Copyright on YouTube – how to legally use music and video clips?

Legally using music and film clips on YouTube is one of those things you know you need to figure out, but it’s only when a claim or video block arises that you really start digging into the subject. In practice, it’s the lack of knowledge about copyright that often takes away creators’ earnings, limits monetization, or completely blocks their content, so if you want to operate calmly and without fear of further notifications, you need at least a basic compass. 

This guide gives you exactly that: clear rules, specific tips, and an approach that will help you avoid problems before they become a real issue. You don’t need to know the laws or regulations by heart — just understand how YouTube’s system works and what to pay attention to with every edit and upload.

Copyright on YouTube – What to Handle Before Uploading Your First Video

The first thing you need to understand is that copyright on YouTube is meant to protect creators of original materials, so every video, song, or graphic has its owner who decides whether you can use it or not. This means that even if you find a music piece on the internet that “seems” free, you cannot use it unless you have a license or clear permission. YouTube’s algorithms don’t care about intentions, only facts — they’ll detect a sound, image, melody, or fragment of dialogue and treat it as use of protected material.

The most important things you need to handle from the start:

• every original material has an owner, even if someone uploaded it to YouTube years ago,
• copyright law works automatically, no registration is needed, nothing “expires” after a few years,
• using material without permission is an infringement, even if it lasts a second,
• YouTube distinguishes between claims and strikes — the consequences are completely different,
• ignorance of the rules doesn’t protect you from consequences.

In practice, it looks like this — as long as you don’t upload anything foreign, you feel absolutely safe, but it only takes a moment of inattention for the algorithm to find a piece of a song or shot in your material that you shouldn’t use. Many creators only start taking an interest after the first claim, as it suddenly turns out that the film stops earning, and the reach plummets. If you additionally use a piece of a movie, series, or well-known song, a block may appear in selected countries, and in extreme cases, even the video may be removed. Therefore, it’s better to treat copyright as a part of your daily workflow rather than an “option” to handle when something explodes, as the consequences can be severe.

Claim or Strike? The Difference that Could Save Your Channel

Simply put: a copyright claim is a warning, while a copyright strike is a real threat to the entire channel. 

• A claim (Copyright Claim) appears automatically and usually means that the rights holder wants to make money from ads on your video or track its statistics. 
• A strike (Copyright Strike) is a much more serious situation — the rights holder manually sends a DMCA notice and demands the removal of the video. There’s no messing around here, as three strikes within 90 days result in the removal of the entire channel.

The key differences you need to know:

• a claim takes away monetization, but the video stays on the channel,
• a strike blocks or removes the video, additionally restricting account features,
• claims are analyzed by Content ID, strikes are sent by people,
• you can react to a claim within 30 days, strikes have much shorter deadlines,
• three strikes = channel disappears, with no possibility of recovery.

In practice, it looks like a claim is not the end of the world, but if you ignore these notifications, you risk much more than just losing income. Some creators think that since they “only took away monetization,” it can be ignored, but such a dismissive attitude often ends up in a strike. 

The rights holder sees your reactions, checks what you do, and may take more decisive action if they notice continuous violations. Many creators admit that only after the first strike did they start reading the rules and understanding Content ID instead of relying on luck. You have an advantage — you can prepare before the algorithm gives you a red card.

The Content ID System – How to Check Copyright on YouTube and What the Algorithm Does

YouTube has its own system for detecting violations, which works faster than you can brew a coffee. Content ID is a tool that compares your video with a gigantic database of protected materials – mainly music and videos. If something matches, a claim appears. This doesn’t mean that you immediately break the law, but that the algorithm noticed something and notified the owner.

How does it work?

