Official YouTube Blog: publishers

Official Blog

Opportunity for music publishers and songwriters - January 16 deadline

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

YouTube has become a thriving music ecosystem of emerging and established artists, where original music and creative covers can reach an audience of millions. We want to continue to recognize songwriters for their artistic contribution to this community. To this end, last year YouTube announced a new opportunity for thousands of music publishers - and the millions of songwriters they represent - to make money from the use of their music in YouTube videos uploaded by fans. This was a result of an agreement with two leading U.S. representatives of music publishers: the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and its subsidiary the Harry Fox Agency (HFA).

Through this agreement, music publishers (both HFA and non-HFA members) and songwriters have the opportunity to license the musical compositions they represent for use by the YouTube community. Our Content ID system, with input from our partners, allows us to identify these works among the hundreds of millions of videos on YouTube, whether the compositions appear in an original sound recording, or in a cover version uploaded by a fan. When a publisher allows YouTube to run ads alongside videos that incorporate its compositions, the publisher, and its songwriters, will be able to share in the revenue that the YouTube community’s creativity yields.

Music publishers should review and sign-up for this opportunity by January 16, 2011. Information can be found at www.youtubelicenseoffer.com, and music publishers can opt-in through this website using the claim and control numbers provided in the materials sent last summer. Additional information is available by calling: 1 (888) 430-7225.

By opting-in this week, music publishers will be creating a new and future revenue partnership, empowering both their fans’ creativity and their own musical endeavors. Join us.

David King, Group Product Manager, recently watched “Grinding the Crack.”