Understanding the Importance of YouTube’s Content ID – Copyright Protection System
YouTube’s Content ID system is the reason why in some instances, a YouTube video is not available in your geolocation. Sometimes, even if you can access a video content of an exclusive news, original song, background music, speech or presentation, the audio has been muted out. Those are cases in which the owner of the YouTube channel with a Content ID, is protecting his or her YouTube content from unauthorized uses.
Is the Content ID System Available to All Video Uploaders of YouTube?
Understand that the Content ID system was designed to protect the copyright of an original or licensed material. This denotes that not all YouTube users can use the Content ID system.
The feature is available only to those who have shown adequate proof that the material in question is a licensed and exclusive original, to which they have the right to limit its accessibility. That way, copyrighted videos cannot be plagiarized, or be used by other YouTube users without permission.
YouTube makes clear that a video content containing a digital fusion of different instrumental or vocal tracks; or any mix of various digital data presented as listings of “Top 5s, 10s, or 20s, “Best ofs” and other similar compilations, do not have the exclusivity criteria. The Content ID feature therefore, is not applicable to those types of YouTube videos.
Digital recordings of professional or amateur performances during a concert or an organized event, such as in festivals, conventions or conferences, are also excluded from the Content ID program.
Similarly, video recordings of original but unlicensed compositions, or in some cases licensed but without copyright provision for exclusivity, are likewise ineligible for a Content ID application.
Does Having a Content ID Work to Your Advantage?
In terms of copyright protection, the Content ID definitely works to your advantage because YouTube videos are generally embeddable and shareable across all types of online platform.
However, it can also limit the potential of your TubeVideo content from spreading virally. Automatically blocking or muting a Content ID-protected video will make the content unavailable or less appealing as a reference, or for that matter as a material to share across other social media platforms.
Still, blocking and muting are options available to Content ID holders in managing their protected YouTube channel uploads. They may choose not to do so, and simply take action once YouTube notifies them that someone has uploaded their protected content. In some cases, Content ID owners assert their right to ask the offender/s to delete the video in question.
Yet in most cases, they do not take any action at all. That is because the Content ID program also protects their right to claim whatever income is due in connection with the commercial advert carried by their protected YouTube video.
Thus, the importance of understanding YouTube’s Content ID system, and of its impact amd relevance to your licensed and exclusive content. It takes care of protecting original content like artworks, musical or literary compositions, as well as exclusive interviews, documentaries or news reports, while allowing them to spread virally.
On the other hand and on your part, you also have to take certain steps to ensure that your YouTube videos, whether copyright protected or not, will reach your target viewers. When looking for ways to boost or improve your YouTube channel’s appearance and visibility, consider the tools and assistance provided by experts in the social media marketing world (SMM-World).