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Creators are the heart of YouTube. That’s why the platform has strong copyright policies to protect artists' work against the use of others. If you're aiming to build a successful career as a YouTuber, it’s essential to understand the legal boundaries, especially when it comes to using music in your videos.
According to YouTube, over 2 billion Content ID claims are made every year, and a large portion involves unlicensed music usage. That means even a short music clip can get your video demonetized, blocked, or your channel hit with a copyright strike.
In this article we'll explore different ways of using copyright music in a legal way in your videos and what not to do in order to keep your channel from being shut down. Let’s dive into it!
Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects creative works. On YouTube, Copyright Music refers to any music that is protected by copyright, including a major list of songs from different artists, labels and producers.
Copyright gives the owner certain rights over a work and its commercialization. This is claimed by law and YouTube’s policy is to obey the law. That’s why the platform has in place several rules to protect the work behind songs and sound recordings from different artists and studios.
Under their copyright policies, YouTube claims that creators should only upload videos that they have made or that they're authorized to use.
Creators should never upload videos they didn't make, or use content in their videos that someone else owns the copyright to. Music tracks, snippets of programs, or videos made by other users, must come with the necessary authorizations.
YouTube holds a strict copyright policy to protect content creators and the content shared on the platform.
In order to be able to upload copyright content safely, you must either:
YouTube wants to keep the platform safe. That’s why it holds several strict policies that align with legal regulations in terms of copyright. Some key aspects include:
This policy exists for those videos with more educational or commentary content. Videos that state the use of that material for a “good cause” or “good purpose".
However, fair use is not always enough as it is judged based on 4 factors:
This is why it is considered a gray area and indicating in your video’s description that the copyright material was in fair use does not guarantee protection against copyright retaliations.
Three copyright strikes within 90 days result in the termination of your channel.
Dispute Process (H3)
If you believe a copyright claim is incorrect, you can dispute it through YouTube’s claim system. If YouTube approves your dispute, this means your video is ok and ready to be shared. If not, consider cutting out the portion they flagged to avoid any copyright inconvenience in the future.
YouTube takes the content shared on its platforms seriously. That’s what every year is working on updating the policies to keep everyone safe. In 2025 the platform came up with several updates regarding copyright to provide more clarity and control for creators using music.
To protect the rights of the real music owners, YouTube has developed a tool to recognize songs and stop other creators from using music without the artist's permission.
Content ID is an automated system that scans uploaded videos in search for copyright material. How? Every video that is shared on the platform is scanned and the music, and sometimes videos, are compared to a huge database of copyright material.
If there is a match, YouTube will display a disclaimer alongside the video to make sure that the proper owner of that sound or material has control over what happens next.
If you decide to use copyright music on your YouTube videos, three things can happen next to your video and, in some cases, your entire channel. If a claim is made, the copyright holder can choose to monetize your video and collect the revenue, track its performance, or block it in specific regions or worldwide.
1. Impact On Monetization: Using copyright music on your videos can truly impact your revenue as the monetization can change and every right to the revenue generated from your video can be transferred to the owner of that music right. In other words, your video can be monetized, but you're not the one getting the money.
Also, in some cases using copyright music on your videos can make them not eligible for monetization at all.
2. Video Block: The original owner of that copyright property can mute or block your video in some specific countries or all around the world, depending on the case.
3. Copyright Strike: A copyright strike is the most dangerous thing. In this scenario, the owner files a manual copyright complaint against your video. If you ever get 3 strikes, your channel will automatically be terminated.
Copyright Claim vs. Copyright Strike (H3)
When YouTube detects copyrighted content in your video, it can result in either a copyright claim or a copyright strike.
A copyright claim means that a portion of your video matches content that someone else owns. This is automatically generated by YouTube’s Content ID.
In most cases, your video will remain live, but monetization, tracking, or restrictions may be applied depending on the copyright owner's preferences.
A copyright strike is a formal legal complaint made by the copyright holder. This is much more serious than a claim. This is why YouTube will remove your video, and if you receive 3 strikes in less than 90 days, your channel can be deleted.
Copyright claims can mess with your video’s visibility and monetization opportunity. But don’t stress, follow these tips to avoid any issue with copyright on YouTube:
Always stick to music that you have permission to use—whether through direct licensing, a royalty-free music subscription, or Creative Commons.
To stay safe, the best thing to do is using music from YouTube’s Audio Library or the Music Revenue Sharing Catalog. These songs or tracks have been already cleared to use on videos.
You won’t be able to use a commercial song and just give credit to avoid any issues. Unless you previously paid for that song license, don’t use popular tracks.
Fair Use is a legal gray area. Unless you're doing commentary, criticism, or education, it’s risky to rely on this defense.
You can make sure the track you want to use won’t mean any problems by uploading a video as unlisted to ensure your video won’t get flagged with copyright violation issues.
Violating copyright policies on YouTube can seriously impact your videos and content strategy. So here are 3 golden rules you can follow to make sure you correctly deal with copyright infringement.
Copyright exists based on the idea that someone else created some content and it needs to be protected. So always recognize the person behind that music you intend to use because to legally use some song, music sound, book, post and more you must ask the copyright holder for permission.
As everything out there owns copyright, always get the necessary permissions to use that content in your videos without facing any of the bad consequences. Sometimes, authors give everyone permission to use their work in the form of a license.
You can also use Creative Common Licenses for music. Some artists share their music under Creative Commons (CC) licenses, which allow creators to use their work under specific conditions.
There are several types of Creative Commons licenses, and not all allow commercial use or modifications, so make sure to read the terms carefully. One of the most common types is CC BY, which lets you use the music as long as you give proper credit to the creator.
Not every time you use copyrighted content on your videos you’ll face the same consequences. Sometimes, you do face demonetizations or pass over the revenue rights to the proper owner and this may not affect your strategy if you are not really interested in monetizing your channel. However, a copyright claim has the potential to turn into a copyright strike overnight. Three strikes and you and your channel are out.
Going against copyright on YouTube can seriously affect your video and your channel. To avoid that from happening, here are 4 methods to follow in order to check for copyright music.
When you upload a video, Content ID automatically scans it for copyright content. If any copyright material is detected, you’ll receive a notification so you can make the necessary changes before publishing your video and risking your account.
You can use YouTube’s Audio Library music for safer alternatives. This way you make sure the songs and sound effects you are choosing aren’t violating copyright and your video won’t face any problems.
You can use different tools online, like eProves, to check the copyright status of a song by entering its title or YouTube link. This is an extra security measure you can add to your content strategy.
Some creators upload a short, unlisted video containing the desired music to see if YouTube flags it for copyright issues. This method can help identify potential problems before incorporating the music into your main content.
The simplest way to avoid any copyright issue while creating and sharing content on YouTube would be to, when in doubt, leave it out. If you didn’t make the content, don´t put it on your video either.
To ensure your content is free from copyright violations, here is a list of the best practices you can follow:
YouTube provides a music library packed with copyright-free songs. You just need to go to your YouTube Studio, scroll down until you find the “ audio Library” option and click on it. A whole menu will show up where you can search different music and sound effects you are free to use in your videos.
As you can see on the screenshot, at the side of the chosen song there’s a disclaimer that reads “You can use this audio track in any of your videos, including videos that you monetize”.
YouTube’s Audio Library can be your best ally while choosing songs or tracks for your videos. Here’s how you can make the most out of it:
Once you are logged in, go to YouTube Studio and click on “Audio Library” .
You can explore across the different filters to find the best match depending on the content of your video.
Once you select your track, download the song to use it in your video while editing.
Pro tip: Use the bookmark option to highlight your favorite tracks or download them into organized folders to make it easier to use for upcoming videos.
Royalty-free music is a type of music licensing that lets you pay once (or sometimes not at all) to use a piece of music. This way, you acquire actual permission to use copyrighted music without going against the law.
If you want to produce engaging YouTube videos, royalty-free music will help you deliver your idea, tone, and message.
There are different sources of safe music. Here’s a list of popular options you can explore:
These sites offer a wide range of high-quality tracks for different types of content.
In some scenarios, artists behind the music don’t mind you using their songs or pieces as long as you give them credit on your videos.
Attribution can be a way to navigate around copyright penalties but it does not guarantee zero repercussions.
No, you can’t use copyright music and just give credit for it. Credit is not enough. While giving credit is a respectful gesture, it does not grant you legal permission to use copyrighted music.
The copyright holder still owns the right to that piece and if you don’t have a license, you would be using that work illegally, even if you don’t intend to.
If you want to use a track and give credit, make sure:
If you create your own music or audio sound effects you eliminate any copyright risk as you are only using material you create and own.
YouTube Content ID provides an evaluation of the copyright situation on your videos once you uploaded them but before publishing.
You can go to YouTube Studio, click on “Create” to upload your video. Once you are working on your video details just as title and description, YouTube content ID is already scanning your video in search for any copyright match.
If your video does not contain any music with copyright, you’ll be notified and good to go.
On the other hand, if your video contains copyright material, Content ID is going to identify it and notify you before uploading.
You can go into details to see exactly what is going on and how you can take action to improve your video and eliminate any risk of copyright penalties upon your video or channel.
Music can be a great extra value in your YouTube videos. If you want to use it without risking your content, here are safe alternatives to do:
YouTube takes Copyright seriously. Being a platform based on the creator's work, it holds many ways in place to detect and protect copyright material.
As a YouTuber you would not want to take advantage of someone else’s creation, as you sure don’t want that happening to you in the future. So, take the time to learn the rules of copyright so you can craft the best way to keep creating appealing videos without the need to go against YouTube’s policies.
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