Can I use copyrighted music on YouTube?
There is no shortage of free indie music but it wouldn’t it be better to use a famous song that everyone knows? In fact, in many cases you can!
Read on to learn how you can legally use copyrighted music in your video or vlog and what happens if you use copyrighted music on YouTube.
How YouTube copyright works
YouTube employs a robust copyright system called Content ID that helps music owners to protect their work and to make money to allowing others to use their music in YouTube videos.
Every time you upload a video, YouTube scans it to detect if your video contains any copyrighted music. If it finds a match, you get a copyright claim.
When you get a claim, these things may happen:
- Ads appear in your video.
- You can’t monetize your video.
- Your video is blocked in some countries.
- Your video is muted.
- Your video is blocked worldwide.
Most copyright owners will be OK if you use their music in exchange for having ads running in your video.
Thus, the BIG question is:
How do I know what happens if I use copyrighted music in my video?
To find out, look at YouTube Music Policy database.
UPDATE
YouTube has removed the Music Policy page along with the old Creator Studio. According to YouTube, the page wasn’t “popular enough”.
We’ve published a new post that explains how you can see if any song or piece of music is copyrighted with 100% accuracy.
Related: How to check if song is copyrighted on YouTube
You can read below (and see how great and useful it was) or jump to the next section that discusses how copyright claims affect your channel.
The music policy database lists thousands of popular songs and can tell you EXACTLY what will happen when you use a particular song in a YouTube video.
If you scroll through the policy or look up some of your favorite artists, you’ll notice that some songs are not available at all:
So, it would be a BAD idea to use this song.
Some are available to use if you’re OK with the ads in your videos:
So it would be OK to use this song but..
IMPORTANT: If you use any music listed in the Music Policy database, you will receive a copyright claim notifying you that you use copyrighted content.
Can copyright claims penalize my channel?
Unlike copyright strikes, the claims are merely notifications. It’s how YouTube tells you that it detected some copyrighted content in your video.
As long as your video isn’t blocked and you don’t mind the ads, you can simply ignore the claims.
However, you want to avoid copyright claims when:
b) You create promotional videos for your business or for clients. The ads may appear in your videos. These ads may promote a competing product.
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Can I get in legal trouble if I use copyrighted music on YouTube?
Technically, yes.
In theory, any time you use copyrighted content without the explicit permission from the owner you expose yourself for a potential copyright lawsuit.
However, the reality isn’t always that grim.
In vast majority of cases you will simply get a claim (as described in the previous section).
If fact getting the claim means that copyright owners allows you to use the music in exchange for getting the ad revenue from your videos.
DISCLAIMER: Be smart about using copyrighted material. Please do not consider this post as legal advise or permission to use somebody else’s music.
How to avoid copyright claims
If you want to use a well know popular song registered with Content ID, the only way to remove the claim is to get license from the copyright owner.
Sadly, unless you run an advertising agency or a movie studio, licensing top artists would be close to impossible budget-wise.
Learn more how to license commercial music in a film or video.
Not all is lost, though. There is plenty of legal free music on the Web, starting from public domain music, creative commons music, in addition to free music distributed by artists and some music libraries.
However,
You still can get copyright clams for using free music, even if you obtained it legally.
Remember, it depends on whether the music is registered in YouTube’s Content ID database or not. Many artists who distribute their music for free register it with Content ID to make money from the ads.
Based on our experience, we recommend:
b) If you monetize your channel or create commercial / promotional videos, get proper licenses for all music that you use. You can get license directly from copyright owners or from a music library.
Having a license will give you ability to remove the claim if you ever get one.
Read more: How to resolve YouTube copyright claims
Learn more: How to recognize and dispute false copyright claims (with examples).
Takeaway
You CAN use copyrighted music on YouTube, as long as you understand the rules.
If a particular song is registered with Content ID, you will get a claim. It doesn’t matter is that song is labelled “royalty free”, “no copyright”, or came from a music library.
Most claims (unlike strikes) are harmless but ads may appear in your video and you may not be able to monetize.
