YouTube is using artificial intelligence to both keep music copyright holders happy and make life a little easier for people who upload videos that use unauthorized music.
Rather than simply removing videos that contain copyrighted audio that the uploader doesn't own, new AI tools can be used to remove the protected songs without erasing the rest of the video's audio track.
If your video receives a copyright claim for music content, YouTube offers several editing options in YouTube Studio to help you remove the claim. These options include “Trim,” “Mute,” “Replace Song,” and the newly enhanced “Clear Song.”
Our AI-powered music removal enhancements can now identify and remove copyrighted content from video clips with relative accuracy. Until now, creators had limited options to mute the entire video or replace the music, often ruining the entire viewing experience. The music removal tool is the latest development in the eternal tug-of-war between creators and copyright holders over how to handle copyright infringement, also known as copystrikes on YouTube.
The Clear Song feature is currently in beta testing, but this wider rollout will add the option to the “Video Copyright” overview page within YouTube Studio. Creators dealing with copyright claims will now have two main options: “Clear Song” and “Mute All Sound.”
Great news for creators! Our updated “Remove Song” tool makes it easy to remove copyrighted music from your videos (while leaving the rest of your audio intact). Learn more… https://t.co/KeWIw3RFeHJuly 3, 2024
AI Protection
While this feature may not seem like a big deal to your average YouTube creator, it's especially important for creators who earn money through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Effectively addressing copyright claims can help creators keep their videos active and monetizable, protecting their revenue streams.
As YouTube continues to face challenges with copyright enforcement exacerbated by AI, these features would be a boon to both copyright holders and video creators: YouTube would now remove deepfakes upon request, for example.
YouTube has hinted that it will add more features and improvements that use AI to create and share content without fear of copyright infringement.
