YouTube Copyright Checker
How to Check the Music in a YouTube Video
- Paste a video link or ID into the box above: full watch URLs, youtu.be short links, Shorts links, and bare 11-character video IDs all work.
- Click "Check" and give the tool a few seconds: it reads the video’s "Music in this video" credits, then queries real rights databases (Deezer, MusicBrainz, iTunes) for each identified track.
- Read the verdict. You get one badge per track plus an overall verdict for the video: rights-managed music, major label release, public domain, royalty-free library track, or an honest "inconclusive" when nothing could be identified.
- Check the details. Each track card shows the ISRC, label and release date when found, and splits the status of the composition (the song itself) from the recording (the specific version), for the US and the EU separately.
- Pick alternatives if needed. If the music is rights-managed, the links under the result point to sources of music you can actually use: the YouTube Audio Library, Musopen and the Free Music Archive.
Not legal advice. This tool automates public data lookups and date arithmetic. It is a research aid, not a clearance service and not legal advice; for anything commercial, talk to a rights specialist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the YouTube copyright checker work?
It reads the machine-readable "Music in this video" credits that YouTube attaches when a rights holder has claimed a track (via Content ID) or when the video uses YouTube Audio Library music. Each credited track is then matched against real music databases: Deezer for the ISRC recording code, release date and label, MusicBrainz for the link between the recording and the underlying composition and its authors, and iTunes for the ℗ phonogram owner. On top of that, the tool runs public domain date arithmetic for the US and the EU. No guessing from the video title, unlike most "copyright checkers".
How do I check if a song is copyrighted?
Practically every commercially released song of the last hundred years is copyrighted; the real question is who manages the rights and how aggressively. Find a YouTube video that uses the song (an official video or lyric video works best), paste its link above, and the tool will show who claims it and on which label it was released. As a rule of thumb: if the composition was published less than 95 years ago, or any author died less than 70 years ago, treat the song as copyrighted.
Why is my result "inconclusive"?
Because the video carries no machine-readable music credits. That happens for many reasons: the rights holder has not enabled credits, the track was never claimed, the claim data is incomplete, or the video simply contains no music. Roughly one video in six carries credits, official music videos often do not (they are the claimed asset themselves). Important: inconclusive means "could not identify", never "free to use". The content can be fully protected without any visible credits.
What is public domain, and why do you separate composition and recording?
A song has two layers of rights: the composition (melody and lyrics, owned by writers and publishers) and each recording of it (owned by performers and labels). They expire independently, which matters most for classical music: a Bach piece composed in the 1720s is public domain, but a 2015 orchestra recording of it is protected until the 2080s. You can perform public domain works yourself; you cannot freely reuse someone else’s protected recording of them. The tool shows both layers for the US (publication-based terms) and the EU (life of the author plus 70 years).
What happens if I use copyrighted music in my video?
Usually not a disaster, but you lose something. Content ID detects the music and the rights holder chooses the outcome: most often they monetize your video (their ads, their revenue), sometimes they block it in certain countries, rarely they issue a copyright strike. Strikes are the dangerous part: three strikes close the channel. Claims are the common one: your video stays up but earns for someone else.
Is this a clearance? Can I rely on the verdict legally?
No. The tool automates lookups in public databases and date arithmetic; it does not see private licensing deals, regional edge cases (it flags but does not resolve things like Spain’s life plus 80 rule or wartime extensions in France), and it can misidentify a track. Treat the verdict as a well-researched starting point. For commercial use, get a license or advice from a rights professional.
Is the copyright checker free? How many checks do I get?
Yes, it’s free and needs no account. Each check queries several external rights databases, so there is a daily allowance: anonymous visitors get 20 checks a day, and a free Tube Search account raises the limit substantially. Repeat checks of the same video are served from a 30-day cache, quickly and without hammering the databases.
