How to Protect Your Digital Real Estate with Content ID

We hope that you had a chance to read our previous article entitled Digital Fingerprints: A Content ID Story, but if you haven't, here's a quick recap of the key points:

In 2007, YouTube launched a service called Content ID. According to YouTube, Content ID was created so that copyright owners could easily identify and manage their content on YouTube. First, a copyright owner's intellectual property is scanned against a database of files that have been submitted to by other Content owners. Then, Content ID allows copyright owners to decide what happens when the content on YouTube matches a work they own.

When a match is found, the video gets a Content ID claim. Over 720,000 hours of video are uploaded to the YouTube Platform every day. However, Content ID attaches a digital fingerprint to each piece of content to ensure that intellectual property owners can identify, organize, manage, and monetize their works.

Protecting Your Digital Real Estate

The invention of Content ID has made it so that your composition's digital fingerprints can earn you money while you sleep. Think of all of this as "Digital Real Estate," and you're the "Digital Landlord." It's only right that we look at a couple of stats about YouTube and Content ID so that you can decide for yourself if you should be protecting your Digital Real Estate.

• According to a 2019 Statistica Study, YouTube is the largest video streaming platform. YouTube averaged 163 million monthly users compared to Netflix's 46 million, Hulu's 26 million, Amazon Prime's 16 million, and Vimeo's 15 million.
• According to a 2021 Alphabet Report, YouTube generated $8.6 billion in ad revenue in Q4 2021, while YouTube brought in $28.8 billion in advertising income for the full year. Furthermore, YouTube paid creators more than $15 billion throughout 2021.

According to YouTube's 2021 Transparency Report for the first half of 2021:

• 772 million copyright claims were made through Content ID.
• 99% of all copyright claims were Content ID claims, meaning only 1% were DMCA or other forms of complaint.
• 6 million removal requests were made with YouTube's Copyright Match Tool.
• Fewer than 1% of Content ID claims were disputed.
• 60% of the time, the disputed claims were resolved in favor of those contesting the claims.

Protecting Your Digital Real Estate With YouTube Content ID

Hopefully, you're leaning towards protecting your "Digital Real Estate" with YouTube Content ID. Protection is the equivalent of "monetization" when money is earned as ads are placed on YouTube videos. YouTube's Content ID service monetizes, identifies, and collects revenue generated by content incorporating your sound recordings or compositions. You can only submit material with exclusive rights to monetize your content properly. You may also monetize third-party material for which you have exclusive rights to use.

This means that if you are a producer and you decide to monetize your beats, you may only monetize those that are 100% original and non-exclusively licensed. You may also monetize beats that use third-party material, which you have the exclusive right to use. However, it's very important that we also talk about things that Content ID should not be used for.

• Content that contains instrumental content that has previously been used in other tracks, such as samples or beats, even if now exclusively licensed to you
• Content that contains any ambient sound effects (like nature sounds), production loops (such as GarageBand loops), or samples from audio libraries (like Musicbed and Audiojungle)
• Content that contains meditation, yoga, or sleep music
• Content that contains 10+ consecutive seconds of spoken word material
• Content that contains public domain clips or speeches
• Content that contains karaoke, soundalike, or tribute cover versions
• Content that contains covers of traditional or public domain songs, including but not limited to: children’s music, classical pieces, holiday songs, religious songs/hymns
• Content that contains part of a compilation, various artist release, DJ set, or continuous mix
• Content that has been previously licensed to a third party on an exclusive basis
• Content that is already monetized on YouTube by another distributor
• Content that contains video game, TV, or film soundtracks (unless you are the publisher)
• Content that is created solely for use in YouTube videos to exploit Content ID (e.g., music used for end cards)

How BeatStars Can Help You Monetize Through Content ID

Our ultimate goal is to facilitate and ensure that your “Digital Real Estate” is protected and has a Digital Fingerprint. BeatStars Distribution has created the technology to help you earn royalties from YouTube and over 30+ download and streaming platforms. Furthermore, BeatStars Publishing onboards your songs to Sony’s Publishing CMS on YouTube. These songs are scanned, and we (BeatStars) are allowed to claim ownership, monetize, and protect your compositions. 

If there is ever a time when you are unsure whether or not your “Digital Real Estate” is eligible for protection, please reach out to us at Support@beatstars.com.