How To Avoid Copyright Strikes on YouTube?Founded in 2004, YouTube started as a small platform in a humble garage, with the primary mission to establish itself as a video distribution platform in the market. When launched, the original purpose of the platform was to be a place where users could post any video content they desired.

Youtube wanted to be known as the platform for uploading, sharing, and viewing content for users by users. Since then, it has become the largest video distribution platform in the market.

One study showed that YouTube has over 1.7 billion unique visitors every month!

As this platform started gaining traction, many companies and organizations took notice of this of its popularity. Thus, they began using it to advertise their products.

This gave birth to the concept of content creation and sponsored content marketing. Since its creation, YouTube has made an array of tweaks and updates. However, the introduction of YouTube's partner program and Google AdSense was definitely a game changer.

This encouraged content creators and influencers to flock to YouTube to monetize their content in hopes of making a living from it.

As of 2021, YouTube has generated a whopping $28.8 billion in revenue, reporting more than 30% profit growth throughout the years.

In addition to that, there are now many channels that make millions through channel revenue. YouTubers like MrBeast top the list after generating $54 million in revenue on his channel in 2021.

Many content creators pursue this career path in the hopes of making millions and following the footsteps of many of the famous creators on YouTube, but it is not as easy as it seems.

There are two words in the world of YouTube content creation that make any creator, no matter how famous they may be, quake in their boots: Copyright Strike. A copyright strike is a nightmare for any creator on the platform because of the fact that it fatally hinders their ability to monetize their content.

What Is a Copyright Strike?

Now, what is a copyright strike, and more importantly, why are YouTube creators afraid of it? By definition, a copyright strike occurs when a creator posts a video on their channel, and it contains content for which the copyrights are owned by another party.

In this case, the copyright owner is able to file a strike against that person, in the form of a takedown request, in order to protect the property they have copyrights over. When YouTube receives a formal request to take down the content, the company takes down the video.

This is a copyright strike, and it's enough to make any creator worried. YouTube policy dictates that you get one strike per instance, and if you get 3 strikes on your account, then your entire account will get taken down as well!

Youtube policies state that a video can only have one copyright strike at a time. Although there may be other reasons why a video might be taken down from the internet, One of the most prevalent causes is a copyright strike.

Content creators often spend days and weeks planning out the content and arranging all the items needed to prepare a video. And in most cases, they create content for YouTube full-time, so they depend on the income they get from their channel.

If the video gets a copyright strike, it would mean that all the hard work, time, and capital they invested in the video would go to waste. Due to this reason, it is essential for content creators to make sure that all other content they upload is copyright free.

Thankfully, there are many sites on the internet that specialize in this, and these reputed copyright checkers make the job much easier. In addition to this, it is essential to make sure that any music or audio content used in your videos is royalty-free.

Websites like AudioGrab can help you access royalty-free music to make sure that your content does not get a strike and taken down.

These sites offer creators a vast library of songs to choose from, like the blues or EDM, so that they are not restricted when selecting background audio or music for their videos.

When Can I Get a Copyright Strike?

Although the most common occurrence of a copyright strike is using audio that someone has copyrights over, there are some special cases where it is possible to get a copyright strike as well.

One case is more towards YouTube creators whose videos are centred on playthroughs and video game content in general. There are some video games that may offer these creators an early look into exclusive gameplay footage or provide them with copies of the game, giving them early access to that content.

This is normally done in order to promote the game because of the influence these creators have over their audience. Another reason for this is that it provides video game companies with an opportunity to test their game in a more contained and limited environment.

Whatever the case may be, these companies often prohibit these creators from publicly showing this content in order to protect their privacy until the official release of that game.

In addition to video game content, some instances of uploading video content can be subject to a copyright strike.

Some companies have rights over the TV shows, and movies they produce and uploading any content you do not own may result in immediate action. It's likely that the video will be taken down as soon as it goes on the platform.

Tips on How To Avoid a Copyright Strike

Creators should use the law to their advantage to avoid getting strikes on their YouTube content. In order to be clean of these, be sure to comply with the fair use law.

The company uses this in order to determine whether to remove a video from the platform or not. It's why creators have to make sure they do proper research and follow through with the fair use law.

Now that we have thoroughly discussed the consequences of getting a copyright strike on your video, there are some tips you can follow in order to avoid this risk.

Keep the Material Short

Although there is no specified duration on how long the copyrighted material on your video should be, it is strongly encouraged to keep it as short as possible in order to avoid getting a copyright strike.

Experts on this subject advise keeping the material as short as possible, with one or two seconds being the preferred duration.

However, if a creator intends to go above that, then they have to make sure to employ other safeguards and precautions to minimize the possibility.

Mention It Out of Context

When taking the risk of adding any copyrighted content to a video, a creator must think out of the box in order to avoid getting a strike.

One such way is by bending the context of the material. Creators often tend to post copyrighted content in a way that is taken out of context and does not target the original intention of the video.

Adopting techniques like this would successfully reduce the possibility of it getting a copyright strike.

Try To Fit Your Own Content if Possible

The safest way for a creator to avoid getting a copyright strike on their content is not to use any copyrighted content at all.

This can be done if the creator composes the music on their own, so there is no copyright to worry about in the first place.

In addition to that, making original content would also reduce the chances of content being taken down due to a copyright strike.

Wrap-up

Today, as a creator, making videos on YouTube is far more complicated than when it initially launched. At first, policies were much more relaxed, and there was greater leverage in terms of copyrights and content.

However, with YouTube becoming a well-established video distribution platform, its policies have started to change. Now, it's become a minefield for creators who have to navigate through the compliance requirements to upload successfully monetize content on the platform.

These were just some of the ways a creator can avoid getting a dreaded copyright strike on YouTube. Some of the tips mentioned above are great for creators who have just started out.