How to Avoid Copyright Claims on YouTube?

Sharing your videos on YouTube with the world is a great feeling, most of the time! But receiving pesky copyright claims on published videos is really frustrating. These Copyright claims lead to copyright strikes, demonetizing your videos, or even losing your YouTube channel.

That’s why it raises concerns on how to avoid copyright claims on YouTube.

Avoiding copyright claims on YouTube requires getting the correct legal permissions from the real authors or artists, using the creative commons license music or music you own the rights to, and observing the rules of the YouTube community. Moreover, other simple and effective tips also help avoid getting a copyright claim on YouTube.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about YouTube copyright claims, why YouTube gives copyright claims, and how to get rid also provide YouTube Success Strategy.

Copyright Claim YouTube Meaning

Copyright claims are intellectual property rights meant to protect artists and musicians’ music from being used without permission. It occurs when the portion of the uploaded Content on a channel matches another copyrighted work. Copyright claims give copyright holders control over how others use their work for their objectives.

This means the copyright owner can print, publish, perform, or record literary, artistic, or musical material and permit others to do the same. Also, read the Exploring YouTube frames.

Copyright claims happen frequently. For example, in the first half of 2022, YouTube dished out 750 million Content ID claims to YouTubers worldwide. They happen all the time and can be fixed easily. But it is sometimes clear why they happen.

Why YouTube Gives a Copyright Claim?

YouTube gives copyright claims against video clips, audio, and other Content that qualifies as owned media and has not been available for publication. If other content creators don’t own the TV, music clip, or other copyrighted media, YouTube issues them a copyright claim.

The right holders have full control over their Content ID Policy, and they can opt to stop certain Content from being uploaded to YouTube, like TV clips or videos. Some copyright owners allow the Content to remain published on the uploader’s channel, but only if some or all of the advertising revenue is funneled back to them as compensation.

YouTube’s Copyright Policies

As YouTube is very strict about upholding copyright law for videos, let’s examine YouTube’s copyright policies in detail. YouTube’s Content ID technology scans the uploaded video, similar to Shazam, to find any music or audio used without legal permission. If it detects any copyrighted music, it notifies the copyright holder.

A copyright owner can perform multiple actions after receiving a notification. They can monetize it, mute the music, or take legal action against the video. If they monetize the video, all the earned revenue will go to the copyright holder rather than the video uploader.

However, the Content ID cannot know if you have legal permission to use the copyrighted music in your video. Only a copyright notification lets you know you use copyrighted material in your video. So, if the copyright holder has permitted you to use the song in your YouTube video, you can dispute a Content ID claim. This way, the copyright holder can release the claim to allow your uploaded Content to be viewed as usual.

What Are Copyright Strikes on YouTube?

Copyright Strikes on YouTube are legal actions taken against the Content that has had a full and valid legal takedown request submitted against it. This allows YouTube to remove the Content violating copyright laws. You will receive three strikes; the first is a warning and requires you to go through the Copyright School to prevent further damage. When you receive a third copyright strike, you will face serious repercussions, like account termination, deletion of uploaded video on your channel, and prevention creating a new channel.

Following ways will help you to answer how to avoid copyright strikes on YouTube.

Wait for the copyright strike to expire; it automatically expires after 90 days of issuance.
Contact the user who submitted the Content ID claim and request them to retract their infringement claim.
If you think you didn’t breach copyright rules, submit a counter-notification and appear on the strike.

What Happens If You Violate YouTube’s Copyright Policies?

Suppose you violate YouTube’s copyright policies and use copyrighted music without the owner’s permission. When the copyright owner finds this out that you have used their Content without their permission, you will likely get a copyright claim from YouTube against your Content. This can result in the following consequences to your video.

Demonetization of Your Content:

The most common result of violating YouTube’s copyright policies is the demonetization of your Content. When the copyright holder knows you are using their Content without legal authority, they will take action against your channel. They can monetize your video to get the revenue or demonetize it to block the channel.

Muting Your Content:

Muting your Content will be another action the copyright holder can take against you. This means your video will still be able to watch, but it will not have any sound in the clip where the copyrighted song should be. When your Content does not feature an audio track, it can seriously drop view counts.

Tracking Your Videos:

The copyright owner can track your video’s viewer statistics without taking other legal actions. However, tracking your Content is the least likely result of copyright infringement claims.

Content Blockage and Account Termination:

Blocking your Content is the final and most effective decision a copyright holder can take against you. This means your Content will be removed from YouTube and might cause your channel to be penalized.

How painful it will be when all your hard work vanishes in no time! Definitely, you will look for some workaround to avoid this claim.

Now, we will explain how not to get copyrighted on YouTube.

Effective Tips on How to Avoid Copyright Claims on YouTube

Here are the effective tips on how to not get a copyright claim on YouTube.

