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YouTube's Support for Musicians Comes With a Catch (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the quid-pro-quo dept.

YouTube has asked musicians to agree not to disparage the streaming-video service in exchange for promotional support, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. From the report: In recent months, YouTube has given a handful of musicians a couple hundred thousand dollars to produce videos and promoted their work on billboards, part of a larger campaign to improve the site's relationship with the music industry. Yet such support comes with a catch, with some musicians required to promise the won't say negative things about YouTube, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private business transactions. Non-disparagement agreements are common in business, but YouTube's biggest direct competitors in music don't require them, the people said.

7 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Seems like a no-brainer.... by mark-t · · Score: 2

    If they are offering promotional support, why shouldn't you be obliged to not say bad things about them for the duration of that arrangement.... as long as saying bad things about them does not do anything more than terminate such support, I fail to see the problem.

    After all, if you say something about your boss that he finds (or would find) offensive, then why shouldn't he be able to fire you if he hears about it?

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    1. Re:Seems like a no-brainer.... by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 2

      I'd love to know what historical form of patronage allowed the artist to bad-mouth the patron. We even have a pithy phrase for it: "Biting the hand that feeds you."

      I agree that it would be ideal if this wasn't required of artists, but we hardly live in an ideal world. It's the megacorps that make the rules if you want to play in their park.

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      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    2. Re:Seems like a no-brainer.... by VeryFluffyBunny · · Score: 2

      Used to be in the music business. Saw a few contracts. They all had draconian, far-reaching non-disparagement clauses in them. The non-disparagement clauses weren't the worst things about the contracts. Looks like Google is just copying the music industry.

      --
      Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.
  2. Short sighted by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 3

    Over the decades, record companies have made a lot of money on hit songs in which bands complain about their record companies.

  3. Don't bite the hand that feeds you by nospam007 · · Score: 2

    Should be a no-brainer.

  4. Social media wants to censor music by AHuxley · · Score: 2

    Your artistic creativity? Their support.
    Your music has to fit their limiting US party politics.
    The wrong lyrics, cover art, politics, photo, video and your creativity is deranked, not able to be discovered, not able to be linked, commented on.

    Ensure your fans know of your own trusted fan site, email list, mailing list. Anything thats under the direct control of the artist and social media.
    What social media is ready to support might become reported and blocked on the whim of a social media SJW.

    Dont put all your talent and creativity onto big brand social media. Have your own sites, communications to connect to your fans.
    Use social media to spread your art and creativity. Find new fans. Never be dependant on social media and its SJW politics.
    Make your site the destination for fans with social media another option. When social media starts to block, ban, censor, derank, report, find another social media site to use.

    Just update your fan site with a new link and upload your work to social media that actually supports freedom of speech.

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    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  5. "Don't require them..." by RumGunner · · Score: 2

    Because they don't need them.