Copyright claims can make or break a YouTuber’s career as it can lead to your content being removed too.
This can be quite saddening after days of effort and hard work.
But how to avoid copyright claims?
Well, there are many things to know about it and we are going to tell you that in the article below.
How to Avoid Copyright Claims on YouTube
In order to protect the creative rights of an artist, YouTube has certain copyright guidelines that every creator needs to follow.
When you use the music without the owner’s permission, the owner has the right to claim it.
YouTube uses a content ID algorithm to find videos that have copyrighted music.
If your video gets flagged by the content ID, it gets a copyright claim.
However, there are a few things that you can do to avoid getting flagged by YouTube.
Below are a few things that you can follow:
- Choose either your original music or choose music from a public domain.
- If you choose music that belongs to someone else, ensure to get permission from that artist.
- Once you’ve got the permission and you’re using the music, also go ahead and give credit to the artist whenever required.
Following the above-mentioned tips will help you to avoid copyright claims on YouTube.
Why Does YouTube Copyright Music?
The primary reason why YouTube copyrights music is to safeguard the owner’s hard work and creativity.
The copyright helps the rightful owner of the music to have all the monetary benefits that are gained via the music.
Also Read: How to Avoid Copyright on Instagram: Music and Images Copyright Rules
What Happens if You Break YouTube’s Copyright Policies with Your Content?
Several things can happen if you break YouTube‘s copyright policies with your content.
When you use someone else’s song or music in your video and it is flagged, the owner takes the decision.
The owner can decide whether he wants to get the video removed, block the video, or wants to monetize through it.
Where to Find Copyright-Free Music to Use on YouTube?
The best way to avoid copyright claims is by using copyright-free music.
In this case, you can either use an original track recorded by you or you can also explore the YouTube audio library to get access to copyright-free music to use in any video on YouTube.
These audio tracks are royalty-free and hence are safe to use.
What are the “Fair Use” and Other YouTube Copyright Myths?
The concept of fair use on YouTube is a legal doctrine.
Under this doctrine, for certain videos, it is okay to use copyrighted music without taking permission. This is only applicable for a few occasions as prescribed by YouTube.
What is more interesting is that these fair use terms can vary from one region to another.
However, some myths go around copyright claims and people do seem to believe it. We have listed down some of the most common ones below:
- The first and most common myth is that when a creator gives credit to the owner of the music that they have used and assumes that now it is okay to use it and avoid copyright claims.
- Another common myth about copyright claims is since many YouTubers do it, it is okay and safe to do it.
- The third myth is that if you have bought a certain track on iTunes or any other App Store, then you are allowed to use it.
- Another myth is to declare your work as a non-profit. People assume that this can allow them to use copyrighted music without any consequences.
- One myth that many YouTubers believe is that if they have a recording of the track via radio or TV, it is safe to use.
- Some YouTubers also believe that if they mention No Copyright Infringement Was Intended, then it does break the YouTube Copyright rules.
- It is also believed that if the music used is only played for 5 seconds or less, there will be no copyright claim.
Also Read: How to Play Music on Instagram Live Without Copyright
How to Use Copyrighted Music on YouTube Legally
Even with the complication of getting copyright claims, there are still solutions that help you to use copyrighted music legally.
Primarily, there are two methods through which you can use copyrighted music.
1. You can try and get permission or approval from the owner of the music or the song. Charging you a royalty or letting you use it without any payments will be the final call of the owner of the music.
2. The other method is to get a music license agreement which will allow you to use the music or sound in question without any problems. Here, an agreement is drawn upon which the legal terms and conditions of the payments and use are discussed.
What to Put in the Description on YouTube to Avoid Copyright?
Unfortunately, there’s no magic phrase you can put in your YouTube video description briefly or vaguely to avoid copyright claims.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. If I don’t monetize my video, can I use copyrighted music?
Ans. No, you cannot use copyrighted music even if you don’t intend to monetize it. You still need to get the permission of the owner before using it.
Q2. Can I avoid copyright claims by putting disclaimers in my video descriptions?
Ans. No, even if you put disclaimers in your YouTube video description without the permission of the owner of the music, you cannot avoid copyright claims.
Also Read: How to Find Email Address of YouTube Channel
To make a successful career as a YouTuber, it is important to avoid copyright claims.
Now that you know what to do, follow our guide to stay away from getting caught up in the copyright infringement situation.
Ensure to keep it clean and authentic.
Do let us know in the comments what your thoughts are and follow us for more insights.
