On our platform, you have the possibility to distribute remixes, but not all of them can be distributed freely and without restrictions. In this article, we will explain the reasons behind the impossibility of distributing unofficial remixes and what is considered as such.
What is considered an Unofficial Remix?
An unofficial remix is considered one that has not been approved or authorized by the copyright owner of the original song. This means the remixer has not obtained the necessary permissions to use the original song in their creation.
Exclusive Rights and Ineligible Content
When it comes to remixing the work of other artists, creating a remix involves the reuse of previous material whose authorship belongs to other artists, publishers, or other entities. Therefore, it will be necessary to provide the corresponding licenses to use this content; otherwise, it will be rejected by the quality control team.
So, you'll need to have exclusive rights to the material you want to distribute. For example, the following cases are not eligible for use:
- Content licensed non-exclusively from third parties.
- Content released under licenses similar to Creative Commons or open licenses.
- Public domain content.
- Clips from other sources used under fair use principles.
- Game recordings (by someone other than the game's publisher).
Sufficient Distinction
The content you distribute to channels must be distinct enough to be eligible for distribution. Therefore, the following examples are not eligible for YouTube Audio Fingerprint and other channels, so they will not be approved:
- Karaoke recordings, remasters, and similar recordings.
- Covers of instrumentals and/or with covered lead vocals.
- Unofficial remixes, rearrangements of an original track not published on any official release of the original artist.
- Sound effects, soundbeds (nature sounds, generic sounds, etc.), or sample loops.
- Compilations, continuous DJ mixes, mashups, playlists, and full album recordings.
⚠ Even if you exclusively own all the content in these examples, you must separate them into individual tracks.
What to Consider for Distributing Remixes?
To distribute DJ mixes or remixes, you must pay attention to the following details:
- It is not possible to upload songs with unauthorized samples unless you have permission from all involved parties.
- You can upload remixes of your own work without the need for special credits.
- If you are remixing another artist's work, you need explicit permission from the original content owner (label, publisher, artist, among others).
By following these guidelines, you can efficiently and smoothly distribute remixes on our platform.
Content Review
For the quality control process of your release, our audio analysis tool can detect if a sample has been added or if the release corresponds to an existing song, so we will need licenses to distribute it.
However, our audio analysis tool is not exclusive. In other words, if the Quality Control team detects through other means that the release consists of third-party material mixed unofficially, the content will also be rejected.
What happens if I Distribute an Unauthorized Remix?
If you distribute an unauthorized remix, you could face the following consequences:
- Copyright infringement lawsuit: The original artist or copyright holder could sue you for copyright infringement. This could result in damages, and you might even face criminal charges.
- Removal of the remix from distribution platforms: Digital distribution platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have strict policies against distributing unauthorized copyrighted content. If they discover that you are distributing an unauthorized remix, they could remove it from their platforms.
- Reputation damage with SonoSuite: If it is revealed that you have distributed an unauthorized remix, it could damage your reputation on our services. This could make it challenging for your catalog to pass the review process in Quality Control, and it might even lead to an inspection of your catalog, halting your platform's activities during the inspection period.