If you’ve been creating videos on YouTube for a while, you might have come across terms like ‘copyright claim’ and ‘copyright strike’. At first, they sound almost the same, right? But in reality, they’re very different.
One just means that your ad revenue is redirected, while the other shows that your channel is in danger! This confusion often trips up many creators, especially those who are new.
That’s why in this blog, we’ll clearly explain the differences between a YouTube copyright strike and a copyright claim.
In this article, we’ll cover…
- Understanding a YouTube Copyright Claim
- Effects of a Copyright Claim on Your Channel
- A Real Life Example of a Copyright Claim
- How to Handle a YouTube Copyright Claim
- Understanding a YouTube Copyright Strike
- Impact of a Copyright Strike on Your Channel
- A Real Life Example of a Copyright Strike
- How to Handle a YouTube Copyright Strike
- Copyright Strikes vs Claims: Key Differences
- Common Questions About YouTube Copyright (FAQs)
What is a YouTube Copyright Claim?
A YouTube copyright claim happens when YouTube’s system, called Content ID, finds that part of your video matches someone else’s copyrighted material. This could be a song, a clip from a movie, a piece of background music, or even sound effects.
In general, it doesn’t affect your channel health. Your earnings may get shared with the creator. That’s all!
Consequences of a Copyright Claim
Here’s what typically happens when your video receives a copyright claim:
- Your video stays live and remains visible, though it might be blocked in certain countries. You can use our country restriction checker tool to verify whether a video has faced any such restrictions in some places.
- The copyright holder can choose to just keep an eye on your video’s performance, like its views and watch time, without affecting its monetization.
- You lose the right to monetize that video. The copyright owner can run the ads and keep all (or share) the revenue.
Real Example Of A Copyright Claim
Once, PewDiePie received a copyright strike on his own YouTube video for using his own music (“Lasagna”). He released it intentionally as free for anyone to remix or use.
Yet, despite being the original creator, someone else filed a claim on his own music in the video, acting as though they owned it (by illegally uploading to various streaming platforms like Spotify). Surprisingly, this led to a copyright claim on his own content.
How To Deal With A Copyright Claim on YouTube
Have a look at what to do when a copyright claim arises:
1. Mute, Replace, or Trim the Claimed Part
You can:
- Remove audio in the claimed timestamps
- Cut out the specific part of the video that triggered the claim
- Swap in a free track from the YouTube Audio Library
But the problem with YouTube Audio Library is that most of its tracks are very generic. Even if you find something unique, chances are that the specific owner may make it paid eventually.
That’s why we’ve curated a list of copyright-free audio tracks from trusted sources into a dedicated free library. Try out our YouTube royalty-free music library now! 😉
2. Dispute the Claim
If you have rights (like a license), or believe you fall under fair use, you can dispute the claim. The claimant has 30 days to respond. Any new revenue generated during the dispute period is held and paid out after solving it.
If they ignore it, the claim is automatically released, and you’ll retain access to monetization.
3. Escalate to Appeal
If the video is blocked, you can skip the dispute and go straight to an appeal with higher stakes.
Now, the claimant only has 7 days to respond (instead of 30), which can speed things up. But a wrong move might trigger a copyright strike. Be sure of your case before you escalate.
What is a YouTube Copyright Strike?
A copyright strike happens when a copyright owner or their legal representative manually files a formal DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) Takedown Notice with YouTube. They are essentially making a legal request for YouTube to remove your content because they believe it infringes on their copyright.
Since this is a legal action, YouTube is obligated to comply and remove the content. And yes, too many claims can affect your channel greatly 📉 .
Consequences of a Copyright Strike
Check out what happens step by step when your channel gets struck with a copyright strike:
- First Strike: Your video is removed from YouTube right away. For a week, you won’t be able to use live streaming or other features. You must watch Copyright School, a short series of educational videos about copyright law. If you finish Copyright School and don’t get another strike, the strike will end after 90 days.
- Second Strike: If you get a second strike within 90 days of the first, you won’t be able to live-stream or upload for two weeks. You can’t make any new content during that time. This may affect your channel growth to a great extent.
- Third Strike: If your channel gets three active copyright strikes in a row within 90 days, it will be permanently closed. YouTube will permanently delete your channel and all of its videos. Plus, you will not be able to create any new channels from that account.
Real Example Of A Copyright Strike
Take the case of Dustin McLean, a creator known for “literal music videos” that turn song lyrics into funny literal interpretations. Two of his popular videos, “Take On Me” and “Under the Bridge” covers, were removed due to copyright claims from major labels like Warner Music Group. These removals occurred even after they had garnered over a million views each!
How to Deal with a Copyright Strike
Getting a strike can be scary, but there are a few things you can do to fix it:
1. Get A Retraction
You can contact the person who filed the DMCA takedown notice and ask them to take it back. If you think they filed the strike by mistake or if you can work out a deal (like getting a license for the content), this is a good choice.
2. Submit a Counter-Notification
This is a legal process you should only consider if you are 100% sure that the strike was a mistake and you have the legal right to use the content.
After submission, YouTube gives the original copyright owner about 10 to 14 business days to prove they have filed a lawsuit against you to keep the video down. If they don’t, YouTube will put your video back online, and the strike on your channel will be removed.
3. Wait for it to Expire
In case you know that something has gone wrong from your side, waiting ⏳ is the simplest solution. Every copyright strike expires after 90 days. The strike will be removed from your channel’s record, and your full privileges will be restored, as long as you’ve completed Copyright School and don’t receive additional strikes in that time.
Deletion of the video won’t solve the problem immediately, but it can help avoid further problems later.
Copyright Strike VS Claim: What’s The Difference?
Here are the differences between a copyright strike and copyright claim:
| Category | Copyright Claim | Copyright Strike |
| What It Is | Automatic flag by YouTube’s Content ID system | A formal legal complaint (DMCA takedown) from the copyright owner |
| Effect on Video | Video usually stays up, but the owner may put ads, block it in some countries, or track its views | Video is removed immediately from YouTube |
| Effect on Channel | No penalty to your channel health | Channel receives one strike (after three, the entire channel gets deleted) |
| Monetization | Ads may run, but money goes to the copyright owner instead of you | Monetization is disabled on the removed video |
| Expiry | Claims never really ‘expire’ unless the owner withdraws them | Strikes expire after 90 days |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ❓
1. Do private or unlisted videos get copyright claims too?
Yes. YouTube’s Content ID scans all uploaded videos, whether it’s public, private, or unlisted. Even if you’re the only one watching, claims can still happen.
2. Do copyright strikes affect YouTube Shorts or just long videos?
Any kind of video can get a strike, including long-form videos, Shorts, and even livestreams. It doesn’t matter how long or short the video is if it uses copyrighted material without permission.
3. What’s the safest way to avoid copyright issues altogether?
Use stock footage without copyright. And for audio, consider using only royalty-free tracks from the YouTube audio library, LenosTube library or other such trusted platforms.
4. Do claims or strikes affect the recommendations and reach of videos?
Claims don’t hurt your channel’s health, but strikes can limit your visibility. A channel with multiple strikes might see reduced reach because YouTube algorithm considers it risky.
Conclusion
Copyright claims and copyright strikes are two very different things. A claim usually just sends your YouTube money to another person, but a strike can put your whole channel in danger.
As a creator, your duty is to make good choices 👌. Always be careful about what you upload and use music that is either royalty-free or licensed. Or if you’re financially comfortable enough and don’t want to take risks, consider buying music for your YouTube videos.
Remember that claims can happen even for small mistakes, like having music playing in a café. So, before you click “upload” again, take a second and think: Is everything in this video mine to share?
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