25th January 2017. I receive a message from Youtube:
A copyright owner asked us to take down your video because they believe that it contains material that violates their copyright.
So, Warner Music Group decided to take down my video. Ok... I know I did wrong! It is not right to use something that you do not own. I complety understand that! But... dearest Warner Music Group, if only you would put as much effort and time into promoting the music YOU OWN, as you do trying to get down all the other videos from Youtube, there would be less problems. I checked your Youtube channel, and guess what, there is no mention of The Queen Is Dead anniversary. There is no video to mark the wonderful 30 years since its release. Rest assured I would have used that official anniversary video, instead of losing an hour making one.
I am a journalist and I know that you have, here in Romania, a label that represents your artists. Last year in june, there was no press release in order to mark this (small) event. In fact, we never received any Smiths songs, ever! And... I am a journalist for the biggest radio station in my country. But, I must say that our radio listeners do ask to hear The Smiths and Morrissey. In 2014, for example, we received the album „World Peace Is None Of Your Business” form a listener who asked us to play it on the radio. I only mention this because you (the labels) always say that you do what „people ask”, that you listen to people's wishes. But... Have I said Romania?! Forget about it! Small and annoying country!
Let's talk about the way YOU are promoting your music online. When I decide to make a video and post it on Youtube, I do it because I like the song and I want to share it with others. On the other hand, you (meaning ALL THE LABELS) do it for the money. So why don't you, big & mighty labels, focus on changing the way the money is collected from streaming platforms?! We know that YouTube exists in 120 countries, but is only monetised in 26 of them. Why don't you focus on solving this problem instead of taking down videos from Youtube?! (Here is an interesting article, maybe it helps!). Find a way to earn money from Youtube without deleting other videos. Surely there must be a way!
I also understand the need of the labels to control the music business. It is hard to accept losing the power after all these years, so you are fighting back. Nice! You are aware that the only way to keep the power is by brainwashing the public. Otherwise, I can't understand why, when I open the first page on Youtube, the first videos I see are of the same 20 artists that I hear and see all day long on the radio and on TV. There is no choice! God forbid people should listen to something else! They might like it, they might „wake up”! And, obviously, you don't want that!
I know Morrissey and The Smiths are a sort of national treasure in the UK. And... what do you do with a treasure?... Well, you bury it! And, I must admit, you are doing quite a good job. What I don't understand is why you are trying to bury also the „map” that leads people to their music?
Obviously, this is not about my deleted video. I accept my fault, but it is hard not to see the way things go. I also know that there are and there will always be people ready to „sail” in the „shallow, muddy waters” of the Internet up to the end of the web, in order to find the music they like.
Maybe Warner Music Group should do its job and promote the music they own, or let those who really love music, do it by themselves. If you can't (are unable) or simply do not want to promote The Smiths or Morrissey, why stop those who do it for free? Just saying....
Here are some interesting articles about Youtube and the music business:
