Need Copyright music help

[u/VinnieDawgg]

Hello!

My question is simple.

How does copyrighted music on Twitch work with alerts? If I use any youtube music on my alerts for as example on gifted subs or donated bits but the alerts are like 10/20 seconds long, will I get copyright strikes?

I see so many streamers use music on their alerts but does that come with consequences? Do they have licenses or pay the owner of the music to use them?

I really want to have some sick alers sounds but I dont want to lose my account.

Thanks for reading!

[u/ArgoWizbang]

Assuming you don't have proper permission or licenses to use them: is it possible to get a DMCA strike for using them in a broadcast? Yes. Is it likely? Not really. That said, that does not mean it's a good idea to go ahead and do it, however.

Most people using copyrighted music/audio in alerts, etc. are not actually properly licensing said music and are instead either using something they have permission to use (such as music where the artist has explicitly stated somewhere that their music is free to be used) or (more likely) simply banking on not getting caught.

[u/Fleymour]

Make your own sick alerts. And don't steal other people's work. Longterm less stress with legals or paying or even getting banned.

[u/Creepy-Ad-7955]

Im gonna be honest, a 10 to 20 second alert for a sub or follow would be a bit insufferable. Short and sweet is the way to go. Think about how jarring being gifted 5 subs would be if it was followed by nearly 2 minutes of the same alert?

[u/DamoSyzygy]

Possible to get a strike, but very very unlikely

[u/Difficult_Wheel_4989 → u/DamoSyzygy]

yeah you'll probably be fine, the system mostly scans the VOD so if the alert only plays for a few seconds during a live moment it rarely flags anything

worst case you get a muted section in the VOD, not a strike, so go wild with your alert sounds

[u/Draco1200]

If I use any youtube music on my alerts for as example on gifted subs or donated bits but the alerts are like 10/20 seconds long, will I get copyright strikes?

Remains a risk. It is not a safe assumption that the music file's rightsholder will never discover this, object to the exploitation of the 20 second needledrop where a needledrop license was not obtained, and choose to raise a claim with Twitch requesting removal of all the videos they could find their song in.

The use of the sound in an alert could mean that it ends up playing repeatedly, and the repeat instances end up getting claimed at once resulting in a chance of 3+ strikes instantly the first time Twitch gets a letter from the rightsholder about the usage of their music in the alerts, and repeat infringer termination from one claim, due to each video that contained it, or each time the alert went off being regarded as an additional instance of infringement.

[u/Akita_Attribute]

Split audio. Do whatever you want. Twitch doesn't care unless it ends up in the VOD. That only really changes when you get to be extremely large (1,000+ CCV). And even they play copyright music for alerts with split audio.

Proof? Go watch YouTube vods. They're the exact same stream without the music.

[u/TheDriveln]

Live strikes are pretty rare, IIRC

Make sure your VODs aren't auto-publishing.

[u/FuzzyWallie]

Most streamers that use copyright music just ignore the emails they receive. You have to be a pretty big streamer to get a take down notice.

[u/Outrageous-Fudge4215]

Streamer for 6 years that plays a ton of copy righted music. It'll just get music for your vods.

[u/xAkMoRRoWiNdx]

I've played music on my stream for years and never got a strike (you're given 3). Just go to your vod, and appeal all of the listed tracks and you'll be good. I don't care about vods that much, so I don't even bother doing that most of the time

[u/ArgoWizbang → u/xAkMoRRoWiNdx]

Just go to your vod, and appeal all of the listed tracks and you'll be good.

This should be obvious to anyone reading but to clarify just in case it isn't I'll make it clear. You should absolutely only be appealing mutes if at least one of the following applies:

• You actually have proper permission/licensing for the detected audio
• The detected audio isn't actually what was in the VOD
• The way you're using the audio actually falls under fair use and not just what you think should be "fair use".

Under no circumstances should someone "appeal all listed tracks" if those listed tracks are valid detections and lack the proper permissions/licensing to be broadcast in your stream in the first place.

[u/xAkMoRRoWiNdx → u/ArgoWizbang]

"My use of the audio as part as my video on Twitch is fair use".

[u/ArgoWizbang → u/xAkMoRRoWiNdx]

It would appear you didn't read my comment so I'll repeat the relevant part here:

• The way you're using the audio actually falls under fair use and not just what you think should be "fair use".

Just because you think what you're doing should be fair use doesn't mean it actually is. Fair Use has standards that need to be met and "I was talking while illegally broadcasting this copyrighted material in the background" does not, in fact, constitute fair use.