Having a license or a formal permission will help you to quickly and easily resolve copyright claims and in some cases even whitelist your entire channel.
Related: YouTube Copyright: The Ultimate Guide
Related: Non Copyrighted Music For YouTube Videos
Test your knowledge
True or False? I can safely use copyrighted music on YouTube if I give credit.
False! Content ID system does not care whether you give credit of not. If the song is registered in the Content ID system, you will get a claim on your video.
True or False? Will I get a strike if I dispute the claim?
False. There is no penalty for disputing copyright claims.
Questions?
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I purchased a song on audiojungle with standard licensing but I’m still getting copyright claims on my videos. I disputed the claim and I’m still waiting. One thing I want to know is when my videos are deemed okay by Youtube, do I have to go through this every time?
Sorry to hear. Unfortunately, we cannot tell you when the claims will get removed. That really depends on many factors, such as what tracks you licensed, who administers Content ID for these tracks, and the willingness of the content owner to provide after sale support to name a few. For our clients, we offer to whitelist the channels to prevent repeated claims. We can’t speak for Audiojungle but our process is described here: https://www.tunepocket.com/resolve-youtube-copyright-claims/ Hope this helps!
I wanted to create a small band from few years… I decided to open the band but can I use other’s songs without vocals? will it be against copywrite or something…
So you’re looking to make cover songs? While the law does not stop you from recording or performing other people’s songs, you need to understand the limitations. If you want to release and distribute a cover song, you’ll need the mechanical license. If you want to make a video you may need a sync license from the publisher. If you want to perform, the venue needs to have the performance license. If you want to use a “karaoke” version to record your vocals you need to make sure you have the rights to use that recording for whatever you’re planning to do with it. Hope this helps.
good day, I create real estate videos , walk thru’s through homes and use music from todays artist
I am not monetized and dont plan on it, I pay for ads and views and i have copyright claims on the music in the videos, is this bad Today one sound gave me a partial block, is this bad ?
the question is if youtube allows me to upload it, and says the the owner allows the claim , is there anything to worry about ? alos I just had youtube mute the music and it lifted the strlke on the new video
When you pay for the ads and promotion for your videos, it would make more business sense to have the videos promoted with original music and sound. After all music plays big role in marketing. The best option is to license the music, whitelist your channel, and stop worrying about the claims and getting your videos muted or blocked. If you only need a handful of soundtracks see here: https://www.tunepocket.com/pay-as-you-go-membership/ (alternatively you can get the unlimited plan and get access to 11K+ songs). Hope this helps!
How can i get the permission from the owner of the music to use in youtube?
Unless you’re getting the music from a music library (that has already pre-cleared their music for YouTube), you have to track down the owner’s contact information and ask. For most commercial records that includes the record label and the publisher or directly the musician for the indies.
Question, if I use a copyrighted song on a video I can’t monetize that video but can I monetize others videos without any copyrighted song on the same channel?? . or the restrictions about monetizing is for the whole channel??. Ty in advance for your answer.
If one of your videos got a claim that does not affect other videos in your channel. You can also dispute the claim and restore monetization if you have the license to use the claimed music. The good news, YouTube will put monetization on hold for the duration of the dispute and you get all the money back once the claim is resolved. You can learn more about disputing the claims here: How to resolve YouTube copyright claims
Hi, I make lyrics and changing real song into lo-fi on YouTube. Can I use copyrighted music if the owner allows his music/content to be used? Will my videos get monetized?
As long as you have the permission of the owner, you will be able to resolve the claims and restore monetization. Whether you videos can get monetized or not depends primarily if the videos meet youtube’s requirements for monetization. YouTube is quite picky these days as to what channels can be monetized.
Hello! What about making a video and talking about a specific band or artis, and playing their music on the background? Not critizicing, but rather, kind of promoting their music.
By example, I am making a cooking video and on the background there is music playing. While chopping onions I comment about the music in the background and the performing artist…
Could you please give some advise? Thank you!
