At the end of January, TikTok and Universal Music Group couldn’t reach a licensing agreement, causing millions of videos featuring songs from artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish to go silent. This disruption was particularly frustrating as these videos were popular and heavily featured on TikTok’s For You Page algorithm.
To prevent a similar issue, YouTube has introduced a solution for creators who receive copyright strikes for the music used in their videos. The feature, known as Erase Song, has been in testing for some time and is now enhanced with artificial intelligence.
Ife Ajagbe, Head of Operations at Symphonic West Africa, discussed on Early Exchange about YouTube being in talks with music companies to license music for AI tools. pic.twitter.com/BVWTmmpNjw
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Creators can now choose to remove only the copyrighted song from their video or mute the audio for the duration of the song. Crucially, this tool ensures that other audio elements, such as dialogue and sound effects, remain intact unless the creator opts for the Mute all Sound option. However, there might still be some residual audio due to the complexity of isolating sounds.
YouTube Studio’s New Erase Song Tool to Silence Copyrighted Music Without Affecting Other Audiohttps://t.co/nC2K1MI9rM
— Al Mahmud Al Mamun (@am_almamun) July 5, 2024
There are limitations to this tool. It may not successfully remove all copyrighted music, and changes cannot be saved for videos with over 100,000 views from creators in the YouTube Partner Program. If the tool works as intended, YouTube assures that Content ID Claims against the video will be removed.
While seasoned YouTubers typically avoid using copyrighted music, this feature could benefit vloggers and Shorts creators who might encounter background music in public spaces or use popular music to boost their content’s reach. Additionally, it could be useful if accessible music for creators is later restricted.
YouTube upgrades its ‘erase song’ tool to remove copyrighted music only https://t.co/vrnN5qDK5V
— Tech1UAE (@Tech1UAE) July 5, 2024
This new tool aims to address the complexities of copyright management on YouTube, offering creators a practical solution to maintain their content without infringing on music rights. The enhanced Erase Song feature represents YouTube’s ongoing efforts to balance the interests of content creators and copyright holders, fostering a more flexible and creator-friendly platform.
Key Points:
i. TikTok and Universal Music Group’s licensing disagreement silenced millions of videos featuring popular artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish at the end of January.
ii. YouTube introduced an AI-enhanced tool called Erase Song, allowing creators to remove copyrighted music or mute the song without affecting other audio.
iii. The tool cannot remove all copyrighted music and doesn’t save changes for videos with over 100,000 views from YouTube Partner Program creators.
iv. Successful use of the tool results in the removal of Content ID Claims against the video.
v. The feature benefits vloggers and Shorts creators dealing with incidental music in public spaces or using music to enhance content, offering a practical solution for copyright management.
Kirk Volo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
