While both are part of the YouTube ecosystem, YouTube Music and YouTube Content ID serve very different purposes when it comes to distributing and monetizing your music. In short, YouTube Music is where fans can stream your music directly, while YouTube Content ID helps you track and monetize your music when it’s used in other people’s videos.
Let’s take a closer look at both.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a streaming platform, similar to Spotify or Apple Music, where users can listen to your songs on-demand. When you distribute your music through LANDR, your tracks are delivered to YouTube Music as official audio releases, often paired with a static image to create what’s called an Art Track. You earn royalties whenever someone streams your music on this platform.
YouTube Content ID
YouTube Content ID is a rights management tool that helps protect your music across the entire YouTube platform. It automatically detects when your music is used in other creators’ videos and places a claim on that content. This allows you to monetize those videos or track their use. Royalties earned through Content ID are separate from those earned through YouTube Music streams.
It’s important to keep the difference in mind when understanding how to grow your audience, collect royalties, and maintain your copyrights.
To learn more about earning money from your music on YouTube through LANDR Distribution, check out this article.
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