Can I use this music in my videos?

[Monte55]

I know there are sites to get free music etc. Some can be used free and some are free but you have to have attribution in the video. Now, what if I find piece of music on youtube and want to use it? How do I know if I can? I was doing a video a while back driving down the road with the radio playing low and youtube silenced part of the video because Elvis was playing in the background. Is there a place to enter a song to see what the conditions of use are? Thanks.
Nick

 

[LarBear360]

I know there are sites to get free music etc. Some can be used free and some are free but you have to have attribution in the video. Now, what if I find piece of music on youtube and want to use it? How do I know if I can? I was doing a video a while back driving down the road with the radio playing low and youtube silenced part of the video because Elvis was playing in the background. Is there a place to enter a song to see what the conditions of use are? Thanks.
Nick

In my video production days, everyone assumed nothing was available without licensing and as such we had a library of music we were allowed to use because we paid for it. I doubt much has changed.

Should you hear something on YouTube, it's safe to assume you cannot use it without permission. The producer of that video probably paid for it but that permission (licensing) doesn't extend beyond that video. You can always try contacting the channel owner or poster and inquire where they got it.

Personal use is a different story. My vacation videos used to be all over the place musically.

There is an app out there called Shazzam that can often identify song names and artists. Sometimes that can lead to the licensing agency.

 

[Monte55]

I watched a couple of youtube videos about how to go into your channel and to the create thing. The video showed tabs for free music and for music that could be used but they could place ads. I don't even have the second tab. Just the free tab. I even put the song into the search bar and nothing happens. I watched a few more videos on this without much help. I would think the music video itself would state it from the beginning. So, the last hour has been a waste of time for me. I know I could use it for myself. What about facebook? Does it flag this stuff?

 

[tcope]

You can check it on Youtubes site:

YouTube

As mentioned, at the end of the day you are responsible for what you use.

YT has a license to use a _lot_ music (Google sells music under license as well). Deal is, if YT has a license they can allow that music to stay on your video but all of your ad revenue goes to the music creator and not you. In those cases YT will allow the music to stay. If YT detects that the music is copyrighted and they don't have a licenses, the sound will get yanked. If the music stays and someone files a copy-write claim against you, you are one of three steps closer to YT cancelling your channel.

 

[John Locke]

For $150/yr I really like Audioblocks.com. Unlimited downloads and usage for all of their music. It's all instrumental stuff, and sound effects too. They have the best preview system I've seen. It's super fast to sample music without downloading first. Sort music by genre, mood, and length to narrow down what you're looking for. Just hover on a music selection and it plays, INSTANTLY. Click anywhere in the song timeline to hear that area, instantly. However, as good as Audioblocks is, I continually get copyrights infringement notices from YouTube that I have to dispute, almost every time. I've never lost a dispute, but it's just a hassle, so be prepared to name the song and audioblocks seller of rights.

I had a great time last weekend putting this video together below, complete with audioblocks assortment of sound effects. Some scenes look and sound almost professional, IMHO. Turn up the sound with a headset for the full effect. This first experience of adding sound effects has opened up other ideas to capture video from the air. Fun stuff.

 

[LarBear360]

For $150/yr I really like Audioblocks.com. Unlimited downloads and usage for all of their music. It's all instrumental stuff, and sound effects too. They have the best preview system I've seen. It's super fast to sample music without downloading first. Sort music by genre, mood, and length to narrow down what you're looking for. Just hover on a music selection and it plays, INSTANTLY. Click anywhere in the song timeline to hear that area, instantly.

I had a great time last weekend putting this video together below, complete with sound effects. Some scenes look and sound almost professional, IMHO. Turn up the sound with a headset for the full effect. This first experience of adding sound effects has opened up other ideas to capture video from the air. Fun stuff.

Epic

 

[AndrewCCM]

Wow. I’d love to fly there just once.. Heck, just visit once would be good enough for me... LOL

 

[African wildlife]

Nick: I would urge caution. Be 100% sure you are authorised to use a piece of music. If it’s free, attribute as instructed. Be especially concerned about commercial music as companies have staff in place to monitor any illegal use or alternatively sub-contract to a specialist. There’s usually the composer(s), publishing company, record company, and management - all with a vested interest - and it’s their livelihood. They don’t take kindly to illegal use. The fines aren’t small. Usually, for example with YouTube, videos are quickly removed when unauthorised music is automatically detected so matters don’t escalate.

The standard fine for a single unauthorised use of a still image - to give you an idea - is a four-figure sum. (Think cost of a new P4P.) Ask yourself “Is it really worth it?” if you’re thinking of a fudge or trying to get away with it. And there’s no defence if legal action is taken. Ignorance is certainly no defence whatsoever. Copyright law is well established.

Copying music for personal listening purposes onto a CD or MP3 player is generally acceptable in the eyes of the law. But this loophole or exception shouldn’t be confused with selecting music for a drone video. Do everything properly, within the law.

 

[Monte55]

Nick: I would urge caution. Be 100% sure you are authorised to use a piece of music. If it’s free, attribute as instructed. Be especially concerned about commercial music as companies have staff in place to monitor any illegal use or alternatively sub-contract to a specialist. There’s usually the composer(s), publishing company, record company, and management - all with a vested interest - and it’s their livelihood. They don’t take kindly to illegal use. The fines aren’t small. Usually, for example with YouTube, videos are quickly removed when unauthorised music is automatically detected so matters don’t escalate.

