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Claims and disputes on YouTube

Andrea R.
  • Updated

This article explains copyright claims on YouTube and why you might be seeing one from CD Baby, 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 member's agreement and privacy policy. 

I got a message saying that CD Baby is claiming my song on YouTube

The claim notice you're seeing in your YouTube account is actually correct per the YouTube monetization program 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 Content ID program. If you'd like to continue using YouTube monetization services there's no need to take action. 

 

If you prefer to handle the monetization of a video on your own, choose from the following 2 options:

  1. Dispute CD Baby's claim from within your YouTube account. Here's how. 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 ID analysts 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. 

  2. Opt-out of CD Baby’s YouTube monetization program completely. This will remove your music from YouTube’s Content ID program 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 "" and choose the release you'd like to remove. Flip the toggle to the off position for "Collect YouTube Money" and hit "Save Changes."

*Please note that once you have opted out of YouTube Content ID, you will not be able to opt that same release back in for a period of 30 days.

 

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. In the Restrictions column, if a video has a claim on it, it will be labeled Copyright claim.
  4. Hover over Copyright claim in the Restrictions column and click SEE DETAILS.
  5. Click the down arrow Minimize 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, or 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

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:
  • Album title:
  • *Start Time:
  • *End Time:

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

 

*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.

    

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.
 
This is a product rule implemented by YouTube so we have no guaranteed way to help if this happens. Releasing our claims from these videos will usually remove the block, but this is NOT guaranteed. The safest bet, is to upload each song as its own separate video for the purposes of monetization. Uploading song videos as opposed to album videos is actually better for your channel, and possibly better for your search rankings, because it makes your channel appear more active, gives you multiple videos to monetize rather than just one video, and more opportunities to promote a video - all of which can drive subscription rates. All of these advantages will help a channel that has not yet met the YouTube guidelines to start monetization to get closer to the goal of 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of watch time.
 
***Keep in mind that another reason for a block on YouTube is if your video contains copyrighted material for which the copyright owner has set a block policy on YouTube. In these cases, we are unable to do anything about the block and you would need to refer back to YouTube directly.***

There are two ways to have CD Baby release our claim from your video:

1. The quickest way to have CD Baby release a claim is to dispute the claim directly from within your YouTube account, click here for more information.

If you are a CD Baby artist, it is very important that you identify yourself as a CD Baby artist and include your CD Baby account username in the text of your dispute in order for it to be released. 

If you are a channel owner with permission from our artist to use the music ad-free, you may dispute our claim inside your YouTube account, but please include a link to a google document that shows that you have permission to use the music ad-free. You may also have our client contact us to state that you have permission to use the music in your video ad-free, and they will need to give us the CD Baby account username. 

2. You may submit a request directly through our Help Center. In order to ensure it goes to the correct specialist, please include the following information:

We're happy to help! Select the option below that suits you best:

False Claim On YouTube

In the description, please include the following information:

YouTube Video ID or link: 
Artist name: 
Song title that is featured in the video: 
Reason for release (Choose one): 

* I am a CD Baby artist, and I would like to monetize my own video/run my video ad-free on my YouTube channel. My username is: _________ 
* I was given permission from a CD Baby artist to use the music in my video ad-free, and I have attached my permission/license/proof for your review. 

* I am a CD Baby artist and I gave permission to the channel owner to use my music ad-free on their channel. My CD Baby username is _________ 
* This claim is a false claim and I have no affiliation with CD Baby. Please also provide us with a brief explanation of why you believe the claim is invalid. It is highly recommended you provide license copy, contact info, source links, anything that can help us determine how best to proceed.


For more information on Social Video Monetization services, click here.

 

 

 

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