Use The Music that You Own The Rights To Like Royalty-Free Music

So, how to avoid Copyright on YouTube? First, don’t use the music from big labels because they will redirect any revenue from your uploads into their AdSense account. Thus, research which content channels offer Royalty-free music for uploads. This way, you can protect your videos from copyright claim issues.

Upload Original Footage:

Try to upload original footage from your own camera. Ensure the camera you own does not contain logos or other personal information that could be subject to a copyright claim. YouTube cannot edit information that is yours, so your videos will not get any copyright strikes.

Obtain the Required Permits from the Copyright Owner or Artist:

To avoid copyright claims on YouTube, obtain the required permits from the copyright holder or original artist. This way, the copyright owner decides to monetize your Content and saves your channel from copyright strikes.

Observe The Rules of the YouTube Community:

It is better to carefully observe the rules of the YouTube community so that you can prevent your Content from being blocked and receiving copyright claims. When you do so, you know which Content you can post and monetize it on your channel.

Never Post Sensitive or Harmful Content:

Try to use sophisticated and right language on YouTube. Avoid showing nudity and discuss explicit Content, as it will also harm your channel. Don’t post Content that is not suitable for children. Similarly, discussing personal secrets or harmful information may also expose you to lawsuits. Consider posting public knowledge content. This can reduce the copyright strikes for your channel.

Edit Your Content:

A video you upload on your channel might be taken down. Therefore, add extreme edits to your Content. Extreme editing might also give a warning to post the video claiming fair use.

Post Family Friendly Entertainment Characters:

YouTube restricts videos featuring domestic violence characters. Such Content will not be eligible for monetization. Therefore, try to post family-friendly entertainment characters in your videos.

Include an FBI Content Warning:

To save your channel from copyright strikes, your video must contain an FBI content warning in its introduction. It means you are following the fair use policy to protect your Content from the warnings of copyright strikes.

Watermark and Copyright Your Videos:

Add a logo to your videos to make them authentic and prevent others from using your Content without giving you credit. It shows that you are the creator of that video. Try using Copyrighted.com, a free site that uses fingerprint technology to create identifiers for each video. This way, you can claim your property rights for your videos.

Typical Errors to Avoid While Trying to Avoid YouTube Music Copyright Claims

There are some typical errors that content creators make while trying to avoid YouTube Music Copyright Claims. Try to avoid the following errors while creating Content:

Avoid assuming that a license authorizes YouTube use. Not all licenses are meant for YouTube usage. Thus, read the license carefully and ensure it can be used for video creation.
Avoid crediting the song artist in the description, as you don’t have permission from the original owner to use the song.
Don’t speed up or slow down a song to bypass Content ID. It distorts the song quality, and YouTube also updates the Content ID to identify the music.
Content ID can detect even a few seconds of copyrighted music. Therefore, avoid playing a short portion of the song. It is better to play a full-length song to create a quality viewing.

Final Words

Copyright claims on YouTube can be a full pain for content creators as copyright owners can block your Content when you use their songs without their permission. One need to know how to bypass YouTube copyright. To solve this, you must be aware of YouTube’s copyright policy and take the required safeguards to prevent them on your YouTube channel effectively.

You can do that by using only the music you own the rights to, getting the necessary permits from the artists or record labels to use the copyrighted music, and carefully observing YouTube’s community rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does It Say a Copyright Claim on My Video?

It means that the video you uploaded on YouTube contains copyrighted Content. It also means that the copyright owner has decided to monetize the video; therefore, as an uploader, you can no longer monetize it yourself.

Is there any copyright issue on YouTube shorts?

YouTube Shorts users must respect copyright laws, avoiding unauthorized material to prevent takedowns. Content ID identifies copyrighted content, and compliance with YouTube’s guidelines is crucial. Prioritize authorized content or material under Creative Commons licenses to ensure platform compliance.

Why Does YouTube Copyright Music?

YouTube cannot copyright music; it only copyright music artists have to their songs. If they don’t do this, artists and music labels will take legal action against YouTube and Google.

How to Avoid Copyright Claims on Cover Songs?

Using your own songs, original music, or loyalty-free music is the only way to avoid getting copyright claims on YouTube. Use loyalty-free music as a backdrop to your very own lyrics and videos.

How to Remove Copyright Claims on YouTube Using Mobile?

Open the Restrictions column, drift to Copyright, and click See Details. Under the Content you identify in the video, look for relevant claims and then click Actions. Trim out that segment, Replace the song, or Mute its music.

What to Put in the Description on YouTube to Not to Get Copyrighted?

If the video you posted on YouTube uses copyrighted Content following the fair use principles, you should add a disclaimer in that video’ description that credits the creator and reveals your fair user rights.