If you’re a musician or content creator sharing your work on YouTube, understanding music licensing is crucial. Whether you compose original songs, perform covers, or post educational music videos, properly licensing your music helps protect your work—and keeps your channel safe from copyright claims.
What Does It Mean to License a Song?
Licensing a song means you’re giving permission (or receiving permission) to use that music in a specific way. For YouTube, this typically involves ensuring you have the rights to:
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Use someone else’s song in your video (such as a cover or background music)
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Share your own original song publicly without risking others misusing it
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Monetize your video without takedowns or demonetization due to copyright violations
Original Songs vs. Cover Songs
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Original songs: If you wrote and recorded the music yourself, you own the copyright and can license it however you like. You can register it with a rights organization like BMI or ASCAP, and even upload it to YouTube’s Content ID to track unauthorized use.
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Cover songs: If you’re performing a song written by someone else, you need a mechanical license (for distribution) and possibly a sync license (for video use). Services like DistroKid, Loudr, or Easy Song Licensing can help you legally cover and upload songs to YouTube.
Where to License Music
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YouTube Music Policies: You can search YouTube’s Music Policies database to see if a song can be used.
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Royalty-free platforms: If you’re using background music, sites like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, or AudioJungle offer royalty-free tracks with licensing included.
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Your own website or publisher: If you compose educational music or original songs for singers, you can license your work directly to others through your own site.
Why Licensing Matters for Flute Music
As a flutist creating original songs, covers of country tunes, or educational music videos, licensing your work allows you to:
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Earn income through YouTube monetization
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Maintain ownership and control over your compositions
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Share your music with choirs, schools, or other flutists legally
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Avoid copyright strikes or takedown notices
For example, if you arrange a country song like “Go Rest High on That Mountain” for flute and post a video on your YouTube channel, you’ll want to ensure you’ve cleared the rights to use that melody—or create your own version and clearly indicate it’s an arrangement.
Final Thoughts
Licensing might seem overwhelming at first, but it’s an essential part of protecting your work and staying in good standing with YouTube. Whether you’re a country flutist arranging popular songs or a composer sharing original flute compositions, taking time to license your songs properly ensures your creativity continues to reach—and inspire—others.
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