YouTube Content ID - Invalid References

2 min read

WHAT ARE INVALID REFERENCES?

Refer to this article.

WHAT DO THE VARIOUS INVALID REFERENCE CATEGORIES MEAN?

  • Sampled media: Contains sampled media from third parties. Embedded third-party content used under fair use or fair dealing, or licensed non-exclusively (e.g. commercials, trailers, viral videos).
  • Open licenses: Content released under Creative Commons or similar free/open licenses. Includes public domain footage, recordings, or compositions.
  • Other media: Sounds/looks like other media, sound effects, or visual effects. Karaoke recordings, remasters, sound-alike recordings, insufficiently distinct remixes, sped up or slowed down recordings, sound effects, soundbeds, production loops. Video gameplay footage not provided by the game's publisher. Content creation software templates.
  • Questionable ownership: Non-exclusively owned material, or content so widely licensed that no entity has exclusive rights. YouTube questions whether you possess sufficient rights to enable this as a reference.
  • Mixed compilation: Contains a mixed compilation or combination of intellectual property. You must provide individual references for intellectual property. Common invalid examples: compilations, continuous DJ mixes, mashups, countdown lists, full album sound recordings. Separate these into individual components.
  • Video game soundtrack: Contains a soundtrack recording from a video game.
  • Distinctness: May not be sufficiently distinct. High chance this reference is not sufficiently distinct for Content ID or may not be exclusively owned. Flagged to prevent bad claims.
  • Potentially invalid/other: YouTube identified a potential issue with your recording. Review all the criteria for Content ID and verify whether your recording qualifies.

WHAT IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF HAVING ONE OF YOUR SOUND RECORDINGS MARKED AS INVALID?

If your sound recording (or a segment) is marked invalid, YouTube excludes it from Content ID. Your sound recording will not claim any videos containing the invalid portion. No claims = no royalties on that content.

WHAT TO DO IF ONE OF YOUR SOUND RECORDINGS IS MARKED AS INVALID

  1. Review the invalid criteria in this article. Check whether your recording matches any of these.
  2. If your recording matches the invalid criteria:
    1. Respond on your Content ID Dashboard with "Exclude reference".
    2. Understand the invalid criteria fully. Do not continue distributing invalid content to YouTube Content ID or any other UGC DSP. When content is inappropriate for a UGC DSP, remove those DSPs from the distribution list.
    3. Repeatedly distributing inappropriate content to UGC DSPs will result in those DSPs being blocked from your account, or account termination.
  3. If your recording does NOT match the invalid criteria, email youtube@hitskope.com with:
    1. The Issue ID from your Content ID Dashboard.
    2. Why you believe YouTube is mistaken in considering your sound recording invalid.