What is Content ID

Content ID is a very useful tool for artists who are releasing content where 100% of the recorded music is original. It will track your content across the platforms where it operates so you earn every time somebody uses your music, especially on visual media platforms where fans create content using your audio which helps widen your reach and engagement.

Content ID Services and Fraudulent Activity

Unfortunately, people have misused content ID systems across the music industry which has led to mass takedowns of content and numerous lawsuits. The most common issues, coming from YouTube Content ID, have extended across other content ID platforms such as Meta, Soundcloud, Audible Magic and Sound Exchange.

Notifications to distributors have been sent out by the stores regarding upcoming changes across content ID platforms which may affect your existing live catalogue of music on these content ID platforms. As trusted partners, these platforms have reached out to us to let us know that they are applying more strict measures as to the type of content which can be delivered to their content ID systems. This means they are going through their live catalogue and removing content which they regard to be in violation of the content ID rules.

The content sent to content ID systems must:

• You must have exclusive rights to the music.
• Must not contain any free or paid samples or beats.
• No karaoke recordings, remasters, sound-alike recordings, or dubbed content.
• No Sound effects, soundbeds, or production loops.
• Please see Google for a more detailed list of requirements for Content ID.

Free beats, samples and paid for beats are widely accessible to artists through numerous third party loop and sample services. When music that contains this type of content is delivered to content ID systems multiple matches are detected for many different songs and the original copyright holder cannot be securely identified.

We will keep in close contact with you if we receive notice from the partners of the removal of any of your content. Unfortunately, we have no control over the content these platforms will remove and due to the seriousness of the situation, content cannot be reinstated once it has been removed.

This has affected all distributors, so we strongly advise if your music is affected by these changes not to re-upload to content ID through another distributor. This action is fraudulent and puts your music in risk of being removed from all platforms and legal repercussions.

Please know that content ID systems are separate to standard streaming and download services. If you notice your music is removed from any of the platforms that use a content ID system, without any claim of fraudulent activity, will have no effect on the status of your releases on the other platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Content Platforms that have content ID

YouTube content ID is best known for establishing the use of content ID which automatically fingerprints, scans and manages content.

Facebook Rights Manager allows content owners to upload and manage their copyrighted videos to help identify, monitor, and take actions on others’ content that matches the fingerprints.

TikTok has something similar to content ID. It allows creators to set up a “Pro Account” to manage copyrighted content and potentially monetize it.

Instagram also has its own rights managing system for managing copyrighted content on the platform.

SoundCloud has a system for music copyright management, allowing content owners to monitor and control the usage of their music on the platform.

Vimeo has its own content identification system that allows content owners to protect their videos and manage how they are used by others.

Methods of Content ID

Fingerprinting Is a digital stamp of the content, reflected by its audio and visual features. Videos, music and music uploaded to platforms that utilize content ID systems creates a unique digital “fingerprint” for each piece of content.

When new content is uploaded to the platform and fingerprinted, the system scans and compares it with its database of fingerprints. When a match is found, it means the uploaded content contains copyrighted material.

Depending on the terms set by content owners, the platform will take specific actions, which may include blocking the uploaded content, monetizing it on behalf of the copyright holder or tracking its statistics. The system will generate reports and analytics for content owners showing how their copyrighted material is being used, helping the content owners monitor and manage their copyrights effectively.

Content creators who use copyrighted material in their content may have options depending on the platform’s policies. If they meet certain criteria, they might be able to use the material which may include sharing revenue from their content, or they might have to remove or replace the copyrighted content.