Rob Levine, N.Y.
The Warner Music Group on Saturday (Dec. 20) pulled all of its
music from YouTube as negotiations over payment with Google's video
site reached an impasse. Warner's move will affect its recordings
as well as the songs it owns through Warner/Chappell Music.
"We are working actively to find a resolution with YouTune that
would enable the return of our artists' content to the site,"
Warner said in a statement. "Until then, we simply cannot accept
terms that fail to appropriately and fairly compensate recording
artists, songwriters, labels and publishers for the value they
provide."
Warner, one of the first media companies to strike a deal with
YouTube, wants to make more money from online video. Although the
nature of the negotiations is unknown, a sticking point could be
that YouTube has lagged in monetizing its considerable traffic at a
time when competitors, like Hulu, are emerging. Warner still makes
videos available to MTV, MySpace Music and other sites.
YouTube also has agreements with the other major labels, which it
is now renegotiating. It is not known whether Warner's move could
effect the other negotiations.
"Sometimes, if we can't reach acceptable business terms, we must
part ways with successful partners," YouTube said in a statement on
its blog.
This year, Warner has more than 20 percent market share of albums,
according to Nielsen SoundScan, and Atlantic is the No. 1 label in
the U.S.