Thanks for the comment but what are you asking specifically? If music is registered with content id, you will get the claim. If you’re not monetizing you can simply ignore the claim, it won’t penalize your channel. If you do monetize, you can either ask the music owner for permission (or get a license) or argue fair-use (however, that rarely works).
What about a deceased artist like Nipsey Hussle? I’d like to use his music on YouTube. How can I get permission to do so? Thanks
For commercial artists the copyright is typically split between their record label (for the master recording) and the publisher (for the composition). Currently, all copyright-eligible works created on or after January 1, 1978 are protected for 70 years after the death of their author.
But what about live streams? How copyright works when streaming live on YouTube? I have my streams cut and interrupted because of copyright. THanks!
Good point! We published a handy guide here that explains how to avoid copyright issues with YouTube live streams: https://www.tunepocket.com/avoid-copyright-youtube-live-stream/
Question…if I was previously involved with a channel on YouTube that used my copyrighted music, when I leave the show am I able to ask that all previous videos be taken down that included my music?
That depends on your agreement with that channel. On what terms did you let them use your music? Did you grant then a lifetime license, for example? Ultimately, as the copyright owner you have the right to decide what others are allowed to do with your music.
Can I pls have a procedure of replacing claimed song with ads or other songs
Normally you can swap the claimed songs directly in YouTube’s studio: click on the video copyright details and then choose the options that says “Replace Song”. However, note that you will only be able to replace it with music from youtube’s audio library. That’s a big limitation.
If you want to keep the same song and remove the claim you will need to dispute it – see how to remove copyright claims on youtube. This tutorial primarily applies to our music but you’ll see the procedure.
Hi, can I use copyrighted music (specially japanese music) for a channel I do not plan to monitise, just making videos and posting my work on it using those songs and setting them to public without getting a strike or having my channel taken down?
It really comes down to how copyright owners decide to protect their content. Most would be OK to simply monetize it through ads, however some may instruct YouTube to take down your videos if you use their content without permission. While the chances are relatively low, as long as you’re using copyrighted content without a license, there is always a risk.
If I use song from epidemic sound and then upload in my channel is it I able to monetize? even I got license which I pay monthly plan to them.
We can’t really speak for Epidemic but we assume you should be able to. However, keep in mind that their license is much more restrictive compared to TunePocket, for example. For instance, with Epidemic you can’t make music only videos, they will revoke your license and claim your videos. Furthermore, with Epidemic, you can’t re-use their music once you stopped your payments, they will claim your new videos. Hope this helps.
I often enjoy putting on a “music video quiz”… however, they all seem to use the same music (more or less)
I’d like to create my own, same format, short clips, pause, give users a chance to guess, then reveal.
I’m happy to list my video as unmonetized, it’s just for fun…. will I have a problem? or should I strictly adhere to the song list you’ve provided… I’d hate to have any of my songs muted completely, defeats the purpose of the quiz…
That really depends on the specific clips you’re planning to use. Generally, as long as you’re OK with copyright claims, you should be able to use popular music short clips in a quiz video. Your video will have ads and copyright owners will be compensated that way. However, you won’t be able to monetize videos with copyright claims. Hope this helps!
Will my videos still get copyright claims even when I use a music from Youtube music labrary?
According to YouTube you won’t, however, there are people who claim they still got copyright claims for using music from YouTubes free audio library.
Here’s an example from Google support forum: https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/9211503/copyright-claim-on-song-from-youtube-s-free-audio-library?hl=en
We generally recommend having a license for any music you use, especially if you monetize the channel.
What about singing a copyrighted song yourself – is permission from the copyright holder necessary? and how do you go about paying royalties when your YouTube channel has no revenue?
You don’t need a permission to sing somebody else’s song. However, if you’re going to use it a video, you will need the sync license from the song publisher. On YouTube the royalties are collected automatically with the help of Content ID. YouTube system can recognize the melody and claim the video.
I would like to create a channel for slowed and reverbed mixes of other people’s songs. If I go ahead and do this with NO monetization, ever, and give full credit to the artists and copyright holders, will this ever result in legal troubles like lawsuits and the like? Thanks
That’s not impossible and did happen in the past. However, in a most likely scenario you will simply get a claim on your video. The claim typically means that copyright owner is allowing you to use the music in exchange for getting paid for the ads that might appear in your video.
