This article explains copyright claims on YouTube: why you might be seeing one from CD Baby, why you may not be seeing one, how to dispute a claim in order to have it released from a video, and how to request a manual claim. 

Please note

Links to third-party sites are provided purely for informational purposes and we cannot

guarantee the accuracy of the information. These sites are not governed by our

artist agreement and privacy policy. 

Why am I seeing a claim from CD Baby 

The claim notice you're seeing in your YouTube account is actually correct per the YouTube monetization service you opted into with CD Baby! You've received what is called a Content ID claim (this is NOT a copyright strike).

The claim from CD Baby means that YouTube’s Content ID system has identified your music in the video and has placed a claim for monetization. This tells YouTube to place an advertisement on the video which then allows CD baby to collect ad revenue on your behalf.

Rest assured that CD Baby does not own your content or copyright. We are just administering its use on YouTube as a result of your participation in the YouTube monetization service. If you'd like to continue using YouTube monetization services there's no need to take action. 

Disputing, releasing, and handling monetization yourself

When to contact YouTube

The best and quickest way to have CD Baby release a claim is to dispute the claim within your YouTube account. This link shows you exactly how the process works and the steps to take within YouTube. Below is what we'd like you to include in your dispute. 

🔷 If you are a CD Baby artist, your dispute must include the following note:

"My name is (YourName), I am a CD Baby artist (YourUsername) and I wish to handle my own monetization on this video."

Our Content Administrators will review all the disputes received and release the claim on the video. If you fail to enter the above statement in your YouTube dispute, including the CD Baby username, the claim may be reinstated, so it is very important to include the statement and username. 

🔷 If you are a channel owner with permission from a CD Baby artist, or you are the CD Baby artist and you gave permission, to use the music ad-free, our claim can be disputed from inside the YouTube account, it is important that a shareable link to the document that shows permission given to use the music ad-free is included. You may also have our client contact us to state that you have permission to use the music in your video ad-free, providing us with the CD Baby account username. 

🔷 If you are an artist or content creator disputing a claim by a CD Baby artist, the same applies: to dispute the claim from within your YouTube account, click here for more information.

My video was blocked on YouTube

YouTube implemented a content management rule in August of 2019 that blocks all uploads of an entire album. Occasionally, YouTube will also block any video that contains two or more tracks from the same album.

If you uploaded your entire album, you can dispute the claim from within your YouTube account. 

YouTube implemented this rule in order to encourage uploaders to use the streaming version of their platform, YouTube Music. If you would still like to upload your music videos and have them claimed by us without them getting blocked, we suggest breaking up full albums into separate videos for each song and playlisting them. This can be is a very effective way to drive views and watch-time while not interrupting the listening experience of your fans. This will ensure that your videos don’t get blocked. Follow this link to find out how.

When to contact CD Baby

I don't see claims on my videos yet

When Content ID claims your video, you’ll get an email from YouTube, but you can take a look inside your YouTube account as well. Here's how:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, click Content.
3. Click the filter bar, and select Copyright Claims
4. In the Restrictions column, if a video has a claim on it, it will be labeled Copyright claim.
5. Hover over Copyright claim in the Restrictions column and click SEE DETAILS.
6. Click the down arrow  to expand the claim details.

If you have not received a claim on a video when the content has been opted into YouTube Content ID for longer than 3 weeks, and you published a new video 3 weeks ago that is still not claimed, we can manually claim it for you. 

How to submit a manual claim request

Note: Manual Claim requests are reviewed by our Content Administrators, if the use of the music and/or the content in the video are found to violate our partner's guidelines, the claim will not be placed on the video. As a reminder, here is what is eligible. 

Submit a manual claim request here. Please include the following information:

• CD Baby username:
• YouTube Video link:
• Artist name:
• Song title that is featured in the video:
• ISRC:
• Start Time:
• End Time:

*Timestamps need to be as accurate as possible, so please list the time when the audio starts, as well as the time when the audio stops in the video. Add additional segments if your content appears in more than one part of the video. 

Opting out of the program

As an alternative, you can Opt-out of CD Baby’s YouTube monetization service completely. This will remove your music from YouTube’s Content ID system and stop claims from being placed on your channel as well as on any other third-party uploaded videos that contain your music.
To do this, log into your CD Baby account, click "Sync, YouTube, Facebook & Instagram Licensing" and choose the release you'd like to remove. Flip the toggle to the off position for "Collect YouTube Money" and hit "Save Changes."

Reminder: YouTube requires channels to have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to qualify for YouTube Ad Monetization, also known as the YouTube Partner Program. We can still claim your video, but ads will not be placed until your channel meets those requirements.