Meta Description: Understand YouTube Content ID. Learn how Recods uses it to monetize your original songs, remixes, and cover uploads automatically on social media and YouTube.

YouTube Content ID is one of the most powerful, yet often misunderstood, tools in the independent artist’s arsenal. It’s not just about copyright protection; it’s about making money from content you didn’t even upload.

At Recods, we include free Content ID protection with every plan, ensuring you don’t leave money on the table.

What is YouTube Content ID?

Content ID is a digital fingerprinting system used by YouTube to automatically identify copyrighted audio and video content.

When you upload your music through a distributor like Recods:

1. Your unique recording is added to YouTube’s Content ID database.
2. The system constantly scans every video uploaded to YouTube (including user-generated content, covers, gaming videos, etc.).
3. If a match is found, the system issues a “claim” on that video on your behalf.

The best part? You can choose to monetize the video, meaning ads are placed on it, and you collect the revenue, even though someone else uploaded the video.

The Problem: Why Artists Miss Out

Many “free” or low-cost distribution platforms either charge a high annual fee or a per-track fee for Content ID, or they take a higher percentage of the revenue generated.

• Recods Solution: Free Content ID is included as a standard feature on all plans. We believe protecting your earnings should never be an add-on cost.

Can I Monetize Cover Songs?

This is a frequently asked question with a clear answer: Yes, but only under specific circumstances.

• The Composition: The underlying song (lyrics and melody) is protected by the Publisher. To release a cover, you need a mechanical license. Recods handles the distribution, but you must secure the license first.
• The Recording: Your new recording of the cover is owned by you (the sound recording right).
• The Monetization: Once your cover is legitimately released and uploaded to the Content ID database, you can monetize user-generated content (UGC) that uses your specific recording of the cover.

If a popular YouTuber uses your unique cover recording in their video, Recods’ Content ID will claim it, and you will earn revenue.

How to Maximize Protection and Monetization

1. Activate Free Content ID: Ensure you activate this feature for every release inside your Recods dashboard.
2. Verify Your Claim: Your dashboard provides full transparency on claims and reports. You can review which videos have been claimed and the revenue they are generating.
3. Monetize Across Social Media: Recods extends this protection and monetization to other platforms, including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook.