How do I get paid for my music on YouTube Music?

There are two main ways to earn money from your music on YouTube: through YouTube Music (the streaming platform), or through YouTube Content ID (the video monetization system).

YouTube Music

• If you're distributing your music to streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music through CD Baby, your releases will also be automatically delivered to YouTube Music.
• When your music is delivered, YouTube creates “Art Tracks” — high-quality audio videos that display your album artwork while your song plays.

You can earn money from two listener types

YouTube Premium & YouTube Music SubscribersStreams from paid subscribers are treated like any other music streaming service.

• You earn royalties per play, with rates varying by territory and listener activity (e.g., listening time).

Regular YouTube Site / Non-Subscription UsersStreams from non-subscribers or topic channels on the regular YouTube site are monetized differently.

• These plays earn money from ads placed on the video.
• Some plays may be unmonetized if no ad is served during playback, so you may see both monetized and unmonetized plays for the same track and territory.

How you get paid

• Revenue from YouTube Music “Art Tracks” is reported to CD Baby by YouTube and paid to you like any other streaming service.
• You’ll see these earnings in your CD Baby accounting reports under YouTube Music.

YouTube Content ID Monetization

If you opt into YouTube Monetization (also known as Content ID), YouTube will scan its entire platform for videos that contain your music — whether those videos were uploaded by you or by someone else.

When a match is found, an ad may be placed on that video. You’ll earn a portion of the ad revenue, which is added to your CD Baby account balance.

This system ensures you earn from user-generated content (UGC) that uses your music.

Requirements

Your release must include YouTube Music distribution. You can opt into YouTube/Facebook Monetization from your CD Baby dashboard:

1. Log into your CD Baby account.
2. Go to the Manage section.
3. Select YouTube/Facebook Monetization and opt in.