Why Your Channel Gets Copyright Strikes and How to Prevent Them

You probably know what happens if you get 3 copyright strikes on YouTube — your channel faces permanent termination. Moreover, it can affect your other channels, especially if they are all under the same Google account. And even if you create a new channel under a different account, YouTube still might link it to you (via IP, payment methods, or other connections). If that happens, the new channel could also face troubles.

So let's agree that avoiding YouTube strikes altogether is a much better approach.

Let’s break down why you might get a copyright strike and how to prevent it.

Note: We're not talking about Community Guideline strikes here — those are for things like profanity or sensitive topics. We're diving into the world of YouTube copyright strikes only.

Copyright Claim vs. Strike

First off, let's clear up a common confusion. A copyright claim (often through YouTube's Content ID system) is when someone claims that your video contains their copyrighted material. Typically, this means they can redirect monetization from your video or track its viewership, but your channel remains in good standing.

A copyright strike, on the other hand, is more severe. This happens when a copyright owner submits a legal takedown request for your content, leading to the removal of your video and a strike against your channel:

Facing unjust strikes?

Our experts at AIR Media-Tech offer tailored support to help you resolve strikes and keep things running smoothly. Just contact us to get started.

Cases: Why Channel Gets Copyright Strikes

Let's explore some scenarios we encountered when helping our partners dispute copyright strikes, so you can learn from their experiences.

Case 1: The Scene Too Long

James, a film reviewer with 75K subs, is passionate about breaking down classic movies. In one of his videos, he analyzed the iconic "You can’t sit with us!" scene from Mean Girls. To provide context, he included the entire unaltered scene, which lasted over a minute.

While his commentary was insightful, the problem lay in using such a significant portion of the film without transformation. The production company issued a copyright strike against his channel. Consequently, James couldn't upload new content for a week, disrupting his schedule and audience engagement.

After negotiations with the rights holders, the video was successfully unblocked. For new uploads, our Strike Resolution team advised the creator to receive official permission to use the content.

Lesson: Be cautious when using long, high-value segments of copyrighted content. Instead of inserting the full scene, consider summarizing it or using alternative methods like animation or descriptive narration.

Case 2: The Music Fail

Sophia, a lifestyle vlogger with 200K subs, loved sharing her travel adventures. To enhance her latest vlog, she used 30 seconds of The Weekend's "Starboy" as background music during picturesque scenes.

However, Sophia hadn't secured the necessary permissions or licenses for the track. The record label detected the unauthorized use and issued a copyright strike. Her video was taken down, and she faced delays in monetization while resolving the issue.

Remember that some artists won’t allow even as little as 3 seconds of their track to be in some video on YouTube. And some artists won’t care if half of the song is played in the background of your vlog. You could never know for sure beforehand.

Lesson: Always obtain proper licensing for copyrighted music. If that's not possible, opt for YouTube's Audio Library, which offers free music and sound effects. Also, consider using platforms like Epidemic Sound with huge libraries of royalty-free tracks.

Case 3: The "Live Stream Loophole" Backfire

Alex, an aspiring political commentator with 50K subs, decided to live-stream election coverage from a major news channel, adding his opinions from time to time. However, there were long stretches where the original broadcast played without interruption.

The news network's automated systems flagged the stream, resulting in a copyright claim and then a strike from the news channel. Alex lost his live-streaming privileges for 90 days, a significant setback for his channel's growth.

The conflict was resolved through negotiations.

Lesson: When live-streaming copyrighted material, ensure your commentary is frequent and transformative. Avoid lengthy segments of unaltered content to minimize infringement risks. Otherwise, we recommend working only through licensing agreements with news agencies.

Case 4: The Whole Revenge Arc

Chris, an independent creator, noticed his original videos being reposted without permission and filed multiple takedown requests. However, one individual threatened to falsely report Chris's content as revenge for the takedown requests.

Despite ignoring the threats, Chris later received a copyright strike on an original video. The claimant falsely alleged ownership, and YouTube accepted the claim. Chris had to appeal and provide evidence of ownership, causing stress and workflow disruption.

Lesson: Protect your content by keeping clear records of creation and upload dates. Utilize YouTube's Content ID system if eligible, and be prepared to defend your work against pretenders.

In most cases, creators can't apply for Content ID on their own. A certified partner is needed for it, and we are that partner. Just reach out for more info.

Case 5: Betrayal by an Editor

Mark, a growing YouTuber with 25K subs, hired an editor to help with video production. After months of collaboration, Mark switched to a different editor for better quality. Shortly after, he saw copyright strikes YouTube issued on several of his old videos.

Investigating the claims, Mark discovered that his former editor had uploaded the same videos to their own channel before delivering them to Mark back in the day. As a result, Mark's channel was completely removed from the YouTube Partner Program.

Lesson: When outsourcing, have clear contracts stating content ownership. Maintain records proving creation and upload dates to safeguard against such betrayals.

Understanding “Fair Use”

“Fair use” allows creators to use copyrighted material without permission under specific conditions. The key to fair use is transformation — creating new art or commentary that builds upon the original work rather than replicating it. Examples of transformation include critical analysis, commentary, and reactions.

However, sometimes the rightful owners will strike your channel anyway (even if it’s 100% fair use). Then you need to prove to YouTube that what you did was indeed fair use. If you are worried about correctly explaining your situation in the dispute, you may try services like Strike Resolution from AIR Media-Tech. The team of professionals knows everything about copyright law and will help you resolve the issue quickly and painlessly.

How to Avoid Copyright Strikes on YouTube

Navigating the copyright on YouTube can be tricky. Besides lessons from our cases, here’s how else you can protect your channel:

1. If you work with editors or collaborators, ensure they understand copyright rules and all of YouTube's policies.​
2. Avoid excessive use of copyrighted clips to minimize legal risks. Limit clips to 2–5 seconds to reduce the likelihood of copyright claims, even though no strict time limit is legally defined.
3. Educators can use copyrighted material to teach or analyze, not just showcase. For example, a beat creator teaching about Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies' might include snippets to highlight its rhythm and iconic claps, as long as the focus is educational.
4. To avoid strikes for in-game music, disable the music in your game settings and consider using royalty-free tracks.
5. Don’t hesitate to dispute false claims. Gather evidence, stay professional, and use the platform’s dispute process to protect your rights and content.

Do YouTube Strikes Go Away?

The short answer — yes, they do. YouTube's copyright strikes expire 90 days after being issued, as long as you don’t receive additional strikes during that time. This means that if you only have one or two strikes and carefully follow YouTube’s rules moving forward, those strikes will be removed automatically after the 90-day period.

Protect Your Channel

At AIR Media-Tech, we've seen it all when it comes to YouTube creators facing copyright challenges. Our expertise lies in helping creators like you navigate these complexities, ensuring your channel remains strike-free and thrives. Reach out to us for both expert guidance and content review services.