The standard fine for a single unauthorised use of a still image - to give you an idea - is a four-figure sum. (Think cost of a new P4P.) Ask yourself “Is it really worth it?” if you’re thinking of a fudge or trying to get away with it. And there’s no defence if legal action is taken. Ignorance is certainly no defence whatsoever. Copyright law is well established.

Copying music for personal listening purposes onto a CD or MP3 player is generally acceptable in the eyes of the law. But this loophole or exception shouldn’t be confused with selecting music for a drone video. Do everything properly, within the law.

Thanks for the reply. I have been reading about some of this. I watch a lot of you tube. I see video compilation videos with a lot of short clips with recognized audio clips. I can't imagine the person that put the video paid for or got to use them free . Can one use a portion of an audio track without permission. I'm not trying to make money or have my videos monetized. I just want to add known music or songs to my personal videos. When I watch a 12 minute video with many short audio clips, I can't imagine they have contacted every single owner of the audio. For example, I had the radio playing while I filmed my MG Midget. It's on youtube. Never heard anything about it being a problem. That was in 2015.

 

[African wildlife]

Nick: Copyright law still applies if only part of a music track is illegally used and the fines are the same. It’s irrelevant if a video is being used for commercial puroses or not. Theft is theft, and the owners of music (or images, writing, etc) will likely take action. I have and always will. We don’t always spot illegal use immediately, but this merely lulls a perpetrator into a false state of “I’ve got away with it”. To repeat: courts see simple breach of copyright as a “no contest” situation, so the cost of instigating legal proceedings is minimal (and recoverable).

 

[Monte55]

Nick: Copyright law still applies if only part of a music track is illegally used and the fines are the same. It’s irrelevant if a video is being used for commercial puroses or not. Theft is theft, and the owners of music (or images, writing, etc) will likely take action. I have and always will. We don’t always spot illegal use immediately, but this merely lulls a perpetrator into a false state of “I’ve got away with it”. To repeat: courts see simple breach of copyright as a “no contest” situation, so the cost of instigating legal proceedings is minimal (and recoverable).

I understand what you are saying. So, if I'm walking down the street shooting video and a car drives by playing a recognizable piece of music and my camera records it...it still could be a violation. Some of that seems rather extreme.

 

[LarBear360]

I understand what you are saying. So, if I'm walking down the street shooting video and a car drives by playing a recognizable piece of music and my camera records it...it still could be a violation. Some of that seems rather extreme.

You just never know what the bots at YouTube will detect. There are thousands of videos running at this very moment posted by people using popular music, most of which have been up there for years. In fact, I've reported to YouTube outright copyright infringement of movies and to this day those movies are still up there.

Personal use is just that. As long as you do not use your video for commercial use or profit, you're probably going to stay under the radar. When it comes to YouTube, if they think there may some infringement, they will remove the audio.

 

[African wildlife]

Nick: That one would no doubt keep a couple of lawyers well paid for a few days. Or, more likely, this legal argument has already taken place long ago.

Actually, being serious, you still couldn’t use it without permission. A TV company approached me for authorisation to include the filming of a number of my Limited Edition Prints in someone’s house that was having a make-over. I said “No” because they wouldn’t pay anything and so they had to blur them out in post production.

 

[Monte55]

You just never know what the bots at YouTube will detect. There are thousands of videos running at this very moment posted by people using popular music, most of which have been up there for years. In fact, I've reported to YouTube outright copyright infringement of movies and to this day those movies are still up there.

Personal use is just that. As long as you do not use your video for commercial use or profit, you're probably going to stay under the radar. When it comes to YouTube, if they thing there may some infringement, they will remove the audio.

I mentioned this awhile back. I was shooting some video while driving home with the radio playing. Elvis singing. YouTube blocked part of the audio. It made have been facebook. I forget now. I don't want to do this for a commercial aspect...just for personal but want to post it for friends or family. I would think if the audio is being used in a simple way...the owners would actually like the fact that the songs are being kept alive.

 

[LarBear360]

I mentioned this awhile back. I was shooting some video while driving home with the radio playing. Elvis singing. YouTube blocked part of the audio. It made have been facebook. I forget now. I don't want to do this for a commercial aspect...just for personal but want to post it for friends or family. I would think if the audio is being used in a simple way...the owners would actually like the fact that the songs are being kept alive.

I think you can set your YouTube channel to private so that only your friends and family can view it. If that's not personal use, I don't know what is. Whether or not the bots will detect it, I don't know but it clearly demonstrates your non-commercial personal use.

 

[African wildlife]

I would think if the audio is being used...the owners would actually like the fact that the songs are being kept alive.

Nick: Composers/songwriters also need to eat and maintain a roof over their heads. If they are past the height of their popularity, it’s fees from radio plays and other uses that keep them going. But, as I said above, there’s also the music publisher, record company, management, etc - all of whom are likely to have as much, or more, control of the finances.

The music industry has always been a mercenary one, with bands and single artists being frequently ripped off. I’m fond of “Piano Man” by Billy Joel, which is autobiographical telling of the time early in his career when he was waiting out the end of a contract.

 

[IamWedge]

Ive seen many friends that have had their videos muted just because the radio was playing in the back ground. There is always the music on YouTube's Creator Studio YouTube Some of it is Standard License other is Creative Commons. Either way I always credit the music in my videos.