But the bottom line is, if the track you're using is copyrighted and you edit it, you'll have created what is known in copyright law as a derivative work. It may sound different, but it will still be copyrighted and you'll still need to get permission to use it.
If you edit an image that you didn't create, copyright law still applies. The only way to avoid copyright infringement with images is to create unique works, purchase a license to use an image or find a free-to-use image.
A video can only have one copyright strike at a time. Keep in mind that videos can be removed from the site for reasons other than copyright. Also, Content ID claims don't result in a strike. Deleting a video with a strike won't resolve your strike.
Assume just because you only use a few seconds of any clip that it will “be ok.” You cannot use any copyrighted material, no matter the length, without permission. Think that if you give credit to the artist, you can use their copyrighted material. Again, unless you get specific permission, you cannot use it.
The amount of use: This is where the 30-second rule is debunked. Small portions of a work may be permitted as fair use, while the entire work is not. However, there are no specific guidelines for infringement.
This is one of the most common misconceptions. Unfortunately, this is not true and there is no bright line rule that says a use is an acceptable use as long as you only use 5, 15, or 30 seconds of a song. Any use of copyrighted material without permission is, according to U.S. copyright law, copyright infringement.
In order to make sure that you and your channel are both protected against infringement claims, you'll need to seek adequate permission from the owner of the song or sound file you're using in your videos or solely use royalty-free music.
A copyright claim may affect the views of your video. If you received a claim on your video, the copyright owner has the option to restrict your video from appearing in certain countries, on certain devices, or on certain websites.
What action does YouTube take for copyright infringement? If a copyright owner submits a valid DMCA complaint through our webform, we take down that video and apply a copyright strike. If a user gets three copyright strikes in 90 days, their account, along with any associated channels, will be terminated.
If you've registered your copyright, minor changes such as correcting spelling errors will not affect your registration—however, if you make significant edits, you will be required to reapply for copyright.
Whether an editor will own copyright in an edited text will depend on the particular situation. It is unlikely that an editor would own copyright where the edits relate to matters such as spelling, grammar, style and punctuation, or where the editor makes suggestions about the text which the writer later implements.
The Myth of the 30% Rule and Things to Consider
According to internet lore, if you change 30% of a copyrighted work, it is no longer infringement and you can use it however you want. This, as a rule, is false.
If you wish to utilize copyrighted music on YouTube, you must first obtain permission from the original creator. YouTube's copyright regulations ensure that creators are correctly compensated whenever their work is used. This is where YouTube's music policy comes into the picture.
A Content ID claim is automatically generated when an uploaded video matches another video (or segment of a video) in YouTube's Content ID system. Depending on the copyright owner's Content ID settings, Content ID claims can: Block a video from being viewed.
A copyright claim does not lead to your YouTube channel getting banned. If your channel gets a copyright claim, the copyright holder can claim the revenue you made using the copyrighted content. A copyright owner can insist on putting ads across your video to generate revenue.
Here's what will happen for each of the following copyright strikes: First strike: you will not be allowed to upload or create new content for 1 week and other penalties will be evoked. After this 1 week period your full privileges will be restored, but the strike will remain on your channel for 90 days.
Common copyright myths
Giving credit to the copyright owner doesn't automatically give you the rights to use their copyrighted work. You need to make sure you've secured all the necessary rights to all copyright-protected elements in your video before you upload it to YouTube.
Giving credit to the owner of a copyrighted work won't by itself turn a non-transformative copy of their material into fair use. Phrases like “all rights go to the author” and “I do not own” don't automatically mean you're making fair use of that material.
Only the owner of copyright in a work has the right to prepare, or to authorize someone else to create, a new version of that work. Accordingly, you cannot claim copyright to another's work, no matter how much you change it, unless you have the owner's consent.
It doesn't matter if it's just a short clip. 10 seconds or 30 seconds. You still can't use it. The only way to legally use music on YouTube is to get permission from the copyright holder (or whoever does actually “own the rights” to the song).
The "15 Second" or "8 Bar" Rule
The reality is that there is no legal protection in copyright law for these types of use. If you use a piece of a composition or sound recording that is copyrighted, you will need a license.
Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your written or artistic work.
Using copyright-protected material could lead to you getting a Content ID claim. Also if a copyright owner sends us a valid and complete copyright takedown notice against your short video, it may be removed, and you could get a copyright strike.