Hello! I have 2 youtube channels related to meditation music. If I took subscription of 1 year, will I be able to use music on both my channel ?
Yes, you can use the music on both channels, as long as you directly manage these channels. Thanks!
I want to be able to use any song I want without being copyrighted, so I’m wondering if I buy the YouTube license and use a popular song in my dance video, will I still be copyrighted?
Music can be a powerful tool when used correctly. When using a song in a video, it’s important to discuss licensing with the rights holder to avoid legal repercussion. To use the original track, you might need to purchase the license.
Hello
I do post stage performances of artist but I have no copyright claim on them
Can I monetize??
What is copyright strike?
In short, a very bad thing for your YouTube channel. You get one when a copyright owner submits a formal legal request to take down your video for copyright violation. Learn more here: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2814000
Putting aside the use of a commercial recorded performance of a copyrighted song, if I want to record the composition myself and therefore own the performance copyright, how do the original composer and music publisher of that song get compensated?
Typically through publishing: either via their PRO (performance rights organization) or via publishing claims on YouTube. You still need the sync license from the publisher even if you want to use your own recording of someone else’s song in your video. You can learn more about sync rights here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronization_rights
Hello, my question is :
Am starting a lyrics channel and I have many claims, can i monetize the channel after getting the 1k subs and 4k watching hours ?! I know that i will be making money only from ads but is it possible or not ?!
You can’t monetize videos with copyright claims. Unless you manage to remove the claims, it’s not likely you will be able to earn much.
Hi i pay this pees but can i use Hindi Bollywood Singer song with YouTube with out copyright claim?
Hi
What should we expect if we use a song for a music instrument tutorial? Let s. Say it is a saxophone tutorial and we use option 1. A track created by us of the copyrighted song. Option 2. A karaoke version of original song created by a third party Option 3. Instrumental version of original song.
How to get permission in order to monetize?
Can I use a small part of a music freely in Youtube?
No, not really. That’s a common misconception, though. In some, very specific cases, you may be able to use copyrighted music under the ‘fair use’ doctrine. You can learn more here: https://www.tunepocket.com/fair-use-music/
Can I sing cover songs on YouTube and if my 1000 subscribers and 4000 watching hours completed , can my channel be monitise, can I get revenue of ads coming on my videos
If you’re covering a popular song you most likely get a publishing claim (claiming the melody, not the actual recording). Even though the clams do not penalize your channel, typically, you can’t monetize videos with active copyright claims.
My husband died this summer and I would like a create a memorial video to share with his family and friends via YouTube. I would like to use Rod Stewart’s Sailing as part of the audio. Is there any way to do this?
Hi Peg,
Thank you for your comment and sorry for your loss.
As long as you’re OK with occasional ads in your video you should be able to use that song. Your video will receive copyright claim and the copyright owners (that is, the recording label that owns the rights to Rod Stewart’s music) will be compensated through the ads appearing in your video.
Hope this helps!
How do you know that?
We followed the steps outlined in this tutorial: https://www.tunepocket.com/how-to-check-song-copyrighted/
As you can see there is a copyright claim but it’s not a strike. The video was not removed or muted, however, it will show ads:
Hi! I have the same issue with something I have used from epidemic sound about 15 seconds or so. If I ignore the claim will youtube remove the video? I do not care about a tiny pop up ad appearing on screen during the time the epidemic sound song goes on in the video. The screen I get is exactly the same as the one you used as an example. Any advice? Thanks in advance.
If you use that song in his memorial video, it says that Ads may appear in the video. Sometimes the Ads are targetted and may show products you may not like.
I have paid fees to The Harry Fox Agency in the past when I recorded and released a covers of a popular songs. That was a fairly simple process. Now I want to use a very popular copywrited song in a Youtube video. Since this is for the Youtube video only, There is no Record#, UPC or Release date, and there is no number of copies I will distribute, all of the above info that HFA requests on their licensing application. Do you have any information on obtaining licensing from HFA for using a song in a video to be made available on Youtube.
