YouTube Credits
More than half a billion videos on YouTube will carry credits. Such credits will include information about the songwriter, label, and publisher data. That is just the start. Google also announced that it will add credits and music discovery information to premium music videos as well as user-uploaded content that features recorded music.
The new credits will affect the presentation of millions of songs. This will be an evolving process. As this program progresses, YouTube will continuously add details of new tracks. Site viewers will be able to access the credits when they click the ‘Show More’ button under each video. This drop-down area will now include the artist, songwriter, publisher, and label information. There will also be a link to the Official Artist Channel or official music video when applicable.
YouTube stated that this will provide artists greater recognition and exposure. It will also offer artists and songwriters additional opportunities to reach their audience.
Spotify may have inspired YouTube to begin this program. Three months ago, Spotify announced that it would add songwriter credits to its desktop platform. To accomplish this, Spotify utilized information obtained from record labels. However, YouTube clarified that the ingestion of metadata from labels, publishers, and music licensing societies around the world made this move possible. This data is being fed into their Content ID technology, which ultimately allows copyright owners to identify and manage their content.
As a result, YouTube is building something akin to its very own music Global Rights Database. This may alarm some of the more suspicious elements of territorial PROs around the globe. However, songwriters, labels, and publishers can only benefit from this influx of information into this database.
Statements
In a statement, YouTube said the following:
YouTube is committed to providing recognition to all of the people who contribute to the creative process, and this is just the beginning. Through our industry partnerships, we will expand the scope and quality of data to ensure all creators are credited as completely and accurately as possible.
Martin Bandier, Chairman and CEO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, also made a statement:
Songwriters are essential to the success of the music industry, but too often their critical role gets overlooked. It is why I have long called for all online music services to properly acknowledge their contribution by displaying writer credits.
This move by YouTube is an important step forward to deliver that goal and one which Sony/ATV welcomes.
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