Comments on: YouTube unplugs music videos in U.K.

In an unexpected move, "premium" music videos on the Google-owned video-sharing site will no longer be accessible in this major market.

[Len Bullard]

The best deal going is arlo.net. Arlo Guthrie seems to get the web better than most artists. He has arlo.net to keep up with his fans and provide them forums, a place to swap, and he pokes his head in from time to time to give an opinion. He has risingsonrecords for selling CDs that arrive in a standard Priority Mail mailer, and he can support other artists as he sees fit. His wife handles the youtube videos and puts up wonderful concert footage. He has the Guthrie Center (the church from Alice's Restaurant) for a monument/gig/BringYourOwnGod church. He has the road and he has the farm and he has the family.

Maybe that's the formula everyone says they are looking for. The artists run it.

It's not for everyone, but when a man sets out at thirteen years old on a path and sticks to it through all the changes in tastes, industry and media and succeeds, you have to ask if that really is the way to get it done.

So Caroline, take a trip out of the concrete canyons and talk to the Arlo about what this means to music and the biz. If the rockers can't get it right, maybe the folkies already have.

[sodapop2k9]

YAY Google. Google doesn't make billions off of vido playback, they make it off of ad listings on search. This is the best solution for the the dinasaur music industry that charges online sources higher rates than over the air broadcast. Every knows that that exposure online and via YouTube has increase the overall sales of the music industry and its time for the music industry to acknowledge this free promotion.

[interval1066]

Charging a hairdresser or the corner chemist with piracy for playing a radio in the shop is the height of arrogance. These labels need to be shown the door.

[eBob1]

"PRS for Music is outraged on behalf of consumers and songwriters that Google has chosen to close down access to music videos on YouTube in the U.K.," read a statement from the industry group.

It seems to me that PRS is the one that closed down access.

[MusicandLight]

Seems to me that consumers accept purchasing at price or doing without or trying to steal and live with possible consequences when it comes to virtually everything for sale that is not digital product. You wouldn't steal a car, right? LOL (remember that?)

But for some reason everyone wants digital created by educated, talented, competent providers and then sent out into the network eternally for free. Who can gather education and facilities and the kind of talent and diligence and long periods of invested time needed to create first rate digital product....... for free?

I mean ***? Who believes that? And why?

[halcyondaze]

Will the UK consumers be phased? I feel like people always find a way around these things. Plus there are still video search sites like http://www.blinkx.com that can locate music videos wherever they're hosted online (eg, on sharing sites like MySpace or Metacafe, or on the music labels? own sites - like Sony BMG MyPlay). The well is far from being dry for users.

[gggg sssss]

With any luck, some of those starving artists will ndeed starve. Serves them right. And their labels with them. Before youtube the artists and labels got nothing for nothing. Now they want more? Dont see PRS building ther own website.

What is that song line - money for nothing on the MTV

right then

[Tonsotunez]

PRS does not represent artists and labels ... they represent songwriters and music publishers -
The rights of songwriters and music publishers are totally separate from the rights of artists and labels.

YouTube, rather than reaching an agreement with PRS, elected to shut down videos which will be to their detriment (because they will lose audience) and is fine with me as a songwriter because there are other outlets that have agreed to pay to use my work.

Now that they shown they can shut off infringing videos with such ease ... I hope they do the same thing here n the US so their business will move to services that respect the rights of creators.

[audioman7]

check out http://www.audiotube.com its PRS compliant and focuses on artist promotion not artist scraping...

[metacafe-fan]

Metacafe has a great music channel - http://www.metacafe.com/music/ with plenty of licensed music videos. who needs Youtube?

[aMUSICsite]

Google are showing the PRS what it would be like if all the music videos were taken down from YouTube.

When YouTube starts taking down the videos the PRS say....Hold on don't take them down!

So the music industry wants YouTube but just want to add dozens of adverts all around the videos so Google can make more money off it and then give it to the PRS.

It's pure greed, Goggle are paying them money, they just want more.