Edgar Cervantes from Android Authority reported that many popular songs disappeared from YouTube and YouTube Music over the weekend. This was due to an expired licensing deal between YouTube and SESAC, a society representing high-profile artists. The error message “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country” appeared when trying to play these tracks. However, the dispute has now been resolved, and the blocked content will be restored in the US over the next day or two.
The licensing dispute only affected users in the US, and there is no indication that music will be removed from YouTube in other regions. Artists like Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Nirvana, and more were impacted by the disappearance of their songs. It is not recommended to use a VPN to access the blocked music, as YouTube may take action against users trying to bypass regional restrictions. Ultimately, the resolution of the dispute makes switching to a different streaming service unnecessary.