YouTube's hotly anticipated streaming music service does not have a definite release date, according to company CEO Susan Wojcicki.
"I think there's a lot of opportunity," Wojcicki said at Re/code's Code/Mobile conference Monday, Oct. 27, CNet reported. "It's amazing how much music we have ... I remain optimistic that you can see it soon."
In April, a YouTube executive told Billboard that the initial delays were caused by the desire to "get it right." Parent company Google already has contracts with major labels over licensing.
Wojcicki also said the company was looking into offering a paid subscription service that would allow viewers for its video platform to skip advertisements. Competitor Hulu has a paid subscription service, Hulu Plus, which does not offer an ad-free option.
"YouTube right now is ad-supported, which is great because it has enabled us to scale to a billion users, but there's going to be a point where people don't want to see the ads," Wojcicki said. "We're thinking about how to give users options."
YouTube first announced its plans to launch a streaming music service in 2013, but the world has yet to experience it. In May, the Worldwide Independent Network, which represents tons of indie labels, accused YouTube of offering contracts with sub-par agreements, essentially undervaluing the music on the labels, The Guardian reported.
WIN also alleged that the company threatened to remove music videos by artists belonging to indie labels that did not sign contracts for the streaming service.
"Our members are small businesses who rely on a variety of income streams to invest in new talent. They are being told by one of the largest companies in the world to accept terms that are out of step with the marketplace for streaming," said WIN chief executive Alison Wenham in a press release.
Negotiations with the indie labels have yet to improve.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
