Youtube and cover songs

Trine

This is quite the murky grey area. I'm sure there's plenty of people here who upload covers to Youtube, I'd like to hear their experiences.

Just to get some things straight in my head, and correct me if I'm off the mark...

My understanding is, that to upload a cover version of a copyrighted song legally, you need to pay for a synchronisation license per song from the publisher. Unlike a mechanical license for releasing covers on CD, synchronisation licenses have to be requested by directly contacting the publisher, who can literally put any price he wants on it. From what I've seen it can be thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars for well known hits.

If you don't do this though, you are technically infringing copyright by uploading to Youtube, and are breaking the law. But everybody does it. Thousands of times a day. And Youtube allows it. Kind of.

I understand that Youtube has an automatic Content ID system that scans uploaded files for copyrighted music. If it finds any, it notifies the publisher, who may then do nothing at all (rare), track your video, stick an advert on it and take a share of the monetisation (seems to be the most common) or pull the video completely (actually seems quite rare too, though I may be wrong).

I read something like 10,000 cover songs are uploaded to Youtube every single day. Obviously individuals from record companies who deal with copyright infringement can't sift through all these, so I presume they rely on Content ID and concentrate on big money-earning fish.

I have a couple of questions, as somebody who has never uploaded covers before but intends to now...

Let's say you upload a song every week, gaining popularity and increasingly more views and subs to your channel, to the point where you are making some money from these covers (ambitious and unlikely, I know). Content ID catches these, and the publisher decides to take a share of monetisation, along with Youtube of course. I can't find an answer to this question...do you still get a share? What is the split? Or because you uploaded illegally do you get absolutely nothing from that point on?

Also, when the publisher decides to do this, do you still get a copyright infringement strike against your account? Three and your account is mercilessly deleted, I believe.

At what stage are people finding their songs are being effected by the Content ID? Is it straight after uploading, or when the video reaches a certain number of views? Has anybody had their covers pulled completely without warning, or are you almost always given the monetisation treatment?

Lots of questions, but maybe somebody can share their experiences.

Herb Powell

Anyone who claims is pulling PR suicide and can (rightly) kiss their fans goodbye.