For the last several months I've been at odds with YouTube and their crackdown on copyright music in videos. I guess this is more about pressure from record companies than YouTube stopping it, but things are certainly changing.
While I've always respected copyrights when submitting to festivals, YouTube to me was more about free range. It was lip sync videos, fan videos, and home video put to music. While not everything is off limits, and while some copyrighted songs are still allowed to play - others are blocked months after a video was uploaded. This is the challenge I've been facing with some of my video postcards - my travel edits that I've uploaded.
It's difficult to say how serious an issue this is, as there's no list that says which songs are approved and which aren't. YouTube's audioswap feature is also available, put the choices in music are painfully bad and lame. It's worth removing the video and uploading it with a new track than settling on one of their options.
My newest videos often feature independent artists or royalty free music as to avoid this problem now - however, it's my older projects where there's background music playing that I'm concerned about. I suppose I'll just have to re-edit and re-upload if anything happens.
Here are two of my travel edits that I recently uploaded again. The nice thing about them is that they weren't cut specifically to any piece of music, so most songs compliment the footage. It just means a bit more work on my part and research for more talented independent musicians - not that I was taking credit for anyone elses music to begin with.
Driving Through Western Nebraska
Black Hills Photo Collage
7 comments :
maybe giving credit to the musicians would help you out. i for one would like to know who the band is in the nebraska video.
Giving credit isn't the problem, I include the name of the artist in links to the video, but it's actually a way of getting your video removed quicker sometimes. The Dodos - as in the Nebraska video are on a smaller label though, so I'm probably alright for a little while.
The worst part is trying to fix the problem. I may make a short doc about my issues, I have a letter from a band and band management saying they have no issues however the problem is in the record companies. Then trying to get something from the companies is a complete joke and youtube is run by assholes and won't help out any clients. Great business they run.
What is this, 1998? These execs need to get with the times and stop fighting a costly uphill legal battle that generates no more 'revenue' then if they just leave the issue alone...hell, artists having that much more exposure may even be good for their interests.
Love the Black Hills photo collage! Makes me a bit homesick, I'm originally from South Dakota but gave "all that" up for Italy
Yep...my buddy Will and I have had the same issues...
You are right, Luke - YouTube is a forum for people to express themselves (however poorly)...using ANYONE'S music shouldn't be a problem, as long as you credit the artist and don't try and pass the music off as your own. How many times have you seen someone leave a comment on YouTube videos to the effect of "What is the song you used in that video?" - which means that person is going to track down that song/artist, potentially creating revenue for the record companies...
Crazy, insane...
Later.
I had no idea that You Tube was starting to put restriction on the video's submitted like you when I think of You Tube I think of Free Range. Able to submit your own creations and no restrictions.
Thanks for sharing
Angie
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