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YouTube is one of the largest digital platforms, with over 2.6 million monthly users and amazing content. Content creators utilize the platform to create interesting videos and earn through monetization. There’s a YouTube Premium option for users too, but there’s more. Creating videos on YouTube can be a fun and creative way to earn money, but you need to make sure that your videos are engaging.
One of the biggest concerns for content creators is the kind of music you can or cannot use in YouTube videos. Using audio that violates YouTube’s fair use policy can lead to YouTube restricting or blocking the video, giving your channel a strike, or copyright claiming it.
A single copyright strike can lead to you losing thousands of dollars in ad revenue since all of that money will go to the claimant. Therefore, you should know how to use music in your YouTube videos and which ones you can even use.
How does YouTube copyright work?
YouTube utilizes an efficient and robust copyright system called Content ID. The system allows content creators to preserve their work on the platform. Since YouTube is a public site, there’s a high chance someone could try and duplicate your video.
Whenever a channel uploads a video on YouTube, the Content ID scans if the video has copyrighted music. Luckily, content creators can use YouTube royalty-free music from channels like NCS. Getting a copyright strike or a claim on your YouTube video can:
- Block your video globally
- Restricting your videos in some regions, affecting your views
- Mute a particular section of your video
- Prevent your channel from getting monetized
These scenarios can be a big problem for content creators because their hard work can go to waste.
How to use Music in YouTube videos: 2022
YouTube has upgraded its Music Policy page along with the old Creator Studio. The database for the music policy can provide users with exact information about popular songs and their impact on use. It can tell what can happen if you use a particular song in your YouTube video.
How to use Music in YouTube videos?
The easiest way to use music in your videos without fearing copyright claims is to ask for permission from the artists. You should ask every music copyright holder for permission and get a license from them individually.
YouTube videos have a list of copyright holders on music that you can check, so you need to get a license from each member before publishing your video.
You may have to negotiate the license requirements and pricing for each of these songs and May also have to determine royalty rights. The royalty rights send a fraction of your video revenue to the copyright holders.
The copyrighting process can take a few months and cost content creators hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the song’s popularity.
Bottom line
Using music in YouTube videos requires content creators to get a license from all the copyright holders on the channel. Failing to negotiate a license with these holders but continuing to use the music in your video can lead to a copyright strike.
However, getting a license for your video can be prohibitively expensive, especially if you’re a smaller channel. Instead, you can add royalty-free music to your videos and avoid getting the license from the get-go. Better yet, you can also collaborate with smaller music producers on the platform and ask them to create music unique to your channel.
