March 10, 2009 10:22

YouTube to remove all premium music videos

Videos will be removed from the site from today (March 10)

YouTube is today (March 10) beginning to remove all premium music videos from the UK site, with the majority expected to be removed within two days.

The move comes after a dispute between YouTube, which is owned by Google, and the Performing Rights Society (PRS).

The PRS, which represents music publishers, has been holding out for a better pay deal for artists whose videos are available to watch on the video site.

According to Patrick Walker, YouTube's director of video partnerships, the PRS was seeking a new deal with artist payments "many, many factors" higher than the last deal, prompting the site chiefs to take the drastic action, reports BBC News.

Steve Porter, head of the PRS, said he was "outraged, shocked and disappointed" by the move and said it harmed both music fans and artists, urging YouTube chiefs to reconsider.

Walker suggested that a compromise could be reached, though, saying: "We feel we are so far apart that we have to remove content while we continue to negotiate with the PRS."