Currently, in the testing stages and therefore only available to certain users – YouTube has plans to enable content creators to use copyrighted music within their videos. This would open a new world to those who make videos regularly.
From a recent YouTube Help article it’s become clear YouTube intend to change the way they view copyrighted music. Now, creators will have the chance to use music that is not their own. However, instead of receiving a copyright strike, or having their video demonetised – creators will be able to earn from this.
It currently is a trial, so not all accounts will be able to try this. Adding copyrighted music will still result in your video being flagged at the moment. Although, in time, perhaps not. YouTube will be giving select creators a chance to use music from their music industry partners. It’s just a feature experiment, but it seems a great leap for all creatives.
What will this mean for the artists though? How will they earn their money? Will it be a case of they earn through the video alongside the creators? After all, sometimes having your music played within a YouTube video could be the break you need. It could offer you a massive amount of exposure if the video itself is popular.
More information is due to be released within the coming months. Perhaps the platform will test multiple options before finalising anything. Having your videos demonetised on YouTube is difficult. Creators then have to rely on adverts and sponsorships to earn their money. It’s also a different process to other social platforms.
TikTok allows the use of non-original audio in videos. In fact, multiple sounds have gone viral due to the platform allowing their use. Trends and dance routines have been based around well known songs. These videos tend to end up on platforms like Facebook and Instagram too. So, why hasn’t YouTube found a way for it to work before now?
