There is perhaps nothing more infuriating when it comes to the posting of social media video output than when you find that it’s been either taken down or silenced. However the irritation related to this particular conundrum can actually be far worse.

You can find yourself in deep water if you have used music that is copyrighted, without permission of the relevant artist or production company, which could result in your social accounts being suspended or permanently removed.

Indeed there could even be the resultant possibility of legal action if it is found that his error was deliberate rather than accidental and as such it’s hugely important that you do all you can to avoid such repercussions.

Copyrighted music use requires a license and the cost of such a license can indeed be high, hence the marked rise in the services of royalty free music providers, the use of which will of course resolve any of the potential issues you could face in the long run.

Almost All Music Is Copyrighted

First off, almost all music is licensed in some manner and as such you should be incredibly careful when it comes to the use of it without permission, always err on the side of caution on this matter.

A good way, initially, to find out if a particular track is free for use was offered by YouTube up until recently, the tool they possessed gave you the option to search for a relevant song and to ascertain the copyrighted nature of that song, but they now no longer offer this.

Another way is to search via a search engine to find the relevant publisher of the song you wish to use, which in turn should lead you to the relevant department and the associated costs with the use, this is a time consuming option but perhaps the safest route.

The use of music for your own benefit, or even to a small audience in your own home, is completely acceptable and requires no license but the moment that music is used to back a video on a social media platform, then you will need to hold the relevant license, otherwise it’s a slippery slope.

There are some very rare examples of popular music being free of copyright, usually in the case of recordings that are more than 70 years old, but even then this is not always the case, proof that the minefield you have to navigate in this area is peppered with explosives.

Ignorance is No Excuse

Most sites, such as YouTube and Facebook, institute a copyright strike policy, meaning that repeated violations result in increased severity of punishment, on YouTube this punishment can indeed be even more severe and if found guilty of abusing the use for financial gain then a large fine or even a jail sentence are possible.

Partial use of a song, if copyrighted, will not absolve you of punishment, even a matter of seconds of use will invariably be picked up by the relevant social media network and it will be taken down and the punishment process will begin.

The Answer?

So, in many ways the question of how to know if a song is copyrighted is a fairly simple one to answer.

The best, and safest, way to avoid possible censure or punishment for unauthorized use of copyrighted music is to visit the plethora of royalty free music resources and find exactly what you are looking for, without the hassle of trying to adhere to tricky guidelines.

The music libraries offered by these services is vast, and in many ways the music available will go far beyond the reach of the music you may have heard, or stumbled upon, and then elected to use.

What is offered by these services is very much bespoke, in the sense that using the intuitive systems in place you can locate the ideal musical accompaniment to your video, rather than selecting a well-known song that you did not have permission for, which resulted in your entire social media channel being shut down forever.

The risk is not worth the reward, not least as you can achieve a far more cohesive social video content package when you personally select the right sound for your needs.