YouTube Content ID - Invalid References

What are invalid references?

Please refer to this article for a full explanation of what qualifies as unauthorized content for UGC DSPs.

What do the various invalid reference categories mean?

• Sampled media: Contains sampled media from third parties. Includes embedded third-party content used under fair use or fair dealing principles, or licensed non-exclusively (e.g. embedded clips of commercials, trailers, viral videos, or other non-exclusive content).
• Open licenses: Content released under Creative Commons or similar free/open licenses, including public domain footage, recordings, or compositions.
• Other media: Sounds or looks like other media, sound effects, or visual effects. Includes karaoke recordings, remasters, sound-alike recordings, insufficiently distinct remixes, sped-up or slowed-down recordings, sound effects, soundbeds, or production loops. Also includes video gameplay footage not provided by the game's publisher, or content creation software templates.
• Questionable ownership: Non-exclusively owned material, or content so widely licensed that no entity holds exclusive rights. YouTube is concerned that you may not possess sufficient rights to enable this as a reference.
• Mixed compilation: Contains a mixed compilation or combination of intellectual property. You must provide individual references for each piece of intellectual property. Common invalid examples include compilations, continuous DJ mixes, mashups, countdown lists, and full album sound recordings — these must be separated into individual components.
• Video game soundtrack: Contains a soundtrack recording from a video game.
• Distinctness: May not be sufficiently distinct. There is a good chance this reference is not sufficiently distinct for Content ID, or may not be exclusively owned. It has been flagged to prevent incorrect claims.
• Potentially invalid / other: YouTube has identified a potential issue with your recording. Please review all the criteria for Content ID and verify whether your recording qualifies.

What is the consequence of having a sound recording marked as invalid?

If one of your sound recordings (or a segment of one) is marked as invalid, YouTube will exclude it from Content ID. Your recording will not claim any videos containing the flagged portion, and you will not generate the associated royalties from those videos.

What to do if a sound recording is marked as invalid

1. Review the list of invalid criteria in this article to determine whether your sound recording matches any of them.
2. If your recording matches any of the invalid criteria:
   1. Respond on your Content ID Dashboard with "Exclude reference".
   2. Make sure you fully understand the invalid criteria and do not continue to distribute invalid content to YouTube Content ID or any other UGC DSP. When content is inappropriate for a UGC DSP, you must remove those DSPs from the distribution list.
   3. Note that repeatedly distributing inappropriate content to UGC DSPs will result in those DSPs being blocked from your account, or the termination of your account.
3. If your recording does NOT match any of the invalid criteria: email youtube@revelator.comwith the following:
   1. The Issue ID from your Content ID Dashboard.
   2. The reason why you believe YouTube is mistaken in considering your sound recording invalid.

Related articles

• Unauthorized Content for UGC DSPs (Facebook, TikTok & YouTube CID)