What’s the shortest clip of music I can play without copyright issues?
In general, copyright law does not provision for freely using short clips, unless it qualifies for fair use.
If you’re talking YouTube / Content ID specifically, YouTube is quite good at matching music and flagging videos even if you use very short clips.
My question is: Can I set up my 42″ TV in a resturant parking lot, and play YouTube music videos
if I don’t carge any admission to view, or attend?
The best answer we can give you: it depends.
Specifically, on your location, as different jurisdictions have different copyright laws, on the size on that parking lot, and perhaps how big is the screen. We would also recommend checking YouTube’s ToS.
Here’s a post that discusses when and how you can play music in your business location: https://www.tunepocket.com/legally-play-music-in-business/
Every article I see on this assumes that I want to monetize my videos. I do not, nor will I, have any interest in monetizing. I see instructions on how to “turn off” monetizing, but I think they’re now dated. I post videos to YouTube to provide links to my Facebook page, for family and friends. And I STILL don’t know what music I can use.
As a matter of fact, it does not matter, whether you monetize or not. YouTube’s copyright system will work the same.
If you’re using copyrighted music without permission / license, YouTube will put the ads in your videos and the copyright owner (not you) will receive the adrev payments.
You can’t really “turn it off”. The only way around it is either to use music that isn’t registered with YouTube’s Content ID (at your own risk) or to have the proper license.
With the license you will be able to remove the ads by disputing the claims. Hope this helps to clarify.
Sorry to go on.but this not being able to monetise because of copyright is bugging me.I play non commercial music that doesn’t really get put out there and advertised.And loads are willing to do that part .which can only increase sales.And on top of that, me and many more would be willing to pay a little extra to do so.it’s a win win situation on all sides….last rant!!!!
You only can’t monetize if you’re making videos with music that is registered with YouTube’s Content ID without a license or permission. Thus you still can a) use the music that isn’t registered (you still need permission to use it in your videos, though), b) get permission and dispute the claims to restore monetization. If you’re DJing (as opposed to making videos), you or the venue where you play needs the performance license (that’s how the artists are compensated). Hope this helps!
I would have no problem paying abit extra so I could play my DJ sets online.And I’m sure the artist would appreciate an extra £1 in every sale
Why when we buy music these days can we pay an extra £1 royalty.So that music can be played online.come on man.in this day and age most music is being played online
I would like to speak directly with someone about literally hundreds of songs (digitally restored by me) which are being pilfered from broadcasts of one specific third world country’s pop music. I can spend a day restoring a single 7” only for it to he hacked and uploaded within hours. Such is the popularity of the songs I am speaking that in 2 weeks a single song uploaded to the channel concerned received 1700 views. Can I do anything about the fact that I have spent hours restoring a badly trashed disc for radio airplay only for them then to be cut and reposted to someone’s channel? The channel in question has literally thousands of songs with hundreds taken from my show. The radio station I broadcast with pays PRS. It is a non profit making, non Commercial venture. Please advice regarding my labour and recording ownership since I have worked for hours restoring the disc. We’re it ten twenty or even fifty songs and were he to quote source, I wouldn’t be so bothered, but why should I work unpaid for him? I raided the issue with hem and he offered me expletives in his mother tongue. I also raided the issue regarding one song and after several mails had it removed I cannot do this for every song individually. I believe that what he is doing is morally wrong on so many levels and we’re this first world music his channel would have been shut down long ago. Please advise.
Hi Mr ghandi! Assuming you do not own the copyright for the recordings or compositions, this can be tricky to claim if someone else is using the same records. If you’re restoring public domain recordings and adding value in the process that perhaps would give the rights to claim. Alternatively, if someone is simply re-uploading your videos, you can try issuing a takedown via YouTube.
Please note this should not be considered as legal advise. In your specific case, we believe the best option would be if the radio station contacts qualified copyright attorney familiar with international copyright laws.
