How does WMG expect to make money off music no one is hearing?

Recently I've become addicted to YouTube. I recently found that I can watch gay story lines from TV shows and movies from around the world. I need this. I've been watching straight romantic story lines all my life but being a gay man something is always missing. I don't mind it really. I mean if there were no straight people there would be no people, so I'm not one of those people who seems to think gay is better and everyone should have to have gay representation. I do think gay people have money and if you want that money you should represent them. After all money from gay people is still money. Spends exactly the same, and whether you accept gay people, appreciate them, or just tolerate them, if you have a business it make sense to be inclusive rather than exclusive.

But still, I need this. I need to see people like me fall in love, move in together, have commitment ceremonies, have children through a surrogate or adoption, or even fostering. I need to see people like me have careers, friends, and family. I need it because we all need things we can relate to. It's just different watching it all happen to a straight couple.

So I've been enjoying watching a lot of clips on YouTube. Unfortunately I keep running into this "This video contains content from WMG, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds" This, is Warner Music Group finding some song that belongs to them in a clip on YouTube and blocking it because they haven't gotten money for it from YouTube, or the uploader. Now I know how copyright works. It doesn't matter if there are 1,000 videos with the same song in them out there. As long as you block 1 you're showing you are protecting your content, and therefore if someone uses it to make money you can go after them. If you don't make at least one show of trying to protect your content, litigation will fail. The offender can say "well look at all these infractions and you've never gone after one of them, why am I so special." and actually get off.

Now, my assumption is that because YouTube is advertiser supported that they are making an argument that YouTube/Google is actually making money off their content. Not a bad argument, splitting hairs really. They could be going after something more substantial, but YouTube is easily assessable. Question is who would watch a clip over and over to avoid buying a song when you can get it off iTunes for a dollar.

This is where I have a problem with their strategy. They want to get money from YouTube every time that video with their song is played, and Google is probably saying we don't make money off it every time, why should you?

Like I said I've been spending a lot of time watching these videos on YouTube the past couple months. I've also found in these videos a lot of music I would not have otherwise heard. I don't go to clubs, I don't watch TV, I don't listen to the radio (I used to listen in the car but then every day on the way to work, they would play that Enya song from Lord of the Rings Return of the King, and I would have to fight to stay awake. Enya to me is like Valium. I think the station thought that it would reduce road rage, but millions of people all fighting to stay awake at the same time while driving, to me, doesn't decrease traffic accidents) and after working in a video store for 13 years, I don't watch many movies any more. So except for the few TV shows I do watch, and videos on YouTube, where am I going to come across this music they are trying to sell?

There you go. I've spent over $90 in the past 2 months downloading music off iTunes. Mainly music I've heard in these video clips. So since I've seen at least a hundred of these "This video contains content from WMG, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds" I guess Warner Music Group has been the only music seller that hasn't benefited from my new obsession. WTG WMG! How do you think you're going to sell music no one is hearing? I mean I get it. I remember the golden days of Napster. But guess what? Now I'm paying for it and you are missing out. Enjoy!

I love iTunes btw! I cannot tell you how many times in my 41 years I've bought a whole album for one song. I cannot tell you how many times I felt so ripped off, because I heard one great song on the radio, bought the album (vinyl, cassette, CD and some times multiple times when I did like most of the album because I bought the vinyl but then no longer have a record player, so I bought the cassette, or I have the cassette but why not have it on CD, or I bought the CD and can't find it so why not buy it off iTunes) only to listen to it and find I like that 1 song and that's it. Oh and here is my favorite. You hear a song by the original artist in a movie, so you buy the soundtrack and it actually has a different version of the song that was in the movie. Now if I like that one song I can preview the other songs and if only that one song is floating my boat, I only have to buy that one song. Fantastic! Thank you iTunes!