The Power Of Content ID: Turning Plays Into Paychecks
In today’s digital world, music is everywhere – in vlogs, remixes, reaction videos, and more. While this exposure is exciting, it raises an important concern: How do labels and rights holders protect their work and make sure they’re getting paid when their music is used?
That’s where Youtube’s Content ID plays a crucial role.
What is Content ID and How Does it Work?
Content ID is YouTube’s digital fingerprinting system that scans uploaded content for copyrighted material.
Content ID detects copyrighted material and allows rights holders to monetize, track, or block videos that use their music. Whether a fan includes content in the background of a vlog or a creator remixes a track, Content ID gives labels control over their content and earnings.
When a creator uploads content, they are able to select a policy that determines how a Content ID match will be handled. These are the policy options:
Monetize – Run ads and earn revenue from the video.
Track – Monitor video performance analytics without monetizing.
Block – Remove the video from YouTube.
The diagram below shows a breakdown of how Content ID works, from uploading music to detecting matches and applying the creator’s chosen policy.
Why is Content ID Important for Artists?
Content ID ensures artists get paid for their work, protects against unauthorized uses, and helps artists track their content’s reach.
By monetizing user-generated content (UGC) – such as covers, lyric videos, and reaction videos – artists can generate income beyond streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Choosing the monetize policy allows them to earn revenue from ads on videos that contain their content.
Many artists are looking for ways to maintain control over their music, and this is one solution. Content ID prevents unauthorized uploads from taking potential revenue away from the artist and allows them to decide how their music is used on YouTube. For example, if someone posts a lyric video of a song and the uploader earns revenue from it, the artist deserves compensation too. Similarly, if someone leaks a song on YouTube prior to its release date, the artist can block the video.
Beyond protection, Content ID serves as a powerful analytics tool. Artists who choose to track instead of monetize or block can analyze how and where fans use their music. Choosing a monetize or block policy will still provide these analytics, but the track policy allows the rights holder access to analytics without running ads or restricting content. This insight can inspire marketing strategies like dance challenges or open-verse challenges to boost engagement. Identifying where a song frequently appears in videos can also reveal unexpected fan bases and growth opportunities.
Why Use Vydia for Content ID?
Not all rights holders have access to YouTube Content ID directly–some must go through a preferred distributor like Vydia. Vydia simplifies the process, allowing artists and labels to benefit from Content ID without manually handling claims.
When users distribute music through Vydia, they can opt into Youtube Content ID during the release process. Doing so ensures that:
- The song is fingerprinted and added to YouTube’s Content ID database.
- Any video using the song gets detected and the rights holder’s chosen policy (monetize, track, block) is applied.
- Rights holders do not have to manually submit claims.
- Access to viewing analytics for all videos claimed with their content so they can track the engagement.
For independent artists and labels, YouTube is more than just a video-sharing platform – it’s a major source of revenue. Fan uploads, lyric videos, and remixes help introduce music to new audiences, but without the right tools, these opportunities may go unnoticed. Content ID gives artists the ability to not only protect their rights, but also maximize earnings and capitalize on every use of their music.
If you distribute music through Vydia, make sure to take advantage of Content ID for an effortless way to expand your reach and revenue!
Interested in joining Vydia’s platform? Request an invite today.
About the Author: Amanda Serulneck is a Rights Management Coordinator at Vydia, where she helps creators protect their work and make the most of their content. Passionate about the ever-evolving music industry, she loves diving into the world of content ID and monetization.