However, I’ve received unconfirmed word from YouTube that isn’t exactly how it works, so stand by regarding what this means for Play Music rights holders. If the same percentage or lower of subscription revenue is now split between music makers and YouTubers, each stands to get paid less. It’s unclear how Google Play Music rights holders will be impacted. Normal people uploading home videos to YouTube don’t have to worry about any of this. And to be clear, the removal situation and deal only apply to YouTube partners - very popular creators who already had a deal to earn 55% of ad revenue from their videos. The money will be split up according to watch time, so creators with longer videos could benefit more than quick clip producers. Earlier this year, a change to YouTube Partner Program Terms said creators would be paid just 55% of revenue. Subscriptions music service Spotify pays 70% and Apple Music pays 71.5%. Kyncl says YouTube will pay out “the vast, vast majority of revenue” to creators, but he repeatedly refused to detail what that percentage would be. But they didn’t have much choice, otherwise they’d lose out on both the previous ad revenue, the new subscription revenue, and the connection with fans. But there’s no explanation why it couldn’t just flag videos of those who don’t sign the deal as “Not On Red”, and instead had to go with a sign-or-disappear strategy.Īccording to Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl at today’s YouTube Red launch event, 99% of content consumed on YouTube will be still available, noting that the vast majority of creators signed the deal. Google says the goal is to offer consistency, so people thinking about subscribing to Red don’t have to worry about their favorite content not being available in the ad-free service.
#A particular video channel plays audio only in youtube free#
Though turning existing fans into paid subscribers instead of free viewers could earn creators more than the ad revenue, forcing them into the deal seems heavy-handed. It’s a tough pill to swallow that makes YouTube look like a bully.
That includes videos by popular comedians, musicians, game commentators, and DIY instructors, though not the average person that uploads clips. Today YouTube confirmed that any “partner” creator who earns a cut of ad revenue but doesn’t agree to sign its revenue share deal for its new YouTube Red $9.99 ad-free subscription will have their videos hidden from public view on both the ad-supported and ad-free tiers. YouTube made its top video creators an offer they literally couldn’t refuse, or they’d have their content disappear.