As if halving its royalties for music streaming last week wasn’t a big enough plea to YouTube, PRS For Music is really making sure the video site gets the message. Its online and broadcast MD Andrew Shaw took to the airwaves of BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours programme on Monday, saying about the rate cut: “We very much hope that this is to enable to them to return music to users who enjoy their service in the UK.” Talks are ongoing, Shaw said.

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No wonder PRS wants YouTube back - the site contributed 40 percent of PRS members’ plays at one point last year. But Shaw was clear that won’t see Google’s site treated as a special case and denied the rate slashing was specifically designed just to lure it back: “Our organisation is here to license the entire market… This consultation period started long before the YouTube dispute arose.” Shaw admitted that YouTube was significant but said PRS has lots of online payees like Spotify and Napster.