I don't monetize my channel, can I use popular music?

So much wrong BS here it's sad.. Sometimes I think members here are just making guesses or flipping coins for answers because clearly many have no idea what they are even saying - or they get it half-right and leave out key information..

Yes, you can use (some.. not all) popular music because many music publishers have an agreement with Youtube to allow their music to be used in videos (with limitations). Most songs will get you a "Content ID" match notice - When this happens you will get a friendly email telling you that the song was matched in YouTube's Content ID system, and give you a chance to appeal if it's a mistake (which it often is). If it's not a mistake DO NOT try to appeal saying it is a mistake.. that's a big strike..

If it's not a mistake then you often are given the option to continue using the song with the copyright owner's ads shown on your video. We have done this dozens of times. These Content ID matches are very different from, and should not be confused with a Copyright Strike..

SOME copyright owners won't allow you to use their music and will require you to take down the video or "mute" their music - and if you don't comply then you WILL get a copyright strike.
Note that the newer/bigger/more popular a song is, the better chance there may be that they won't allow you to use it.

There are two ways you can test to see if you can use the music without getting a copyright strike:
1) (Best Option) search for the music in the Creator Studio Library in the "Music Polices" section - it will tell you if you are allowed to use the music or not, and what restrictions there may be
2) make and upload a 'test' video with the music in it and set it to 'private'.. YouTube's ContentID system will pick up on it almost immediatly and send you an email with your options.

Stealing music is wrong. Using music with permission from the copyright owners given via YouTube's ContentID system is perfectly legit.

We generally don't use copyrighted music and we do pay for a copyright-free service for the majority of our music, but sometimes a video NEEDS a good popular song for it to work.

SOURCE: (add H T T P S) : //support.google.com/youtube/answer/6364458?hl=en
 
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Wrong. Yes, there are plenty of owners who will monetize your video because it's easier and more lucrative than taking you to court. That doesn't make it okay to do. That just means they know they can't get enough out of you to make it worthwhile to destroy your life in court. That is not tacit permission to steal their work.
 
The NotARubicon! said:
It's not stealing when you pay them (via ads) and they give you permission to do it.
This makes it perfectly ok to do.
Click to expand...

It *IS* stealing if you don't have legal permission. That they choose to monetize your videos instead of taking you to court because they know you have nothing of value to take, that doesn't make it okay. Theft is theft. Just because they choose to take your ad revenue instead of put you in jail doesn't change a thing.
 
Sorry that you're trying to rationalize theft. Just because they monetize your videos, that doesn't mean that what you are doing is okay. It means that you're not worth the time and money to drag into court.

Rent a clue.
 
my mate plays in a band, they write and perform their own music and have recently got signed to a record label...

my mate has a few videos on his private channel of him performing some of the bands songs in an acoustic(sp) style...he got a copyright strike against him for it (overturned obviously when he went to the label and explained what had happened) but if he can get a copyright strike again him for that (and they are in no way a massive band very much a local) good luck
 
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