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YouTube copyright: How to avoid YouTube Copyright Claims

Last Updated : 16 Jan, 2024
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People who make content often have trouble with copyright claims. YouTube gave out an amazing 700 million content ID claims to YouTubers just in 2021! Most of the time, they’re pretty easy to fix. It’s not always clear what they are or why they happen, though.

Here we will understand what are copyright claims on YouTube and how can they be avoided.

YouTube-copyright-How-to-avoid-YouTube-copyright-claims

What does a copyright claim mean on YouTube?

What does it mean to make a copyright claim on YouTube? Music copyright claims protect artists and musicians from unauthorized use. Copyright holders can manage how their work is used, which is difficult on YouTube, where 720,000 hours of video are uploaded daily.

You may be wondering when such a claim will come in. For example, you posted a magic show with a Metallica song without authorization. YouTube will notify you of a copyright claim on your video by email. The owner of the copyright would then be able to do many things, such as take down your movie.

YouTube’s Copyright Policies

Content ID Technology: YouTube’s Content ID system detects videos featuring unauthorized music or audio, notifying copyright holders.

Options for Copyright Owners: Upon notification, copyright owners can choose to monetize, mute, or block the video. Monetizing allows them to earn ad revenue.

Limitations of Content ID: Content ID doesn’t differentiate between legal and illegal use of copyrighted material in videos.

Disputing a Claim: If you have legal permission for copyrighted material, you can dispute a Content ID claim, and the copyright owner can release the claim.

Consequences of Violation: Without legal permission, YouTube may strike down your video, preventing monetization for 90 days and requiring you to understand YouTube’s copyright enforcement.

How does Copyright Work on YouTube?

YouTube actively searches for copyrighted content and issues copyright claims to violators. That means YouTube will know if you use Drake, Ariana Grande, or The Beatles as the music in your videos.

When you post a video to your channel that contains copyrighted material, its all-seeing Content ID system will let you know. The innovative fingerprinting technique Content ID works as Shazam can identify copyrighted music and film. Copyright owners can then elect to keep the video, restrict its visibility, or block it.

What happens if you break YouTube’s Copyright Policies with your Content

Below are some Consequences of Breaking YouTube’s Copyright Policies

Suppose you choose not to listen to the advice and use music that is protected by copyright without approval from the owner. Copyright holders will likely file a claim against your content if they find out that you’ve used their work without permission. If you do this, the following things could happen to your video:

Stop selling your content

Making money is the most common outcome of a copyright infringement claim, but not by you! If the person who owns the rights to the music finds out that you’re using it without permission, they can make money off of your movie and take all the money it brings in instead of you.

Muting what you’re saying

If the owner of the rights doesn’t want to make money off of your content, they’ll probably still mute it if it uses a song or audio file without permission. People will still be able to watch your movie, but the sound will be missing from the part where the copyrighted song should be. Audio is one of the most important parts of a good YouTube video, so if yours doesn’t have any, you could lose a lot of views.

Keeping track of your posts

The person who owns the copyright can choose to keep track of how many people have seen your work without you having to do anything else. Even though this doesn’t sound too bad, don’t count on it happening to you because it’s the very least likely outcome of claims of copyright theft.

Getting your stuff blocked

If someone owns the copyright to your material, blocking it is the most permanent thing that can be done. In other words, YouTube will no longer be able to show it, and your whole channel could be punished. There’s nothing worse than planning, filming, editing, and uploading a movie just to have it taken down from public view.

Differences between Copyright Strikes and Copyright Claims

Even though copyright claims and copyright strikes are related in intellectual property law, they have different purposes and outcomes that can happen. A copyright claim is an initial notice, similar to a preliminary injunction, that someone might be using protected material without permission. These claims are usually made by automated systems, like YouTube’s Content ID and the revenue that the allegedly stolen work generates is usually sent to the owner of the copyright. However, the content that was affected can still be viewed.

On the other hand, a copyright strike is a more serious result, like a final court decision. The person who owns the copyright sends an official Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown request to initiate one of these strikes. The goal of a strike is to get rid of all the content that is claimed to be illegal from the platform. Remember, if you get multiple strikes, then your channel can also shut down.

Both ways, be they copyright claims or copyright strikes, are ways to report copyright violations. But when it comes to copyright claims, it is like a warning, and at the same time, a copyright strike is a strict legal action that can have a deep impact on content creators. Therefore, it is always advised to be very careful while using copyrighted content in your videos. 

Tips to Avoid Copyright on YouTube

Upload the original footage

Ensure that the content you present to your audience and viewers is unique, original, and creative. Presenting original content to your audience reduces the chances that you will use copyrighted content without permission.

Never upload sensitive or harmful content

Putting up private or harmful videos on YouTube. Anything that violates someone’s privacy and is aggressive, hateful, discriminating, or inflammatory falls into this category. Personal information about other people, like addresses, phone numbers, and private pictures or videos, should not be shared without their permission. 

Spreading fake information or encouraging harmful behavior can also get videos taken down or additional penalties applied. It’s very important to follow YouTube’s community standards, which cover a lot of ground, from spam and scams to harmful or dangerous content.

Know what fair use means

Find out as much as you can about “fair use” and how to use it.

People review, comment on, report on, teach, study, and cite copyrighted content as long as they do so in a fair way.

