being negotiated.

Naturally, PRS blamed YouTube for the mess, saying that the site wants to pay “significantly less than at present to the writers of the music on which their service relies, despite the massive increase in YouTube viewing.”

YouTube said it would continue to try a negotiate a reasonable outcome that will allow the music videos to return.