The music business: Unreasonably low payment

The Danish music sector have been given a hard nyrehug by Google, which per 1. august is planning to remove all music from streaming service YouTube.

It happens after negotiations between Koda and Google on a common nordic agreement is at an impasse. In a few days expires a common temporary agreement, and according to Koda has Google as the requirements for a new temporary agreement required that the money that composers and songwriters get for Youtube's use of music, is reduced by almost 70 percent.

Lasse Lindholm, communication director in musikselskabernes trade association IFPI, regret itself.

- We are interfering not in the other actors in commercial negotiations. But it is no secret that Youtube's payment to the music world for years have been unreasonably low. Therefore, it is seen from the sidelines also more than difficult to find arguments for why Koda would have to accept to get his arm twisted further on the back of Google behind YouTube, he says to Ekstra Bladet.

It is koda's media executive, Kaare Struve, agree.

- Google knows very well that YouTube is an incredibly important distribution channel for Danish composers, songwriters and the whole of artistic environment, and that it is important for many danes to have access to English content on the platform.

- I can only see it as a gigantic presbold and can not believe otherwise than that they imagine that the pressure will make us tender, so we provide us within a few days, sounds from koda's media executive.

- Make it so it? Make you tender?

- I think that most people would be skeptical, if they were asked to go 70 percent down in salary. It will most probably say nicely 'no thanks' to.

- And that is really what we have done. We have no desire that the content be removed from YouTube. It is Google's decision, says Kaare Struve.

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- Google says so opposite, that they have to remove content in order not to infringe the copyright.

- It is to turn things upside down. We would very much like to have made an agreement with them on the same terms as we did the last time. But they come suddenly with a report of reduction of 70 percent in price, and when we say no to it, so they say, that they have to remove the content.

Lasse Lindholm from the IFPI, expresses annoyance that the deadlock between the parties now goes beyond consumers.

- On behalf of consumers, are we at the same time, infuriating about the current situation. We therefore hope for an early solution, which is characterized by a fair payment to those who create music and invest in it, " said Lasse Lindholm.