Watermark and copyright your videos

Watermarks, which are usually logos or writing, show where a video came from and stop people from using it without permission. Copyright notices should be in the video’s caption or on the video itself. This note should have the copyright sign (©), the year it was first published, and the name of the owner. In some places, you can protect your work legally by registering it with the National Copyright Office. You can control and keep an eye on your content on YouTube with the material ID system. If someone uploads a video that fits your tastes, YouTube will let you know and do what you want.

Use copyright-free content

Refer to websites that have no copyright restrictions on songs, videos, and pictures. Some websites offer content with licenses to use that material without breaking copyright laws.

Get the licences

Suppose you are still willing to use third-party content, then get all the permissions and licenses to use the same. It is really essential for songs, movie clips, and other things that are protected by copyright.

Check out the audio library on YouTube

Take help from YouTube’s audio library, where there is a wide collection of music and sound effects that you can use without worrying about copyright problems.

Use content from Creative Commons

Search for content that has been launched under the banner of Creative Commons. This type of license usually lets you reuse content as long as you follow some rules. Make sure you follow the exact rules that are written in the license.

Give attribute/credit

If you use Creative Commons or other licensed work, you need to give credit where credit is due, as required by the license. It is very important for staying in line.

Make extreme edits

If you want to use copyrighted information, you might want to change it a lot. It is sometimes allowed as fair use, and it makes it less likely that someone will claim copyright.

Use content in the public domain

Seek out material that is in the public domain because it doesn’t have to follow any copyright rules. When it comes to your videos, public domain resources can be a safe choice.

How to not get copyrighted on YouTube

Use Original Content: Create and use your own original content. This is the most straightforward way to avoid copyright issues.

Understand Fair Use

Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows you to use copyrighted material under certain circumstances, such as for commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports. However, the rules for fair use can be complex, and they’re often judged on a case-by-case basis.

Get Permission

If you want to use someone else’s copyrighted content, you can reach out to them and ask for permission. If granted, you’ll likely need to give credit to your video and description.

Use Copyright-Free Music

There are many resources for copyright-free music that you can use in your videos.

Respond to copyright notices appropriately

If you receive a copyright notice, don’t ignore it. YouTube provides several options, including disputing the claim if you believe you have the right to use the content.

Stock music

Historically, copyright problems have been dodged on YouTube by using stock music. Without any restrictions, stock music can be used in any video, whether it’s licensed for free or for a fee. The stock music is boring and doesn’t fit with the style or mood of the movie. It is safe and legal for creators who don’t want to deal with music rights. Even though it has some problems, stock music has been used for a long time in video production as simple background music or sound effects. A lot of stock music sources now have a lot of different tracks, which makes them better and more varied. It might not be as flexible as original works, but it doesn’t break copyright laws, which is a big problem on YouTube.

Popular music

If you want to use a copyrighted song, you’ll need to get in touch with the artist or owner of the song. Most of the time, you talk to popular musicians directly, but you can also talk to their music publishers.

How to Use Copyrighted Music on YouTube Legally

Suppose you officially want to use music that is protected by copyright. In that case, you need to get the right licenses and permissions.

Here are a few of the most typical legal methods for using copyrighted music on YouTube:

License or Permit from the Copyright Owner

Now, if you are willing to use copyrighted music on YouTube, then with a license or authorization directly from the owner, it is possible. For the same, contact the copyright holder.

Use Creative Commons music

As a nonprofit organization, Creative Commons protects creators’ intellectual property while licensing their work.

Use public-domain music

A piece of music that is in the public domain is unlicensed and doesn’t need permission to use it. It is free to use after it has been released from copyright protection.

Find copyright-free music on YouTube

YouTube’s Audio Library

YouTube’s audio library is one of the best sources of music tracks for video creators. There are no issues when you use these tracks in your videos.

Pixabay

Another interesting tool that makes more than 10,000 free music tracks available for YouTube videos is Pixabay. You can easily use these tracks for your YouTube videos.

Snapmuse

The Snapmuse library has a large variety of royalty-free music that you can use in your videos and projects.

Stripe

There is also a YouTube playlist on Soundstripe that contains the best royalty-free music from YouTube.

Conclusion

YouTube is a wonderful platform to showcase your skills to the world and deliver unique and creative ideas through valuable content to subscribers and viewers. To overcome the barrier of copyright issues during this journey of success. But with the right steps and methods, you can search for the perfect music that will give your videos and channel a good ranking.

FAQs

What happens if you get three copyright strikes on YouTube?

If you get three copyright strikes, your account and all feeds connected to it will be closed. Because of this, all the films on all the channels will be taken down, and no new channels can be made.

Why does YouTube copyright music?

YouTube’s Content ID safeguards musicians by enabling users to monetize their music in user-generated videos. When you upload a video to YouTube, the site checks to see if it has any music that is protected.

How do you resolve a copyright claim on YouTube?

Those claiming ownership of your work can do one of three things:

  • After 90 days, it will be erased.
  • Talk to the owner of the copyright and ask them to take back the claim.
  • If you think the first claim was unfair, you can send a counter-notice.

How do I overcome copyright issues on YouTube?

You can easily overcome copyright issues on YouTube-

  • Hold on until the 90-day copyright strike period is over.
  • You can ask the person who owns the copyright to take back their request to have it removed.
  • If you disagree with the claim, send a counter-notice.

What should I put in my YouTube description to avoid copyright?

You can put a disclaimer in the video’s description where you explain the reasons for using third-party content in your video. Another thing that you can do is to credit the owner and disclose the fair use rights.

Should I delete the copyright claim video?

If you delete a YouTube video that someone has claimed as their own, it might still affect your channel. The person who made the claim may sue you even though you removed the video.



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