Can I use the music on YouTube, in ads and for client work?

Yes. Free and Pro cover personal and small-team use including YouTube, podcasts and websites. Max adds commercial use: paid ads, sponsored content, client work and brands of any size. One-time Sync licenses cover TV, film, trailers and games.

What is the difference between the Pro and Max plans?

Pro gives unlimited MP3 downloads and a personal & small-team license. Max adds WAV + stems, a full commercial license (ads and client work) and priority support.

What audio formats do I get?

MP3 on every plan. Lossless WAV and isolated stems are included with the Max plan and with one-time Professional and Commercial track licenses.

What happens if I get a YouTube Content ID claim?

A claim is a notice, not a strike — it does not harm your channel. Paste the video link in your account and tell us which track it is: we send the claim for release within one business day, on any plan including Free.

Can I buy a license for a single track?

Yes. One-time track licenses are available: Personal $15, Commercial $79 and Professional $249. Each purchase includes a PDF license certificate. Pay once, licensed forever.

Why did licensed music get a Content ID claim, and how do I remove it?

Updated 2026-07-11 · TV Music Store

A Content ID claim on licensed music happens because the library registered the track in YouTube's fingerprint database to stop unlicensed use — the system matches audio, it cannot see your receipt. It is not a copyright strike and it does not endanger your channel. If a claim appears, send the library your video URL and licence and it is released, usually within a few working days.

Claim vs strike — they are not the same thing

	Content ID claim	Copyright strike
What it is	Automated audio match	Legal takedown request
Effect on the channel	None	Serious — 3 strikes closes the channel
Effect on the video	Monetization may be redirected until released	Video removed
How it is resolved	Library confirms your license and releases the claim	Retraction or counter-notification

Whitelisting: prevention some libraries offer

Whitelisting means the library tells YouTube: this channel is licensed, stop matching it. Once a channel is on that list, uploads using the catalogue pass through without claims. Not every library offers it — it depends on their Content ID setup.

Where whitelisting is not offered, claims are released individually: report each claimed video and it clears. Either way an entry is not retroactive — videos already claimed are released one by one.

If a claim already appeared

Do not dispute it blindly in YouTube Studio — go to the library first; it is faster.
Send: the video URL, the track name, and your account or license reference.
If the library offers channel whitelisting, ask for it in the same message so it does not repeat.
Keep publishing — the claim does not stop the video from being live.

Frequently asked

Why does licensed music get claimed at all?

Because the track is registered in Content ID to stop unlicensed uploads. The system matches the audio fingerprint and cannot know that you hold a license.

How long does it take to clear a claim?

It depends on the library. TV Music Store submits the release within one business day of your request; the release itself then runs through YouTube's Content ID system, usually within a day.

Will the claim take my ad revenue?

Revenue for the affected video can be held or redirected while the claim is open, which is why it is worth reporting the claim as soon as it appears.