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What content is prohibited in the exclusive stores (TikTok, Instagram/Facebook & YouTube Content ID)?
What content is prohibited in the exclusive stores (TikTok, Instagram/Facebook & YouTube Content ID)?
Benno avatar
Written by Benno
Updated over 4 months ago

The so-called exclusive stores TikTok, Instagram/Facebook and YouTube Content ID only allow exclusive content that clearly belongs to you and may only be used by you. These stores use fingerprinting/audio matching to analyze content and compare it with their internal database (similar to when you search for a song using Shazam). If there is an overlap with other songs, for example due to the same beat or publicly accessible samples/loops, the songs will be blocked or muted. Therefore, such content may not be delivered there. However, all other stores such as Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Music accept such content without any problems.

The following content may not be delivered to the exclusive stores:

Public domain content and licenses

  • Public domain content (content in the public domain) and classical music recordings of compositions in the public domain

  • Content published under Creative Commons or open licenses

  • Licensed third-party content and content that is free from copyright claims

Sound and music content

  • Non-exclusive beats or sounds (e.g. songs that contain drum loops or samples included in sample packs)

  • Production loops, drum loops and simple drum loops

  • Soundbeds and soundscapes

  • Nature sounds, ambient sounds and animal recordings

  • Sound effects

  • Meditation music, yoga music or sleep music

  • DJ sets, continuous mixes or similar compilations

  • "Soundalikes" (re-composed melodies or songs that sound similar to the original) and karaoke versions of songs

Recordings and arrangements

  • Live versions of songs that sound very similar to the recorded version of the same song

  • Edits of recordings owned by other parties (e.g. remixes, re-recorded masters, remastered tracks or remixed tracks of songs where you do not own the original recording)

  • Music for which you do not own the master rights (e.g. music that you have produced for other artists)

  • Especially for YouTube Content ID:
    Cover versions and remixes (even if you own the original recording)

Voice and other audio content

  • Voice recordings

  • Comedy recordings

  • Film recordings (that are not the soundtrack)

  • Speeches and prayer recordings

  • Audio books and radio plays

  • Podcasts and spoken word

Special license terms

  • Content that you have licensed from another party on a non-exclusive basis (e.g. content licensed for soundtracks or compilations or which you have licensed from a public music catalog)

  • Specifically for TikTok: Any audio recordings where you do not have the right to claim UGC (User Generated Content) videos that use 100% of the supplied audio recordings

PLEASE NOTE: If you repeatedly and incorrectly state in releases that you own the exclusive rights and this leads to problems with the stores, we reserve the right to claim compensation for expenses in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions or to terminate the cooperation.

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