It looks like some of YouTube’s biggest music creators are teaming up, and they’ve got a serious bone to pick with the music industry. Rick Beato, Professor of Rock, Justin Hawkins, Antony Fantano, and Danny Sapko he all dropped videos recently talking about the same issue, a clear sign these creators are linking arms and taking a stand.
So, what’s the beef? In short: copyright claims. But not from the artists themselves. The problem lies with third parties companies acting on behalf of record labels who are aggressively slapping copyright claims on music commentary videos. These claims let them scoop up all the ad revenue from the video, or in some cases, hit the channel with a strike.
And here’s the kicker: these videos are not pirating full songs. They’re using small clips for the purpose of critique or commentary, something that typically falls under fair use. Rick Beato, in particular, has been very vocal, saying there’s no wrongdoing on the part of these creators. In fact, he’s been preaching for a while now that using short snippets of music to analyze or discuss is completely legal and protected.
Speaking on his channel Rick Beato says;
For years I didnt do anything about these content ID claims. Anytime I got one, whoever made them got all the money from my videos, and this is hundreds and hundreds of videos. Some videos would get 20 copyright claims on them. Meaning, if I did a top 20 countdown, I get 20 ID claims and the 20 labels would split the money of my video, so Id make no money on them. And then I ran into another youtuber who's a lawyer who told me all the content I make is - fair use - and offered to help me. Now, I pay him every month, and Ive been doing that since last November or so and he has fought every content ID claim since the beginning of my channel, which is thousands.Let’s talk about something that’s seriously frustrating a lot of music lovers on YouTube right now: copyright claims and more specifically, how they’re being used to target channels that are just trying to share their passion.
First off, Fair Use is a rule in copyright law that allows people to use parts of copyrighted material without needing permission, as long as it’s for things like reviews, commentary, news reporting, parody, or education. So on paper, YouTubers should be in the clear when using short song clips in their music reviews.
But here’s the problem: even if you’re legally allowed to use a music snippet under Fair Use, YouTube’s automatic system often flags it anyway. That flag called an ID Claim, can either redirect all your ad revenue to a third-party company, or worse, result in a copyright strike. Fighting the claim is possible, but it’s a long, stressful process that a lot of smaller creators just don’t he the time, money, or resources to deal with.
Now, here’s where it gets really frustrating: in many of these cases, there’s no actual copyright infringement happening. These creators aren’t stealing songs, uploading full tracks, or pretending the music is their own. They’re doing what music lovers he always done, sharing their thoughts, celebrating great artists, and helping others discover new sounds.
From the YouTubers’ point of view, they’re giving artists free promotion. Seriously, hing someone like Rick Beato, who has over 5 million subscribers, feature your music is the kind of exposure money can’t buy. It’s a direct line to millions of fans, including younger listeners who may he never heard of you otherwise.
But unfortunately, the companies acting on behalf of record labels don’t seem to care. Instead of supporting this modern version of music discovery, they’re going after creators and grabbing any ad revenue they can, even when they know full well that Fair Use should apply. It feels less like protecting artists and more like squeezing every cent out of the system.
We’re no longer in the age of MTV. If you wanted to find new music back in the day, you’d flip on the TV. Now YouTube is the place for discovery. So if music review channels keep getting demonetized or driven off the platform entirely, what happens to the next generation of artists? Who’s going to help people discover their music?
This isn’t just a YouTuber issue it’s a music culture issue. And unless things change, we could be watching the slow death of one of the internet’s best tools for sharing the love of music.
Check out Rick Beato's upload to Youtube discussing this issue How Major Labels Continue To SCAM YouTubers