Youtube Content ID/Copyright Help?

BearOnTheBeat

New member
Recently I've been hit with a few copyright claims on my beats that I've uploaded to youtube. One of which is at 100,000 views. I want to prevent this from continuing to happen since a lot of rappers will just rip the beat off youtube or purchase a lease then go distribute it through tunecore or such. Anyone know a way i can prevent this from continuing to happen? To where they will get hit with the copyright claim or content id instead of me? Since after all they are my beats... If anyone has some info or can help that would be greatly appreciated.

Has anyone tried the beatstars content id? I've seen it on the site but im iffy about it.
 
The artist that leased the track. I reached out to him had him remove the youtube video and try and figure out things on his end, after almost a month youtube just sent me an email that the copyright claim has been released. but im looking to prevent that from happening again since it's one of my most popular beats
 
The artist that leased the track. I reached out to him had him remove the youtube video and try and figure out things on his end, after almost a month youtube just sent me an email that the copyright claim has been released. but im looking to prevent that from happening again since it's one of my most popular beats

Unfortunately this will keep happening as long as artists keep "opting in" for distribution on YouTube. (Which most do) A way you can prevent this (at this time) would be to release the music yourself (as a "instrumental collection") or similar and then sign up for a Content ID program and then you'd control the masters on YouTube.

The downside to this is that when cats do release their music on YouTube they will be the ones to get hit with the content id notices...
 
Unfortunately this will keep happening as long as artists keep "opting in" for distribution on YouTube. (Which most do) A way you can prevent this (at this time) would be to release the music yourself (as a "instrumental collection") or similar and then sign up for a Content ID program and then you'd control the masters on YouTube.

The downside to this is that when cats do release their music on YouTube they will be the ones to get hit with the content id notices...

I've seen beatstars offers a content ID program, not too sure about it though i'd have to look into it. As far as releasing an instrumental collection you mean like putting together an "album" or beat tape of sorts and releasing it through tunecore or cdbaby that sort of thing? I'd rather they get hit with the content id notice then me. I have my videos moneytized so it messed up income from the adds and if they happen to win for whatever reason they'll get paid from my video... smh. So id rather they take an L
 
Yeah you could do the Beatstars thing. If you already have a beatstars account it is probably easiest. Most of these content id programs take a cut tho. (something like 20%)....but 80% of something imo is better than 100% of nothing...

$.02
 
SFTRAXX is right. It's all a program that runs without any human management. We all know why it's there, but ya, it can get in the way a lot...

Edit: I just saw they released the claim. That's good. But ya fixing it permenently is why we all want...

Hopefully the distribution services can fix this issue in the future. Maybe they can provide an option to allow the artist to set the copyright info when they distribute their tune. It is pretty annoying at times.

and why is somebody leasing beats and putting content ID on them? lol, If they want to own their work, I can see why, ...but if they're leasing beats...lol what? ...that sounds a little fishy. They're getting paid for the beat and they're getting all of your possible revenue, plus all of the revenue from other artists using that beat (on YouTube).

hmm..
 
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So id rather they take an L

One more thing regarding this approach:

A lot of my business comes from repeat customers who I've built relationships with over the years. That being said, this flaw in the content ID system could rub people wrong (as you know) and affect your repeat customers...

So it could end up being a cutting off your nose to spite your face type of situation.

Like Epsilon-144 said, until the content ID situation is fixed...its going to be an ongoing battle....
 
One more thing regarding this approach:

A lot of my business comes from repeat customers who I've built relationships with over the years. That being said, this flaw in the content ID system could rub people wrong (as you know) and affect your repeat customers...

So it could end up being a cutting off your nose to spite your face type of situation.

Like Epsilon-144 said, until the content ID situation is fixed...its going to be an ongoing battle....

Same here a lot of the people that have purchased beats from me usually keep doing business with me. So i try to build a positive relationship with any and all customers, that's why when i reached out to the guy that had initially hit me with that claim he was cool about removing the video. I've got another one being reviewed on a different video but im sure i provided enough evidence for the claim to be released. Im sure the fact that beatstars has those contracts (whether they're good or not) helped me out... Eitherway i appreciate ya'll for responding
 
Still haven't had much luck with this. My youtube videos still keep getting hit with content id claims from artist that either lease the beats or straight up ripped em from youtube.. I've managed to provide enough evidence to suggest im the right full owner every time but it seems no matter how many i get removed this just come right back (im exaggerating a bit) but you get the point. Anyone have any input or insight on maybe how i can stop it from happening? Its becoming a hassle to dispute every claim that comes my way... it would be one thing if my videos were only getting 100 views or so but a lot of them are reaching 10,000 views and they're generating a good amount of money through adsense i rather not lose that extra income.
 
