Beat licence matrix
Can I register my song with YouTube Content ID?
Basic (MP3) licence
On the Basic (MP3) tier, register with youtube content id is not permitted as these agreements are ordinarily written. Content ID asserts an exclusive claim over a recording. A non-exclusive beat is, by definition, in other people's records too, so registering it claims work that is not solely yours and generates claims against them.
What to check in your agreement
Search the agreement for 'Content ID', 'fingerprint', or 'digital rights management'. If it is silent, assume no and ask in writing.
The same question on every other tier
| Licence tier | Register with YouTube Content ID |
|---|---|
| Free (tagged) | Not permitted |
| Premium (WAV) | Not permitted |
| Trackout / Stems | Not permitted |
| Unlimited lease | Not permitted |
| Exclusive rights | Depends on the contract |
What this tier is
The entry lease. Mixed MP3 only, hard caps on streams and sales, and the beat stays on sale to everyone else. Typical price: $20–40.
Scope limit. This models the STANDARD form of each tier. Any individual agreement overrides it. Where a cell says 'depends', the answer is genuinely contract-specific and no general resource can resolve it.
Part of the Beat Licence Checker and
an open dataset published under CC-BY 4.0. Reuse it, including commercially, with attribution.
Last reviewed 2026-08-12.