How to Use Copyrighted Music on YouTube

Music is more likely to get you in trouble for copyright on YouTube than using clips, screenshots, or reusing video altogether. A simple misunderstanding is part of the problem: a song being online or the option of picking a song in your editor app does not mean you can use it. Technically, a track can be open and legally closed at the same time.

This guide will tell you what you can use, what gets flagged even if you think it’s “safe”, and how to protect your channel’s ability to make money. That includes a major update to YouTube’s own music tools that took place in 2026.

How Music Copyright on YouTube Works: The Meaning

Copyright is a legal framework that protects the author and the owner of the product. Before we get into what you can and can’t do, it helps to understand what you’re licensing, because a song can have two different owners. One copyright is for the musical composition (melody, lyrics, arrangement). The sound recording, or master (the specific performance recorded in the studio), is a separate second copyright, typically owned by a label or the artist directly. That is why permission to use “a song” is not the same as permission to use that recording of it. A cover version may be cleared for the composition rights, but you need separate clearance if you use someone else’s recorded performance of it and vice versa.

YouTube Content ID system compares uploads to a database of registered music and audio to find matches. When it finds a match, three very different things can happen, and creators often mix them up:

• Content ID claim – the video remains on the site, but the revenue goes straight to the exclusive rights holder.
• A copyright removal request – a manual takedown by the copyright owner.
• A copyright strike – a formal punishment for the channel.

The most common result is a claim, and it doesn’t threaten your video. A strike is another and a more serious thing. One of the most persistent myths among creators is mixing them up, and it leads to a lot of panic.

Legal Ways to Use Copyrighted Music on YouTube

There are several ways to find and use music regarding its owners’ rights’ maintenance. So, where to go if you need an audio track for your video without doing copyright infringement? 

Get a License or Legal Permission

The easiest way to do this is to license the track yourself, either directly from the copyright holder or via a music-licensing platform. Subscription-based music libraries provide access to licensed tracks. A license is only as good as its fine print, so before you use anything, make sure it explicitly covers:

• Use on YouTube channel exclusively
• Commercialization and monetization
• Any territorial restrictions
• Expiration and terms of duration
• The use in Shorts or live streamings

Keep the right license or permission closer. Later, if a claim or copyright dispute arises, you’ll need to provide evidence.

YouTube Audio Library + Shorts Audio Library

YouTube has its own vast library of music and sound effects that anyone can use for free. Some tracks need to be credited, but others don’t. It’s still one of the safest choices because everything in it has already been approved for YouTube use. There are no licensing issues, and there is no confusion about the territory or track duration. 

Getting music for Shorts is different from getting one for long-form videos. Shorts have their own library of already-approved tracks. You can only legally use a song in a YouTube Short if you add it through the YouTube Shorts audio tool. If you download the song and add it to a Short yourself, you don’t have the right to do that. 

Shorts library is a bit wider, because it includes commercial licensed tracks. Real limitations are duration from 90 seconds to 3 minutes, because it varies depending on a track, and blocking of Shorts longer than a minute when it gets a claim.

Creator Music: What Changed in 2026

Creator Music gives eligible creators access to more than just the Audio Library, but in 2026 the rules changed quite a bit. As of August 10, 2026, YouTube no longer sells new paid Creator Music licenses. Existing licenses on videos will remain valid until the end of their agreed term, but creators can no longer purchase new ones. From now on, the catalog will be based on free tracks and revenue-sharing tracks.

Revenue sharing has usage rules that are easy to overlook:

• You can use restricted usage tracks in videos of at least 3 minutes long for up to 30 seconds.
• Unrestricted usage tracks can be used in full, in videos of any length.

Creator Music is available to creators in the US who are part of YPP, and so, availability for other regions is announced to roll out. As of now, tracks can be used for long forms only. Shorts and live streams are not included.

A quick note on public domain, Creative Commons, and “royalty-free” music: public domain does NOT mean “found it online”. Work must be explicitly released or have had a copyright that has expired. Creative Commons licenses may vary, each with different rights (block commercial use, require attribution, or prohibit modification). And “royalty-free” simply implies no per-use payment, but it’s not copyright-free. Always read the specific license attached to the specific track.