Haven't had something like that happen, but personally if it were to happen I would be very pissed, and practically ruin the instigators in question.
 
I just found out that artists can "whitelist" songs through their distribution service. If a video and the artist agree on removing a copyright claim, the artist can request the video be placed on a "white list" that allows permission to use the song and make money off of it.

Thought that's useful, if you're the artist. if you're jacking an artist's song, then ask them if your video can go on that white list.
 
Here's what you do from my research. I may be off but I think I'm correct here:

1) Copyright your beat. It's thirty five dollars per instrumental. One or two leases at the current market rate will pay for it.

2) Tag your instrumentals before you put them on YT. That way your beat will less likely to be taken. But, I have had someone rap over a tagged beat before.

3) In your lease agreements state exactly what can and can't be done with the instrumental in regards to whatever foreseeable problems may arise. You dictate the business of your instrumental before they make a song to it. This becomes legally binding. Go look at the story of Menace who did Designer's 'Panda' track. His old leasing agreements are still online. This is where the exclusive/nonexclusive argument comes in at.

4) Download or create split sheets and force the artist you lease beats to to fill them out. If they don't, then don't lease to them. Put in your lease agreements that the artist must fill out the split sheets. The split sheets will list the artist of the song as well as the composer of the instrumental of the song, you.

Where some of you guys are messing up at is you don't copyright the instrumental. Once someone makes a song to your instrumental and copyrights the song, they then own the entire song. Theoretically someone could lease a un-copyrighted (copy written?) instrumental and copyright it and then you can't sue because in order to sue you need.........Drum roll please, the copyright!
 
^ thirty five dollars? So when I upload music to BMI to get a copyright (for free)...it's different?

You don't upload music to BMI, you give them info about a song you have a copyright to so that they can find and collect royalties that you're owed. They don't issue copyrights in anyway.

I also wanted to clarify that when I said to tag your instrumentals, I meant to have the tag going throughout the song. Not just at the beginning.
 
ya the music info, ...well if they go and collect the royalties for the music, that's good enough for me. I may copyright a tune if it gets over a million views or something, but if not, screw it.

but damn, alright. thanks for the info.
 
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DMCA laws should already apply to Content ID. However, because the terminology has not been “spelled out,” YouTube refuses to honor DMCA Takedowns for infringing materials submitted to their Content ID System through song distributors (E.g. CDBaby, TuneCore, The Orchard, InGrooves, etc.). The materials are infringing because they include royalty free "instrumentals" that have been "non-exclusively licensed" for song recording purposes. Since they are not granted exclusivity to the copyrights, they violate copyright laws by entering their songs into Content ID for advertising revenue. YouTube's own terms state this is prohibited, yet they allow it to happen by turning a blind eye. In doing so, they assume exclusive control of the copyrights they do not own--to the direct profit of YouTube, the Distributor and the user. The legitimate copyright owner’s work is now "marked" as owned by someone else without any transfer of such copyrights. This often happens with several distributors claiming ownership to a copyrighted work they have no rights to whatsoever.

At this point in time, neither YouTube nor Distributors, respect DMCA laws and take it upon themselves to decide when and where DMCA law applies. In their own words: "Unlike takedowns, which are defined by law, Content ID is a YouTube system that is made possible by deals made between YouTube and content partners who have uploaded material they own to our database."
The problem is, these content partners do not always "own" the material uploaded to YouTube’s database. Royalty free music companies suffer from a rampant, ignored, and ongoing issue with license-holders (who did not receive exclusive rights to the copyrighted music) that submit music to Content ID with no checks and balances and enforcement of policies whatsoever. Audio fingerprinting technologies will then match any and all audio fingerprints and claim exclusive ownership to that music (whether in song form or instrumental form), effectively monetizing each and every match in order to generate advertising revenue that can never be accounted for. This revenue is then split between YouTube, the distributor and the user who submitted the material. The creator or exclusive copyright owner effectively loses control of their copyrights and their other license-holders all suffer from a continual barrage of false copyright claims.

In order to solve this problem once and for all, DMCA Law must apply to Content ID--clearly and concisely in order to effectively disarm YouTube from being able to shroud infringing activity that occurs across their network (youtube.com) to their financial gain.

 
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