Demystifying the YouTube Claims Process

The Automated Process

Step One: Upload a video to YouTube with music.

Step Two: The automatic ContentID system may or may not put one or more claims on your video.

Possible reason one: ContentID Fail. The music is a composition in the Public Domain, but sounds a lot like someone's copyrighted recording. For example, Satie, Beethoven, etc.

Possible reason two: ContentID Fail. The music is a composition in the Public Domain, but someone thinks it sounds like a copyrighted arrangement.

Possible reason three: ContentID Fail. The ContentID system just screws up, and matches it against something that sounds remotely similar to the uploaded music.

Possible reason four: Legal Shenanigans. Someone downloaded my music, and is claiming it is their music. This is very bad, and I will take action against these people.

Possible reason five: Legal Quasi-Shenanigans/ContentID Fail. Someone made a new piece of music, using my music as the base. This is legal, but it will likely match my music (because it contains my music). I will also take action against these people.

Step Three: Disputing.

Checklist:

  1. Make sure your YouTube description contains the correct credits.
  2. Change the status of the upload to unpublished, or hidden, or private, or whatever they call it.
  3. Dispute the claim. "I have permission from the proper rights holder."

Step Four: Review

This process is not actually a review. When you file a dispute, the claiming entity does not actually review the dispute. I suspect they have a monkey that just clicks on the "reject" button. I do know of cases where the dispute is acknowledged immediately and the claim is released, but they are (apparently) rare.

Step Five: File a Dispute... Again.

At this point, there is a lot of scarey text that is designed to stop people from doing this... but to get a false claim reversed, you need to do this.

This will force the claiming entities to file a DMCA takedown. At this point, they will typically try to make sure they they are in the right - and they will review the claim. Following the Checklist above makes it very easy for the claiming entity to do the review.

If you already have 3 disputes in progress, you cannot file another one. So - do them in sets of three, and wait for them to resolve.

Step Six: Release

After the bad claims have been released, make sure no new claims have showed up. Then you can flip the video to Public again and enjoy!

You need to contact me if:

  • Someone has uploaded my music for sale at iTunes or Amazon, claiming that they have the rights to do this.
  • Someone has made a new piece of music using my music as the base that is tripping the ContentID system.
  • Someone actually files a DMCA action. (This has not yet happened, but if it does - I need to know about it!)

The Proactive Process

Step One: You upload a video to YouTube with music.

Step Two: The automatic ContentID system may or may not put one or more claims on your video.

Step Three: Dispute the claim as above.

Step Four: Contact the claiming entity directly, and ask them to remove the claim.

This is a lot faster. But it can certainly work if you want to put in the effort. Be nice! Most of the false claims started with software - and it isn't their fault.

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