This article explains how to legally use copyrighted music in YouTube videos. It also includes information on the restrictions that apply to using copyrighted music on YouTube. Show
Finding Music for Your Videos Without Violating Copyright LawUsing commercial music as the background for your YouTube video without permission might violate U.S. copyright law. The music rights holder could issue a copyright claim on your video, resulting in the video being taken down or the audio stripped from it. The good news is that there are options to help you stay legal with your YouTube music playlist.
You aren't limited to the music on the screen. You can search by title, genre, mood, instrument, duration, and attribution. As you might expect, clicking on the Sound effects tab opens a selection of free sound effects you can use in your videos. Finding Copyrighted Commercial Music to Add to Your VideosThe YouTube Commercial Music Policies section contains many current and popular songs that users have shown an interest in using. They usually come with some restrictions. The restriction may be that the song is blocked in certain countries or that the owner may place ads on your video to monetize the use of the music. The list also includes songs that you are not allowed to use. To view the copyrighted commercial music list, click Have different music in your video? Check its copyright policies in the bar at the top of the Audio Library screen to open the Music Policies screen. YouTube Restriction TypesEach song in the Music Policies list is accompanied by the restrictions that the music owner has set for its use on YouTube. In most cases, they apply to the original song and also to any cover of that song by anyone else. They include:
For example, at the time of publication, Gangnam Style is not allowed in videos, Uptown Funk is blocked in over 200 countries, and they don't all mention that "ads can appear." Using one of these commercial songs legally on YouTube does not grant you the right to use it anywhere else. Also, copyright holders can change the permissions they grant for the use of their music at any time. Are instrumental songs copyright free?Is instrumental music royalty free? Some instrumental music is royalty-free, but other instrumental tracks are copyrighted. A stock music library such as PremiumBeat features thousands of royalty-free instrumental tracks.
Can I get copyrighted if I use instrumental?Generally, you'll need to purchase a copyright license to use an instrumental legally. The only exceptions are where you're using an extract of the music for education purposes or the instrumental is so old it has fallen into the public domain.
Can you use 30 seconds of a copyrighted song on YouTube?It doesn't matter if it's just a short clip. 10 seconds or 30 seconds. You still can't use it. The only way to legally use music on YouTube is to get permission from the copyright holder (or whoever does actually “own the rights” to the song).
Can you upload instrumentals to YouTube?Only audio files and their associated metadata and album art can be uploaded. Video files, PDFs, and other types of content are not supported. YouTube Music will automatically remove duplicate copies from your library if the same content is uploaded multiple times.
|