• the system scans everything – sound, video, graphics
• detects even altered versions (e.g., slowed down, remixed)
• compares with the content database provided by rights holders
• if it finds a match – it sends an automatic claim

Important: lack of warning does not mean everything is OK. The system is not infallible, sometimes it misses something, and the owner of the content may still manually report a violation. It does not matter that you did not receive an alert immediately – this is not a guarantee of legality. The safest thing you can do is to know what you are uploading in advance. And if you don’t know where the sound comes from – don’t upload it at all.

Copyrights for music on YouTube – when can you use it legally?

If you want to use music legally on YouTube, you need to have one of the two: the owner’s permission or a license. There is no way around it. Seriously, there is no magic “but it’s only 8 seconds”. Every sound that is not yours requires formal permission. These can be free, paid, or from YouTube platforms options – the important thing is that they have clear rules.

Legal options below.

• Creator Music in YouTube Studio – pay once or share revenue.
• YouTube Audio Library – free, ready to use without stress.
• Royalty-free (e.g., Artlist, Epidemic Sound) – buy a subscription and you can use it.
• direct licenses – from artists or publishers (expensive and lengthy).
• Creative Commons – only if you read the terms carefully.

Illegal? Anything you found “somewhere on the internet” and upload “because it sounds nice”. Creators often fall into the TikTok trap – something is popular there, so they use it on YouTube. Then it hits – Content ID comes with a claim. YouTube does not share licenses with TikTok. If you use music you didn’t buy, didn’t get as part of a plan, or don’t have permission – be prepared for consequences.

Creator Music vs. paid licenses – what to choose if you want to earn legally?

Creator Music is one of the best tools YouTube has given to creators. Directly in the panel, you will find music that you can legally upload to videos – without the risk of being blocked, without complicated law. It works like this, either you pay upfront for the track, or you share ad revenue with the music owner. Everything is described before publishing.

Advantages of Creator Music:

• immediate access in Creator Studio
• many options with zero fee (revenue share)
• low prices for sync license (sometimes a few USD)
• no surprises – everything legal and transparent.

Compared to classic licenses, it’s a gamechanger. You don’t have to contact the publisher, wait weeks for a response, or deal with paperwork. Creator Music is an ideal option for those who want to quickly handle the topic and earn calmly. Sure – you won’t find radio hits there, but at least you’re sure you won’t get into trouble.

Royalty-free or YouTube Audio Library? How to bypass copyrights on YouTube legally

The simplest way to have music and not worry about claims is to use sources that are already adapted to YouTube. You have two options to choose from: free (YouTube Audio Library) and paid royalty-free subscriptions. Both are cool, but they differ in level, number of tracks, and quality.

What is worth knowing?

• YouTube Audio Library – free, immediately accessible, zero licensing problems.
• Epidemic Sound – a great base for editors and YouTubers.
• Artlist – more pro, with extras and AI tools.
• Most of them offer a license also for ads and other platforms.

Audio Library is the ideal place to start – hundreds of tracks, simple filtering, some even without the need to credit the source. If you create regularly, sooner or later you will invest in something paid. But at the beginning it’s better to handle the free library than risk a “friendly” strike for a song from TikTok.

How many seconds of a track can be used on YouTube (and does it even work)?

No, there is no such thing as “safe 5 seconds”. It’s one of the most common myths that has been following creators for years. YouTube has never provided any specific number of seconds as a guarantee of immunity – and no lawyer will confirm this either.

What does it mean?

• Even 1 second can generate a claim if the system detects a match.
• The algorithm operates ruthlessly – it doesn’t care whether you’re using a fragment for a review or not.
• There is no “time limit” in law; what’s important are the purpose, context, and form of use.
• If you’re using the “heart of the work” – even 3 seconds might be enough for a strike.

Many creators still believe that trimming a song, changing its tempo, or playing it “quietly in the background” will fool Content ID. Or that a 7-second clip from TikTok will somehow “pass.” The truth is that the system can detect sound even if it is remixed, slowed down, or used in a transition. If the rights holder wants to respond, they will. Therefore, it’s much better to manage legal music sources than to gamble with “magical 5 seconds.”

