2018 will be “the year of music for YouTube and Google”, says Lyor Cohen

2018 will be “the year of music for YouTube and Google”, says Lyor Cohen

Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music, has been interviewed by "Music Ally". During the chat he said that 2018 will be “the year of music for YouTube and Google” and suggested the animosity between the video platform and the music industry will soon be a thing of the past.

He explained that YouTube wants to work with labels and managers on marketing and content campaigns:

First of all, [it’s] not being an organisation that is [about] simply deal making but also creating a level to the organisation that works intimately with the labels, the artists and the managers to understand what's important to them, when it's important to them.
I think [in the past] we didn't have an organisation that knew what was important to the labels or to the artist community at any given time. And now we're getting so many phone calls from labels, artist managers and artists themselves asking us to work with them and understand their priorities as well as what is important to them. It has been a very healthy experience.

Cohen also added:

I consider this the year of music for YouTube and Google. It's too easy of a soundbite – 'value gap'. I believe that YouTube contributes in such a significant way to the artist community. And to segments of the community that doesn't have access to rational media but who wants to build their audience – whether that's grime or other types of music that have found their voice on YouTube. With the ability for us to not simply play in advertising but also in subscription, I think the music industry will recognise us as a huge value contributor… The story that hasn't been written, and that should be written, is that of a highly consolidated distribution network. That is way more dangerous than anything else that this music business has to face… I would like to see the music industry – and it is starting to happen, trust me – come work alongside us and help build products and tools to make a healthier ecosystem for the artists and the labels.