As you may know, Amuse can deliver your music to two YouTube-owned services. These services are YouTube Content ID and YouTube Music.
Historically, if requested, we were able to deliver your tracks to YouTube Content ID without delivering them to YouTube Music. This is no longer the case, and any new releases you upload to Amuse need to be delivered to YouTube Music if you’d like us to also collect Content ID revenue.
Content ID uses a fingerprinting system that collects royalties on your behalf if your music is used in someone else’s video. For more information about Content ID, check out our articles here and here.
YouTube Music is more of a traditional digital store, meaning Amuse delivers your track, and an “art track” is created by YouTube. This allows YouTube Music users to find and listen to your music. These “art tracks” are separate from any official videos you may upload to your YouTube artist channel.
If you don’t yet have any tracks live on YouTube Music, a “topic video” channel will be created. Whilst your artist channel and topic video channel can’t technically be merged, it’s possible to create an “Official Artist Channel”, which will show the videos all in one place, and ensure any images and branding you’ve added to your channel are consistent. In order to create an Official Artist Channel, certain requirements need to be met. Please see the questions below for details of these requirements.
The new policy only affects releases that we currently collect Content ID revenue for, but that have not been already delivered to YouTube Music. Releases you've excluded from delivery to both Content ID and YouTube Music, or have taken down, won’t change. Similarly, if some tracks are live on YouTube Music already, it doesn’t mean we can provide Content ID for them.
How much money will I make from YouTube and when will I see an increase in royalties?
Royalties take between 2-6 months to filter through from the services. Pay-per-stream rates aren’t set by YouTube, as there are a variety of different factors that affect the calculation.
Does all of my music have to be delivered to YouTube Music?
No. Only tracks you have requested we collect Content ID revenue for are also delivered to YouTube Music.
Can I choose which of my tracks are delivered to YouTube Music and which are taken down from Content ID?
No. In order to get the process moving as quickly as possible, we’re giving you the option to opt out as a user. If you’d like specific tracks taken down from YouTube completely, please follow the normal takedown process.
Can you tell me which of my tracks are affected?
If your tracks were affected, you’ll have received an email. If you did receive an email, we can’t provide you with this information at this moment, as, in order to maximise the opportunity for our users, we are working to a tight delivery schedule.
Why are some of my tracks live on YouTube Music but have been taken down from Content ID?
Some tracks are not eligible for Content ID monetization. Examples of content that is not eligible for Content ID:
- Content licensed non-exclusively from a third party (e.g. bought/free beats and instrumentals)
- Content released under Creative Commons or similar free/open licenses
- Public domain recordings/compositions, news, speeches or church services (or tracks containing these types of samples)
- Karaoke recordings, remasters, sound-alike recordings
- Tracks containing sound effects, soundbeds or production loops (e.g. from Logic, Groovepad, Bandlab, MAGIX, Splice, Garageband, etc.)
When will my releases be live on YouTube Music?
The releases should all be live on YouTube Music in the first or second week of December 2021.
What happens if I take my releases down from YouTube Music?
If you take releases opted in for Content ID collection down from YouTube Music, the releases will be taken down from Content ID also.
What are the requirements to have an Official Artist Channel created?
YouTube requires the following:
- You to own and operate a YouTube channel that represents one artist or band
- You to have at least 3 official releases on YouTube delivered and distributed by a music distributor or label
- You to have no policy violations on your channel
If you meet these requirements, please reach out to our support team and provide the following, and we will request this for you:
- Your artist name:
- A link to your artist channel:
- A link to your topic channel:
- A link to VEVO channel (if you have one):