omonatheydid | COULD YOUTUBE RED CAUSE K-POP TO GO DARK IN THE US?

On October 28, 2015, YouTube Red is set to launch. YouTube Red, in theory, is a decent idea for anyone wanting to pay $9.99 a month. There’s no ads, there’s access to Google Play Music, exclusive content, and Google’s new gaming platform according to the YouTube blog.

YouTube’s chief business officer, Robert Kyncl, said, “Ninety-nine point nine percent of the content on YouTube will be free, as it always has been.”

While this sounds like a good deal for users, companies and creators do not have the option to opt-out of YouTube Red. Creators have to opt-in to the service or risk going dark in some countries, especially in the United States. YouTube will mark videos as private, so YouTube users other than the creators themselves cannot view the videos.

In short, if creators and companies do not opt-in, they do not exist in the YouTube sphere.

As of October 24, 2015, Woollim Entertainment is one of the first victims of YouTube Red with content going dark.

Infinite, Lovelyz, Nell, Kim Sung Kyu, and Tasty’s videos cannot be viewed through Woollim’s page.

The New York Times reported that YouTube has threatened to block companies’ content (including but not limited to K-Pop companies) if they do not opt-in, stating “The executives said YouTube had implied that if they didn’t provide content for subscribers, there was a chance their ad-supported content would not be available on YouTube in the United States.”

J.Tune Camp, Brave Entertainment, SSEnt(OP:though there are some video that are still available on this sites channel), and 防弾少年団 JAPAN OFFICIAL(OP:The only ones that are set to private are the Japanese music videos) (BTS Japan) are also set to private.

Still safe are SMTown, YG, TS Entertainment, JYP, 1theK, Pledis, Happy Face, Cube, Jellyfish, and LOEN among others, but with five already not surviving the cut, who else will disappear?

The blocks aren’t limited to just K-Pop, as J-Pop artists, too, are being blocked. If you’re a fan of SCANDAL, well, don’t go to their official channel to watch MVs because they’re not there.

According to a YouTube spokesperson, “Today, the overwhelming majority of our partners, representing nearly 99 percent of the content watched on YouTube, have signed up. Videos of partners who don’t update their terms will be made private, but we remain committed to working closely with these partners with the goal of bringing them on board.”

What does this all mean?

Well, if companies do not pay what YouTube Red wants, the channels essentially go dark like in the case of Woollim and J.Tune Camp currently. Viewers can still see the pages, but the videos will be blocked unless someone has access to an IP block. We have one, but even in some instances where our IP is outside the country, the videos are still blocked. However, if K-Pop companies do not opt-in, viewers in the US won’t be able to watch videos via official channels, which hurts the artists and the companies.

Already on Twitter and Facebook, K and J-Pop fans are rallying to call for YouTube boycotts. But with YouTube and Google, a boycott will essentially fall on deaf ears. Money talks louder than the rallying cry of fans. However, it doesn’t hurt to make your voice heard.

The bottom line is money. YouTube wants money; the companies want money and don’t want to fork over the money to opt-in to Red. In the meantime, fans are caught in the middle.

source: whatthehallyu, J.Tune Camp, Brave Entertainment, SSEnt & 防弾少年団 JAPAN OFFICIAL, twitter & The New York Times, YouTube: 1 & 2

OP: I'm kind of more interested to know what is really going on. I've mostly seen people speculating that its because YouTube Red, and some say maybe its just an issue of country restriction, which doesn't make much sense. To people thinking it has something to do with the Lawsuit against CJ E&M lawsuit...but that doesn't make any sense either. what do ya'll think its about? And as the articles states its the US that is having this issue, haven't seen anything about it happening in other places (tho I know that Germany deals with this a lot.)

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

fallendaydreams.livejournal.com

Greed ruins everything

From:

honeebs.livejournal.com

money hungry asshats
the beginning of the end

From:

hipployta.livejournal.com

I guess kpop fans are about to have a section on Naver

From:

sayuridoll.livejournal.com

i don't get why anyone would pay for youtube red (it sounds so much like redtube smh) when there is ad block

i wonder how much you have to pay to opt in? or maybe i'm just confused.

From:

jeliza

The last I heard (which was last year, when it was still called Youtube Music Key) was that you didn't have to pay to opt in, but there are conditions youtube is imposing on the content -- like you can't release it anywhere elsewhere first, which really screws over ppl like indie musicians who make more of their money from bandcamp/patreon/pledgemusic, and I could see not playing well with something like Naver http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/23/zoe-keating-youtube-block-channel

I assume some things have changed since then, but it's not like Youtube has ever been transparent with its dealings with musicians.

endless charms, endless possibilities

COULD YOUTUBE RED CAUSE K-POP TO GO DARK IN THE US?

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