Content ID Claims Aren't What You Think They Are

Your project is finished. You’ve got the perfect song, and the video transitions are 🔥.  All you need to do is upload to your YouTube channel and call it a day. 

And then it happens: YouTube scans the video and issues a content ID claim.  It’s confusing. You’ve licensed everything properly, so why the claim?

Why does YouTube care about what music I use in my videos?

YouTube’s Content ID system is now a legally-required step in their effort to help support artists and creators by preventing illegal use of copyrighted material. 

Recent legislative changes in Europe and the UK have shifted the responsibility for identifying copyrighted content from the creator (you) to the social media platform (YouTube). 

In addition, YouTube is also required to directly verify any license to use copyrighted content directly with the copyright owner (Soundstripe), instead of with the creator (you).

What does this mean for me?

When you upload a video to YouTube, Content ID will automatically scan the video for any copyrighted material and put a claim on any copyrighted content it identifies, whether or not the uploader has a license for that content. 

This claim simply recognizes the presence of copyrighted music and does not mean that your video cannot be published or that there is anything wrong.

When YouTube identifies Soundstripe music, you may see something like this:

When you license music through Soundstripe, you have all of the licensing rights needed to upload content to a YouTube channel.  Any claims received on a channel that have been listed with Soundstripe will automatically be cleared, usually within a few minutes. 

If the YouTube channel is not listed with your account or you are creating videos for a client, you should generate a single use code and include that code in the video’s description upon upload.  These codes will also cause any claims to clear automatically.  

Wait, is Soundstripe putting a Content ID claim on my video?

No, this process simply identifies that you are using music that Soundstripe owns the copyright to.  If you've listed your channel with your Soundstripe account or included a single-use code from Soundstripe, this lets us know that you’ve licensed the content properly and automatically tells YouTube to release the claim.

We will never monetize, block or require takedowns for your video while the claim is being reviewed in the release process. 

While the claim is being reviewed, YouTube holds any monetization in an account, which is then released back to you in full once the claim has cleared.  Under extremely rare circumstances, like service outages, it may take longer for a claim to automatically clear.  We will always notify our customers during any partner outages or down time that would significantly impact clearing timeframes.

I haven’t published my video yet, but I already see a claim.  Should I wait to publish?

Nope.  There is no need to delay publishing.  The claim will still clear, and your video will be public to all viewers.  Soundstripe music registered with Content ID is purposely set not to block videos.

What do I do if my claim hasn't been cleared automatically?

As with any system, YouTube’s Content ID is a growing and changing product, and errors do sometimes happen.  If you receive a Content ID claim in error that does not release automatically, you can dispute the claim directly with YouTube. 

Filing a dispute will notify Soundstripe about the claim and allow us to evaluate the situation.  After your claim is resolved, any monetization that occurred on your video during the dispute process will be returned to you. If you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out to us at claims@soundstripe.com. 

How do I dispute a claim through YouTube?

To dispute a claim, in your video dashboard in YouTube, in the Actions menu, choose select Action > Dispute:

Choose “My dispute isn’t based on any of the reasons above.  I would still like to dispute this Content ID claim.”

Then, select “License” as the reason for your dispute, since you have a valid Soundstripe license.

Confirm you have a Soundstripe license for any music used:

Add your license information, and select “Submit” - and you’re done!

Learn more about disputing a Content ID claim through YouTube.

We know managing Content ID claims can be frustrating, whether you are a creator who is starting a YouTube channel from scratch or hoping to grow an existing channel so you can monetize your content.

Either way, we hope this helps answer your questions and put your mind at ease. 

Questions, concerns or feedback? Please let us know at help@soundstripe.com