YouTube is about to begin a mass cull of music videos by artists including Adele and the Arctic Monkeys, after a number of independent record labels refused to sign up to the licensing terms for its new subscription service.

The Google-owned company will start blocking videos “in a matter of days” to ensure that all content on the new platform is governed by its new contractual terms, said Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s head of content and business operations.

Google’s decision to press ahead without some of the best-known artists shows its determination to enter the fast-growing market for music subscription services. Amazon last week launched its own service as part of its Prime subscription bundle, while Apple last month acquired Beats Music through its $3bn purchase of headphone maker Beats Electronics.