Fair Use on YouTube – when can you use a film fragment and not get banned?

The “Fair Use” principle is not a license for everything. It’s a legal defense, which you can only use under specific conditions – and it doesn’t automatically protect you from Content ID or claims. YouTube can flag you, even if you’re convinced you’re acting “fairly.”

What falls under Fair Use?

• Reviews, comments, analyses – if you add something of your own, you have a better chance of defense.
• Education, satire, parody – but with clear context, not just for fun.
• You use the minimum necessary material – not an entire scene or song.
• You add new value – for example, graphics, comments, or an extensive montage.

Fair Use is more often valid in the USA – in Europe (and in Poland) statutory exceptions matter, not the general concept. That’s why in case of conflict, it’s always better to have arguments: why you’re using it, how much, and for what purpose. The most common mistake? A creator uploads an entire video clip and says “I’m just watching and commenting.” If the comment takes up 10% of the material, and 90% is someone else’s clip – that’s not Fair Use. And YouTube will quickly remind you of that.

Received a claim? You have 5 days to avoid losing revenue. Here’s what to do

If you receive a copyright claim, don’t panic – but don’t wait either. You have exactly 5 days to respond if you want to keep monetization. After that, the film’s revenue goes to the rights owner, and you can only watch their CPM grow from your work.

You have three options:

• do nothing – the video stays, but you lose the income.
• submit a dispute – through the YouTube Studio panel.
• edit the video – remove the disputed fragment and re-upload.

If you decide to dispute, you must have a reason: license, Fair Use, system error. The owner has 30 days to respond. If they deny it – you can go further, but then you risk a strike, which is a serious warning. So, before you click “dispute,” be well-prepared. Take screenshots, add license info, and plan your arguments.

The worst thing you can do? Ignore the notification. Because it’s not just about losing income, but also a signal to the algorithm that you don’t care about the legality of your content. And YouTube doesn’t like that.

Checklist for every creator: how not to get banned and lose revenue

Before you upload any video to your channel, it’s worth having a simple control system to protect you from mistakes and claims. Sounds boring? Maybe. But it’s this kind of checklist that makes channels grow calmly, without drama and deleted videos.

Before publishing:

• check, where your music comes from – and whether you have the full rights to it,
• if it’s Creative Commons – add exactly the attribution required by the license,
• are you using a film fragment? – make sure you added commentary, analysis, new value,
• have proof of license purchase or correspondence with the owner at hand,
• include in the description links to sources and authors’ names, if needed.

After publishing:

• check the Copyright tab in YouTube Studio,
• if something comes up – act immediately, don’t wait,
• don’t hold onto strikes “for later” – there is no turning back from three.

A channel that gets three strikes once is lost without the possibility of recovery. That’s why it’s better to upload a legal background track and add one line in the description than to write to support in panic later. Your channel is your business – and that’s how you should treat it.

FAQ

Can I really not use even 3 seconds of a song without permission?

You can’t, unless you have a license or you meet the conditions of Fair Use. The algorithm can detect even 1 second. Purpose and context matter, not length.

How do I know if a piece is copyrighted?

The simplest way: assume everything is protected unless it comes from the YouTube Audio Library, Creative Commons, or a license you purchased.

Do TikTok and YouTube have the same music licenses?

No. Music that you can legally use on TikTok is not automatically allowed on YouTube. YouTube requires separate permissions/licenses.

What should I do if the system files a claim and I have a license?

In the YouTube Studio panel, click “Dispute,” provide the reason, and attach evidence (e.g., screenshots, license number, confirmation email).

Does Fair Use protect me in Poland?

Not directly. Poland does not have a rule like the USA. However, there are statutory exceptions, e.g., for quoting, reviewing, parody – but specific context is required.

Is the YouTube Audio Library really free?

Yes. Most tracks can be used without any problem. Some require mentioning the author in the description – always check the details before use.