YouTube aims to promote original and creative work. doesn’t authorize the use of Content ID to insert your sound recordings gratuitously into popular 3rd party videos. The general principle is that you shouldn’t be using other parties popular videos to monetize your sound recordings, and that the use of your music in videos should be organic user generated content. If your sound recording is to generate a valid claim, it must be because it is an integral part of the video it appears in and it was added organically.
Whereas you may see such videos on YouTube, their use may be acceptable if they are true UGC (user generated content). But if they are the result of an orchestrated campaign by you or your client, then they are in clear violation of YouTube’s Content ID policies.
Examples of unauthorized usage of YouTube Content ID (please note that this list is not exhaustive. It’s just meant to provide a few examples):
- Inserting your sound recording into a Simpsons episode or a motivational speaker’s video.
- Creating a compilation video with famous musician’s songs and inserting your sound recording as an intro or outro.
- Overlaying your music on a scene from a popular movie.
- Using misleading thumbnails and/or titles and/or logos such as the VEVO logo to get users to click on your video.
- Videos where the video title, or the thumbnail, or both, make reference to popular 3rd party content not owned by you.
Should one of your assets violate YouTube Content ID’s Monetization Guidelines, YouTube requires us to take down your asset and forever ban it from Content ID
