Introduction

As a burgeoning YouTube content creator, you might wonder if making guitar lessons of famous songs could result in copyright strikes. This article aims to clarify the situation and provide practical advice to help you avoid potential legal issues while providing valuable content to your audience.

Copyright Stripes and Your Guitar Lessons

Copyright strikes occur when content creators on YouTube infringe upon other artists' copyrights. Essentially, a copyright strike happens if you copy an original song or video into your video without permission. However, as long as your guitar lessons are entirely original and you do not play the actual song in them, you should not face any copyright strikes.

Monetization Considerations

Things become more complicated if you wish to monetize your channel. When you monetize your videos, you are essentially asking YouTube and the copyright owners for permission to earn money from performing someone else's copyrighted work. Without proper licensing, you could face copyright infringement issues.

Parodies and covers, like those used in educational content, generally do not infringe on copyrights. However, if you want to monetize your videos, you need to ensure you have the proper permissions from the copyright holders to broadcast your content for commercial purposes. Failure to do so can result in your channel being flagged for copyright strikes and, potentially, monetization being suspended.

Legal Safeguards

To avoid copyright strikes, consider using songs that are in the public domain or obtaining the necessary permissions to use copyrighted material. Additionally, it is wise to include a disclaimer in your videos, stating that you do not own the song and that you are merely using it for educational purposes. This can help protect you from copyright infringement claims.

Real-world Examples and Expert Advice

While there is no definitive answer to whether you will face copyright strikes, there have been instances where YouTube creators have faced such issues, particularly when they attempt monetization. However, most creators have not encountered problems if they do not monetize their videos.

For example, the "Kingsley Phillips case" mentions that even though the creator makes guitar lessons for popular songs, their account is good standing. This highlights that the focus on the instrument and not the original song significantly reduces the risk of copyright strikes.

As the expert suggests, to ensure you stay on the right side of copyright law, use songs that are in the public domain. If you choose to use popular tunes, make sure you have the necessary permissions or face the risk of facing copyright disputes.

Conclusion

The key to avoiding copyright strikes on your YouTube channel is to create original content and, if you are monetizing, ensure you have the proper permissions to use copyrighted material. By following these guidelines, you can enjoy a successful and productive content creation journey on YouTube.

Focus on your course, and don't worry about it. Start creating awesome courses!