YouTube推遲封殺未簽約唱片公司

YouTube has postponed a controversial plan to block certain record labels from its video platform, following an outcry from the creative community and growing scrutiny from European regulators.

YouTube推遲了在其視頻網站上封殺部分唱片公司的計劃。此前，這一頗富爭議的計劃遭到了音樂產業的抗議，歐洲監管機構也表示將予以關注。

Two weeks ago, the Google-owned company warned that “in a matter of days” it would start taking down videos from a number of record labels that had refused to sign its new licensing terms.

兩週前，YouTube向仍拒絕與它簽訂新授權協議的唱片公司發出警告，稱將在“幾天內”撤下來自這些公司的視頻。

But the uproar that followed the revelations has prompted YouTube to make a last-minute U-turn. The world’s largest video streaming company is allowing more time to negotiate a solution with labels, although it still intends to block them if they cannot reach agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.

然而，消息引發的抗議之聲，促使YouTube在最後一刻改變了態度。據知情人士稱，這家全球最大視頻流媒體公司將留出更多時間，嘗試與唱片公司商談解決辦法。不過，如果雙方無法達成協議，YouTube仍計劃封殺這些唱片公司。

YouTube has already sent letters to a number of record labels giving notice that their existing contracts will be terminated.

YouTube已向多家唱片公司致信，通知它們現有合約將終止。

The dispute over licensing terms comes as YouTube prepares to add a number of features to its platform, including a subscription-based music streaming service that would rival Spotify and Deezer.

在雙方就授權條款產生分歧之際，YouTube計劃在自己的平臺上加入更多功能，包括基於訂閱的音樂流媒體服務，以期與Spotify和Deezer抗衡。

In an interview with the Financial Times two weeks ago, Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s head of content and business operations, said that record labels representing 95 per cent of the music industry had signed up to its new terms.

在兩週前接受英國《金融時報》採訪時，YouTube內容及商業運營主管羅伯特•金奇爾(Robert Kyncl)曾表示，佔音樂產業95%的唱片公司已與YouTube簽署了新條款。

But he said the remainder would be blocked from the platform – meaning that the labels would lose the ability to generate revenue from the videos on their YouTube channels or to monetise their music elsewhere on the platform.

他表示，其餘的唱片公司將被YouTube屏蔽。這意味着這些唱片公司將失去從YouTube視頻創造收入的能力。

YouTube, which declined to comment on the latest developments, has said that it is offering all record labels a fair deal that is consistent with the terms of other streaming services.

YouTube拒絕就最新進展置評。該公司表示，向所有唱片公司提出的協議是一致和公平的，與其他流媒體服務供應商的條款一致。

Indie labels holding out for a better deal are understood to include XL Recordings, whose artists include Adele and The xx, and Domino, the label behind Arctic Monkeys.

據悉，一些獨立唱片公司仍未與YouTube簽署協議，是希望尋求對自身更好的條款。它們包括旗下擁有阿黛爾(Adele)和The xx等藝人的XL Recordings，以及北極猴子(Arctic Monkeys)幕後的唱片公司Domino。