If you post music online that you own the copyright to, you should add a music copyright disclaimer in its description or as part of the listing.

Music copyrights are unique because sound recording copyright is designated by the phonogram copyright symbol, which is a P with a circle around it: ℗

However, lyrics and composition can still be designated by a standard copyright symbol: ©

If you have music that’s protected by sound recording copyright, standard copyright, or both, add the relevant symbol and copyright date and owner to the music’s listing or description.

Below, see a screenshot example of a copyright notice on SoundCloud:

If you’re using someone else’s copyrighted music, make sure it falls under the protection of Section 107 of the Copyright Act or that you’ve been given express permission to use it.

If you post videos on YouTube that use copyrighted content in accordance with fair use principles, you should include a disclaimer in your videos’ descriptions that credits the creator and discloses your fair use rights.

Alternatively, if you’re posting your own copyrighted content on YouTube, you should add a disclaimer of copyright to your videos’ description.

Here’s a standard copyright statement that you can add to your YouTube videos:

“Copyright @ [name & year]. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.”

Below, see an example of a copyright disclaimer on the YouTube music video for the Cranberries’ song “Zombie”:

As seen in the example above, your YouTube disclaimer can just be the copyright symbol (or “C” or “Copyright”), but to further protect your intellectual property, we recommend adding an advisement against theft.

If you’re unsure whether your use of copyrighted content is protected, get permission from the copyright owner to use their work or omit the copyrighted content from your video.

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