How does it work?
Content ID is YouTube's automated scanning system that enables copyright owners to identify YouTube videos that include your original content. Here are the steps broken down:
- Soundrop delivers your music to ➡ YouTube Content ID. Your audio files are used as a reference for scanning.
- The Content ID system scans all the videos on YouTube and places a FUGA / IIP-DDS (i.e. Soundrop) claim on any videos which use your sound recording(s). A sound recording is your music/audio file.
- YouTube places a Content ID claim on the video in order for Soundrop to collect revenue generated from the use of your music on your behalf. This does not mean FUGA/Soundrop owns your copyright.
- Any revenue generated from the claimed video will be reported to Soundrop on a quarterly basis, which then gets paid to you! Learn more about making money from YouTube here.
What Content is Eligible for YouTube Content ID?
Public Domain and Cover Songs are not eligible and will not be delivered to YouTube.
✅ Your content must be 100% original. If you have used ANY content you did not create yourself, please review this article.
✅ Your release must also be delivered to YouTube Music.
More about eligibility here.
Do I still own all my rights if I opt into Content ID via Soundrop?
Absolutely! You always keep 100% of your rights. We just help you get paid.
Remember, if you opted-in for Content ID via Soundrop, you are granting an exclusive license for Soundrop to monetize your music on your behalf on YouTube. This just means you can only use one company at any given time for YouTube Monetization services for a particular release.
What does “Licensed to YouTube by...” mean? Who is FUGA / IIP-DDS?
The businesses and organizations listed in the “Licensed to YouTube by” field under a video are the music rights holders who have agreed to allow YouTube to use identified music in official and user-generated videos and share in the revenue those videos earn on the platform. For example, if you see an ad on a video that contains music and “Music in this video” information, the labels and publishers listed under “Licensed to YouTube by” are earning a share of the revenue generated by that ad.
In addition to music labels and publishers whose names you may recognize, you may see that some songs are “Licensed to YouTube by” a number of “music rights societies.” This refers to organizations that collect royalties on behalf of their songwriters and publishers around the world. Just as with individual music publishers, YouTube has license agreements with these entities and shares revenue with them for videos they claim.
Here is an example of what that might look like:
Learn more about this topic in YouTube's Help Center.
Why am I seeing a claim from FUGA / IIP-DDS?
Soundrop is partnered with FUGA to provide Content ID to our artists. Soundrop and FUGA are both a part of Downtown Music and FUGA’s deliveries are powered by a service called IIP-DDS. If you see FUGA / IIP-DDS on your videos, this is normal and it is just an extension of Soundrop. Read more about claims here.
I’ve found videos on YouTube that use my music. Should I have them taken down?
No. If you've opted into Content ID with Soundrop, you can make money from the usage of your music on ANY YouTube video. In fact, you should encourage more of your fans to use your music in their videos on YouTube. This only creates more opportunities to have your music heard and to earn revenue in the process!
YouTube Content ID Claims, Disputes and Permissions
Head over this article if you'd like to learn about:
- The difference between a Content ID claim and a copyright strike
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Disputing, releasing, and handling monetization yourself
- Why your video might be blocked on YouTube
- When you should start seeing Content ID claims