There is a new YouTube tool to find channels that re-upload your videos. You use the tool got your Creator Studio dashboard and look for Copyright tab. It will list the videos that use your content and you can request the removal. Hope this helps!
I just typed a long post asking about a copyright infringement issue. It has not appeared. Where is it?
Thank you for posting. All posts are moderated, please allow up to 24h for your post to appear. Thank you for your patience.
Thanks for sharing. does this mean i can basically use any song i like as long as i don’t monetize?
Not exactly. Since YouTube took down the music database it’s not simple anymore. While this should indeed work for many commercial songs (and the rights owners will be compensated through the ads), this will not work for some. However, YouTube has added “Checks” to the upload process that will tell you exactly whether you can use a song or not. Here’s more details: https://www.tunepocket.com/how-to-check-song-copyrighted/
What if the music was free to use now, I uploaded the video, no restrictions found. But tomorrow the music owner changed his mind and decided he would claim it. Will I still get the claim?
Thank you for the information; much appreciated!
To clarify, if I wanted to monetize a playlist, with commercial songs, I’d have to ensure the following:
1) Check music is listed/registered on Content ID
2) Get permission of use by all those with rights to music. (Can you get permission via Content ID?)
Also, if artists are registered (free or otherwise) with Content ID, could I get a portion of ad revenue?
Thanks in advance
Thanks!
If you’re referring to songs that appear in top hits or regularly played on commercial radio, that’s not likely you’ll be able to monetize such playlist. You’ll get a clam and won’t be able to monetize the videos with outstanding claims. Getting a license from a top recording artist to freely use their music on YouTube or set up some sort of revenue sharing will be close to impossible.
On the other hand, some indie artists may be more receptive if you give credit.
Another option (certainly the easiest):
if you want to make genre specific playlists (lo-fi, chillout, or even relaxation music for example) you can get the license from a music library like TunePocket 😉 to make playlists and monetize. If you get a claim you can use the license to remove it.
A friend of mine recorded a video and during recording a song was playing nearby on his radio. Will he be copyrighted?
If that’s a commercial song, most likely he will get a claim on his video. However, unless, he’s monetizing, in most cases, the claims can be ignored. YouTube will show some ads in his video and the song owners will be paid through the ads. In any case, YouTube will tell you during the upload if there are any issues.
Will only the video with the copyrighted music be demonetized or will all videos on the channel be demonetized even if there’s not copyrighted music in the other videos?
If you’re referring to copyright claims, the claim only applies to the video where copyrighted music is detected. It won’t affect your other videos or penalize your channel. You won’t be able to monetize that video, however. Hope this helps!
Here’s a typical claim example:
What if I give credit to a music in videos discription, will it resolve my issue copyright claims??
Unless you have a specific agreement with the rights holder to remove claims in exchange for credit / attribution, adding credit to the description will have no effect on existing copyright claims.
I was wondering if I purchased the YouTube license and use a popular song ‘Beyoncé Already’ in my dance video will I still get copyrighted? I want to be able to use any song of my choice without getting copyrighted.
How many seconds of copyrighted music can I use on YouTube?
The short answer is:
you can use any amount of seconds of copyrighted music BUT most likely you will get a claim.
YouTube Content ID system is pretty good at matching the content even if you use just a few seconds of music.
Now the question is, are you OK with the claim? If you don’t monetize and don’t mind the ads, you can just ignore the claim. Otherwise, you’ll need a license to remove it.
Take a look at https://www.youtube.com/music_policies (you must be logged in to YouTube to access it)
This database will tell you what will happen if you use a particular copyrighted song.
If you plan to monetize your channel, that’s not the best solution. For monetizing, it’s best to license the music, so you can always remove the claims.
I clicked on the link but it doesn’t work. ( and yes, I logged in to my YouTube account)
It appears that YouTube has removed the Music Policy page along with the old Creators Studio.
That was a good solution but unfortunately it’s not available any longer.
YouTube removed this page
We posted a new tutorial for checking copyright on YouTube. Not as simple as the music database was but works: https://www.tunepocket.com/how-to-check-song-copyrighted/