YouTube's new AI tool puts copyrighted music concerns to bed

Saints be praised!

After 19 years, YouTube's finally addressed a headache that's endlessly plagued users—re-uploading content to fix copyright issues.

The platform has just released an AI-enhanced eraser tool in YouTube Studio. Now creators can remove copyright-claimed music from their videos while keeping the rest of their audio intact.

YouTube warns the tool's algorithm might not always succeed with trickier audio. But it's a welcome addition from a creator's perspective.

The tool sets the stage for a much more peaceful existence on the site, which, historically, hasn't always addressed users' criticisms.

A leap in audio engineering

In the old days of YouTube (i.e. up until this month), there were a handful of things you could do to fix sections with copyrighted music.

Through YouTube Studio, you could mute the affected section of video and replace the song with in-app unlicensed music (which may not mix well with other audio). Your other option was to trim out the affected section altogether.

If those options weren't appealing, your last resort was to pull down the video. Then you'd have to edit it with your usual software, then chuck it back up. While this involved the least video-butchering, it took longer. It also meant sacrificing the original video's impressions.

Now with this new tool, there should be no need to pull down your video. Just let AI remove the music and leave the rest of your audio unharmed!

If, for some reason, it doesn't work, YouTube says you can still revert to its usual tools.

Life is easier?

Here at TAS, we've got in-house content creators who agree this is a huge step in the right direction for YouTube.

It can be a nightmare to stay monetised online. Even the slightest misstep, such as recording in public while someone nearby blasts music for 3 seconds, can affect your content's reach. And this can, over time, impact your whole channel's reach.

So even if imperfect, this new tool takes a massive load off of creators' shoulders. Fingers crossed, it could lead to more creator-focused changes moving forward!

-Devin, Copywriter