Music Copyright on YouTube

Copyright on YouTube is enforced through Content ID and through copyright claims. Claims are made by rights owners who have documented the rights in the metadata.

The practical understanding is that an artist owns the rights in the recordings they make. The rights should be documented in the metadata and the contract. If the rights are not documented, the content claim may not apply.

An artist should check the reporting dashboard for every release. It is the primary way to know whether the music is being played, and whether the rights are set up correctly.

The most useful thing an artist can do is create the reference database themselves. When the artist has a release in the database, they can track where it is being used, and they can apply the rights owner's chosen outcome.