Fair Use and the “10-Second Rule” Myth

There are four things that determine whether it’s fair use or not: how much of the original was used, the nature of the original, the purpose and character of the use (including whether or not it’s considered transformative), and the effect on the market for the original. There is no magic formula that makes these ingredients into a pass/fail answer. Content ID doesn’t check for fair use, as it is a legal issue. Rules for its violation vary depending on jurisdiction.

None of the following allows using copyrighted music legally, no matter how many times you say it or mention it, wrapping it into your specific circumstances:

1. I credited the artist as well.
2. I don’t make money off the video.
3. I don’t own it, I just use it.
4. I don’t have any intention to infringe on anyone’s rights.
5. I took only a few seconds. 

Five seconds, ten seconds, or thirty seconds may seem like a reasonable exception, but it’s not! Content ID will still catch them just the same. Even a small piece of a song can be matched.

What Happens If You Use Music Without Permission

Some creators mix several possible punishments for inappropriate use of licensed tracks.

Content ID Claim

The video is available online, but the rights owner or music publisher can monetize, block it in certain regions, or track its performance. A claim is not the same as a strike, but it can stop the creator from earning ad revenue.

Copyright Strike

The owner of the work submits a copyright removal request. Then the channel officially gets a strike, meaning the video is taken down. Multiple hits can have serious consequences, like a channel termination. Three copyright strikes within 90 days can terminate your channel.

Revenue-Sharing Tracks Claim

As in the 2026 Creator Music changes, claims on revenue-sharing tracks are processed through a similar but separate system in YouTube Studio. These claims are very similar to normal Content ID claims and work the same way. One surprise for creators: If you don’t want to make money off your video, you don’t have to. It doesn’t work for Shorts and live streams, and you have to be clear of any issues with monetization. Otherwise, it’s a Content ID claim or a DMCA takedown request. 

If there is a revenue-sharing track, the video still makes money from it, and it is shared between the author of the video and the rights owner. For licensed tracks, it has to be up to 30 seconds long in the 3-minute video, and for unlicensed tracks, there is no duration restriction for any videos.

Keep in mind that the copyright owner can change the use terms even after the publication, so the video that met the terms before the upload, can face a claim later.

What to do if you’ve got yourself a claim:

1. See who filed the claim and why.
2. Find the involved track.
3. Make sure you have the proper license.
4. You can accept the claim, or replace or mute the audio, if the claim is true.
5. If you have legal rights, use a license or permission as evidence to dispute it.

Don’t fight a claim just to keep the money coming in if you don’t have the rights to back it up. A disputed claim can make things worse for the health of your channel.

Best Option by Use Case

Let’s explore case-studies-ish options by practical examples. What is appropriate depends on what you are making:

• Searching for a particular popular song? → Get a proper license, especially if it’s a well-known track, where a punishment will find you immediately.
• Need background music? → Go for a trusted licensed music service or YouTube Audio Library.
• Making Shorts? → Use the music available through YouTube’s Shorts tools, not a downloaded copy of the same song.
• Creating educational content, commentary, or reviews? → Make sure that fair-use arguments apply in your particular case.
• Working with your automation team or editors? → Let copyright checks be part of the production workflow.
• Not sure where to begin at all? → Most of the time, your needs can be covered by the Audio Library, Creator Music (where available), the Shorts Audio Library, licensed music libraries, and genuine public-domain works, just read the terms for the chosen individual track.

Correct Copyright is Better than a Short-Term Free Joy

Yes, sometimes it feels like it’s so free and simple to get. But using a track that isn’t licensed might save you time at first, but it rarely ends up being worth it. A claim can steal your money, and a strike can put the whole channel at risk. 

Respecting copyright starts with a valid license, a library that has been cleared, or a confirmed case of fair use. This will protect your earnings and your channel’s reputation on the platform. It’s much cheaper to check a track’s rights a few extra minutes at a time and buy it if necessary than to lose a video, a payout, or the channel itself. 

If you have doubts about how to use media correctly and you feel you need support in this matter, don’t hesitate to turn to a partnership with Mediacube. Our team of experts has seen it all — we have many creators around the world, and that experience of working with them and through different cases speaks for us now.