After months of speculation, YouTube has finally confirmed the existence of its subscription service for music, but unfortunately, not everyone is on board. As Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s head of content and business operations, has explained to the Financial Times, many independent record labels that did not agree to the new licensing terms will begin to see their videos blocked “in a matter of days” as the popular video site makes room for those who signed on the dotted line.
Although 95% of the music industry’s record labels have reported agreed to the new terms, many well-known bands will see their content erased from YouTube as they attempt to fight Google on the matter. The fact that Google would rather shut down the hesitant labels than try to reassess the terms of the contract should be a clear sign that the company is serious about launching this service as soon as possible, regardless of the consequences.
“While we wish that we had a 100 per cent success rate, we understand that is not likely an achievable goal and therefore it is our responsibility to our users and the industry to launch the enhanced music experience,” said Kyncl.
The upcoming subscription service will allow YouTube users to listen to music and watch music videos without ads on both PCs and mobile devices. An offline listening feature will be included in the service as well. There’s no release date yet, but internal testing is expected to start in the coming days.
