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Digital Top Stories
PRS announces new deal with YouTube
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 22 August 2013
The UK music publishing sector’s collecting society PRS For Music yesterday announced a new deal with YouTube, which will cover the use of songs represented by the rights body across the Google-owned video platform – including in official music videos, live footage and when synced in user-generated content – in no less than 130 countries.
It’s a pretty wide-ranging deal, both in terms of the kinds of usage of represented songs it covers, and the number of territories in which the licence will apply, 130 across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
PRS was one of the first collecting societies to licence YouTube back in 2007 and, with the exception of one wobble when a dispute over royalty levels threatened to scupper the partnership, the two organisations have generally enjoyed a good relationship, even if some of the songwriters and independent publishers PRS represents still have some reservations about the way the video site operates.
Confirming the new deal, PRS top man boss guy Robert Ashcroft posted a video to YouTube (well, he probably should have done) to declare: “Streaming is a key growth area for PRS For Music, helping drive our online revenues to over £50 million in 2012. YouTube’s vast reach around the world offers our publishers and songwriters a unique stage and music lovers access to millions of songs. I am delighted we have reached such an important multi-territory agreement”.
He added: “The issue of remuneration from streaming services remains a key one for our members and the further evolution of our licensing relationship with YouTube will help ensure continued growth in royalties for our members from one of the world’s leading video platforms”.
Meanwhile YouTube’s Director Of Global Music Partnerships got out his guitar and sang the following falsetto (well, he probably should have done): “We’re delighted to renew our successful partnership with the PRS For Music. This means the UK’s music publishers, songwriters and composers can continue to reach new and existing fans on YouTube and the passionate YouTube community can keep enjoying listening to music and discovering new artists online”.
