Check your YouTube video for copyright issues before publishing

If you are uploading your own video and want to review possible matches before making it public, use Checks during the upload flow in YouTube Studio. It can show possible copyright restrictions so you can review them before choosing the video’s visibility.

Open Checks during upload

On a computer, open YouTube Studio and select Create → Upload videos and choose your file. Add the video details and continue through the upload steps to Checks. YouTube checks for potential copyright issues and, if you are in the YouTube Partner Program, ad suitability.

Read the notice shown for the video. If the check is still running, it can continue in the background. YouTube lets you publish before it finishes. If you want to review the result first, choose Private or Unlisted under Visibility, click Save, then confirm the selected visibility under Content. Unlisted lets anyone with the link watch; choose Private if you do not want to share it that way.

If a match appears

If you have closed the upload window, open Content, find the video, and check Restrictions. If it shows Claims, hover over the notice and select See details. YouTube’s help for finding claims on a computer shows this return route.

Check which segment or material YouTube identified and what effect it says the match has on your video. Review whether it is music, images, or other material you included, and confirm what permission or license you have to use it. Giving credit or owning a copy of the material does not, by itself, show that you have the necessary rights.

If you can edit the segment, see how to remove or replace claimed music. If you believe a Content ID claim is wrong and have a valid basis, use the separate process to dispute a Content ID claim. Review the notice and your permissions to decide whether a dispute fits your situation.

Read the result carefully

A clear result only means the check did not detect issues at that time. It does not establish authorization or a license, provide a legal review, or guarantee that a claim will never appear later. YouTube also does not decide who owns the rights or whether a use is allowed under a legal exception.

Whether to publish depends on your situation and the visibility you want for the video. If you want to keep it out of view while you review your permissions, you can change the video’s visibility. For details on the scope of Checks and publishing while they run, see YouTube Help on uploading videos.