A fellow creator recently told me he switched from Epidemic Sound to TunePocket after running into an unexpected problem.
He was making music-focused videos for YouTube and had an active Epidemic Sound subscription. However, when his videos received copyright claims, Epidemic would not clear them.
That meant the videos could not generate YouTube ad revenue for him while the claims remained in place.
That sounded pretty surprising to me. If you are paying for a royalty-free music subscription specifically to use music on YouTube, why would the provider claim your videos?
So I decided to investigate.
Here is part of the notice the creator received from Epidemic Sound when trying to clear Epidemic copyright claims (to recap, the creator was Epidemic’s paid subscriber at the time):
“After taking a closer look at your channel, we can see that you’ve been creating content with our music as stand-alone files for the purpose of creating a music listening experience, which is not covered by any of our licenses.
The intended use of our music is to boost your stories by pairing it with your video productions, not to be uploaded for listening purposes.
Examples of stand-alone uploads include when a complete or almost complete track is uploaded together with just a still image […] or as part of a compilation video, and other uses where complete or almost complete tracks are used and where any accompanying visuals or narratives are of subordinate importance.
Whether you’re a customer with us or not, we reserve the right to monetize videos that abuse the terms of agreement which are agreed to upon subscribing.”
What Epidemic Sound license actually allows
Like TunePocket and most other royalty-free music libraries, Epidemic Sound generally promises that properly licensed YouTube content can be monetized without unresolved copyright claims.
But when it comes to Epidemic, there is an important limitation.
Epidemic Sound does not allow its music to be used primarily to create a music-listening experience.
Its current Help Center states:
Epidemic specifically says this restriction includes lyric videos, music combined with still or minimal visuals, music compilations, playlists, and online radio stations.
Its current plan information makes the same distinction, explaining that the music is intended as background music for video or podcast productions and cannot be used on a standalone basis.
So the issue was not that the creator had forgotten to pay for a license. The problem was that his particular type of YouTube content fell outside Epidemic Sound’s permitted usage.
Does that mean you can’t make music videos on YouTube?
No. It means you need to choose a music license that actually covers the kind of channel you want to build.
TunePocket allows licensed music to be used in monetized YouTube videos and does not impose Epidemic’s specific prohibition against videos simply because the music is the main focus.
TunePocket also supports creators using licensed music in YouTube livestreams and offers copyright-claim assistance and channel whitelisting options when applicable.
So if your goal is to create relaxation music videos, ambient videos, music-focused visual videos, long-form listening content, or similar YouTube projects, checking this part of the license before subscribing can save you a lot of trouble later.
Bottom line
Seeing “YouTube monetization included” on a music service’s pricing page does not necessarily mean every kind of YouTube music video is covered.
With Epidemic Sound, music-listening experiences are specifically excluded, and Epidemic reserves the right to monetize content that falls into that category.
With TunePocket, you have considerably more flexibility for music-focused YouTube videos, while still receiving a commercial license and copyright support.
Browse TunePocket royalty free music collection.
Related: How to resolve YouTube copyright claims when using licensed music.
Have you ever had a licensed music provider refuse to release a YouTube claim? Share your experience in the comments.
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