Got a YouTube copyright claim for background music? Your options
By Aaron Hampton Updated 4 min read
A song playing in the background of your video is enough for a YouTube copyright claim, even if nobody chose it: a radio in a shop, music at a wedding, a speaker at the gym. The good news is that YouTube Studio can usually fix it without re-uploading, and one of its tools keeps your dialogue. The quickest fix for background music is Erase song: in Studio, open the claim, click Take action and choose Erase song.
Claim or strike?
Check which one you have before doing anything.
- A Content ID claim is usually automatic. The rights holder can run ads on your video, block it in some countries, or just track it. It usually doesn’t affect your channel, though a claimed Short of one to three minutes is blocked until the claim is resolved.
- A copyright strike comes from a formal takedown request. Strikes count against your channel, and three active strikes within 90 days can get it terminated.
Background music usually leads to a Content ID claim rather than a strike. The rest of this guide is about claims.
Fix it in YouTube Studio
- Open the claim. In YouTube Studio, select Content, find the video, click the copyright notice in the Restrictions column, then click View details.
- Take action. Find the claim and click Take action.
- Choose a fix. Choose Erase song to remove only the song, Replace song to swap in a track from the YouTube Audio Library, or Trim out segment to cut the claimed part.
- Preview and save. Preview the result, then save. Since June 2025 saved edits can’t be reverted, so download a copy of the video first if you might want the original.
- Confirm the claim is gone. Wait for processing, then reload the page. The claim is released only when all claimed content is removed.
The options, from least to most destructive:
Erase song
Removes only the claimed song and keeps dialogue and other sounds. This is the one to try first for background music. YouTube warns it may not work if the song is hard to remove. If it fails, the same screen offers Mute all sound in the claimed segments, which is faster and more likely to release the claim, but silences everything in that part, voices included.
Replace song
Removes only the music from your original soundtrack, so dialogue stays, and adds a track you pick from the YouTube Audio Library. Leave “Mute all sounds in the claimed segment” off and the claim is removed. Useful when the scene needs some music and you only need a different song. If you don’t want new music, Erase song is simpler.
Trim out segment
Cuts the claimed part out of the video. Clean, but you lose that footage entirely. If any claimed content remains, the claim stays.
Before you save
- Edits are permanent. Since June 2025 you can’t revert a saved edit. Download the video first if there’s any chance you’ll want the original.
- Processing takes a while. The video stays as it was until processing finishes. Reload the page afterwards to check the claim is gone.
- Busy videos may be locked. If your channel isn’t in the Partner Program and the video has over 100,000 views, you may not be able to save changes.
Avoid the claim next time
Fixing claims after upload works, but you’re stuck with YouTube’s version of the edit, and Erase song doesn’t always succeed. Removing the music before you upload gives you control over the result.
- Check during upload. YouTube Studio’s Checks step scans for copyright claims before you publish, for free. Upload as private or unlisted and wait for it. YouTube says the results aren’t final, but it’s YouTube’s own check.
- Remove the music first. Separate the soundtrack and remove the music while keeping the voices and the room. I make MusicWipe for this. The first 30 seconds of any video are free to preview in the browser, and you get the same video back with a new soundtrack.
- Check what’s still detectable. With MusicWipe Pro, after a full clean the app looks up known songs in your original audio with a music recognition service and tells you, song by song, whether each one is still detectable in the cleaned version. It isn’t YouTube’s matcher, so it’s a guide, not a guarantee. Details on checking a video for copyrighted music .
No tool can promise YouTube won’t match what’s left, so still let Studio’s checks run before you publish. And only remove music from footage you have the rights to use.
Questions people ask
Is a Content ID claim the same as a copyright strike?
No. A Content ID claim usually means the rights holder can monetize, block or track the video, and it usually doesn't affect your channel. A copyright strike comes from a formal takedown request and does count against your channel.
Do I have to re-upload the video to fix a claim?
No. Erase song (including its Mute all sound option), Replace song and Trim out segment all edit the video that's already on YouTube, so it keeps the same link.
Why didn't Erase song remove the claim?
Erase song may not work when the song is hard to separate from the rest of the audio. YouTube then suggests muting all sound in the claimed segments, which it says is usually faster and more likely to release the claim, or trimming the segment out.
Can I dispute the claim instead?
Only if you have a valid reason: you have the rights to the music (for example a license), your use qualifies as an exception such as fair use, or the claim misidentified your audio. Disputing a claim without a valid reason can lead to a takedown request and a strike.