Can I use a beat from YouTube?
Most beats are found on YouTube, and most artists start out recording on one. Whether you can put that song on Spotify depends on one thing: what the producer allows. This guide covers what the labels on YouTube beats mean, why so many songs get claimed, and how to release without that happening to you.
Short answer: only if the producer allows it. A beat on YouTube is free to play, not free to use. For a release you need a licence: a lease, or free-for-profit terms you can show. Even then your video can get claimed if the beat is registered in YouTube Content ID, so check that before you upload.
By TH6 · Updated
Free to play is not free to use
A producer puts a beat on YouTube so artists can hear it, not so anyone can use it. Ripping it with a converter and releasing a song on it means using someone else’s copyright without permission. That often goes unnoticed for a while, until the song gets streams and the producer, or the system, notices.
What the labels on YouTube beats mean
- "Free for non-profit" or "free for promo": you may write and post a demo, without earning from it. Releasing on Spotify or monetising needs a lease.
- "Free for profit": the producer lets you release and earn without paying, usually if you credit them. Read the exact terms in the description and save a copy.
- "Purchase to use", or a link to a store: buy a lease before you release anything.
- No label at all: assume you need permission.
Why songs on YouTube beats get claimed
YouTube Content ID compares every upload with a database of registered audio. Some producers register their beats there, so every video that contains the beat gets claimed, including videos by artists who bought a lease. The ad money from your video then goes to whoever made the claim until it is resolved.
There is a second cause. Another artist who leased the same beat may have put their song into Content ID through their distributor, although leased beats are not allowed there. Their song then claims yours, because the beat is the same.
What to do when your video is claimed
- Open YouTube Studio and look at who made the claim, and on which part of the video.
- If you have a licence, send it to the producer with your order number. A producer can release a claim on a licensed song.
- If that does not work, dispute the claim in YouTube Studio and mention your licence.
- If the claim comes from another artist’s song on the same beat, tell the producer: they can ask that artist to take the song out of Content ID.
How to release safely
- Buy a licence before you release, on your artist name.
- Check that the beat is not registered in Content ID, or that your licence covers it.
- Ask about samples: a sample in the beat can bring a claim from the owner of the original record.
- Do not put your own song on a leased beat into Content ID.
- Credit the producer: prod. TH6 for a TH6 beat.
The whole release, step by step, is in releasing a song on a leased beat.
TH6 beats and YouTube
TH6 does not register beats in Content ID, so a TH6 beat will not claim your videos. Every lease includes video, so a music video or a visualiser is covered, and the streams on YouTube count towards your lease together with the other platforms. Every sound is original or licensed for commercial use, so no sample in the beat can bring a claim either.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a free beat from YouTube on Spotify?
Only if the producer allows it in writing: free-for-profit terms or a lease. Beats marked "free for non-profit" need a lease before you release.
Why was my song claimed when I bought a lease?
Either the producer registered the beat in Content ID, or another artist on the same beat put their song in Content ID. Contact the producer with your licence; they can usually get the claim released.
Can I record on a YouTube beat for a demo?
Usually yes, when the producer marks it free for non-profit or promo use. For a release, you need a licence.
Do TH6 beats get claimed on YouTube?
No. TH6 does not register beats in Content ID, and every lease includes video.