Epidemic Sound copyright claim: how to clear

How it is meant to work

Epidemic Sound owns the rights to its catalogue and registers it with Content ID. Your subscription is the licence. Safelisting is how YouTube finds out you have one: you connect your channel to your Epidemic Sound account, and claims on that channel are cleared automatically.

To safelist, log in, open your Account page and go to the Safelisting section. Connect the channel before you publish. Epidemic Sound says you need "an active subscription or license at the time of publishing".

Why you got a claim anyway

Epidemic Sound's help centre says a claim means YouTube "detected Epidemic Sound music but couldn't confirm the user has a valid license." Check these three things first:

• The channel that published the video is the one connected to your subscription.
• Your subscription was active on the day the video was published.
• The video is not just the music itself, which Epidemic Sound calls a "listening experience" and does not license.

How to clear the claim

1. In your Epidemic Sound account, make sure the channel is safelisted. For a video on a channel you cannot connect, go to Account, then "Safelist", then "Safelist a Video", paste the link and click "Clear".
2. In YouTube Studio, open Content, filter by Claims, and open the claim details on the video.
3. Under "Content used", choose Take action, then Dispute.
4. In the dispute note, include a contact email address and your licence or subscription details.
5. Epidemic Sound reviews the dispute and releases the claim if it was made in error.

If the claim is still active and you hold a valid licence, contact Epidemic Sound with the video URL and the email address on your account.

The catch

File the dispute within 5 days. Epidemic Sound says later disputes "may result in lost revenue for the days prior to filing."

That matches YouTube's own rule. Dispute within 5 days and YouTube holds all revenue from the day of the claim. Dispute later and it only holds revenue from the day you dispute.

Claims on Shorts

Epidemic Sound says claims on Shorts "don't affect visibility or earnings and don't need disputing." The one exception it names is a Short with product links, where a claim switches Shopping off. In that case, dispute and write "Product link" in the note.

Read that next to YouTube's rule for longer Shorts. YouTube Help says any Short over one minute with an active copyright claim "will be blocked globally" until the claim is resolved. Epidemic Sound's article does not mention Short length. So for a Short longer than one minute, safelist the channel before publishing, and if a claim appears, dispute it the same day.

A claim from someone else

Epidemic Sound says it owns 100% of the rights, so no third party should be claiming its tracks. If one does, dispute on YouTube with a link to Epidemic Sound's site and the URL of the track, then send Epidemic Sound the video URL, a screenshot of the claim and the track name.

After you cancel

"All content published while the subscription was active remains cleared to monetize permanently." Anything you publish afterwards with Epidemic Sound music is monetised by Epidemic Sound. A track downloaded during the subscription does not carry its licence with it.

Client videos

To clear a video on a client's channel, either safelist the video link yourself or send the client a clearing invitation, which needs a Pro subscription. The invitation link is valid for 30 days.

Prices

Epidemic Sound's pricing page lists three plans for individuals. Each can be paid monthly or yearly:

Plan	Monthly	Yearly	Channels you can earn from
Creator	$8.99 a month	$9.99 a month, billed $119.88 a year	1 per platform
Pro	$29.99 a month	$16.99 a month, billed $203.88 a year	3 per platform
Pro Plus	$59.99 a month	$39.99 a month, billed $479.88 a year	3 per platform

On Creator, monthly is the cheaper way to pay. Twelve months at $8.99 is $107.88, against $119.88 billed yearly. The page does not explain why, so check both before you pay.

On Pro and Pro Plus, yearly billing saves money, which is what the page's "Save up to 58%" label promises. Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time. Every plan starts with 30 days free.

Creator covers your own social channels, including sponsored posts. Pro adds client work and digital ads, and is the plan the client clearing invitation needs. Pro Plus adds OTT streaming and two team members.

For brands and agencies, a Business plan is $60 a month and protects up to 3 channels per platform. The safelisting page adds that each Business plan admin can safelist one channel per platform.