YouTube Music
Launched in 2015, YouTube Music is a streaming service powered by YouTube with a reach of one billion monthly users. Users can browse songs and videos on the platform by genre, playlists, and recommendations. Subscribers have an option to upgrade to a premium version of the service that eliminates ads and allows for offline and audio-only playback.
YouTube Music pairs your song with your album cover art (YouTube calls this an “Art Track”) and you earn money when those Art Tracks are streamed on YouTube. Art Tracks are available to both free and premium YouTube Music users.
What is a YouTube Art Track?
A YouTube Art Track is a version of your release that’s automatically generated by YouTube when you distribute it to YouTube Music. Art Tracks include the track audio, a static image of the release’s cover art, and the song’s metadata (track title, artist name, copyright date, etc). Listeners can interact with your YouTube Art Track similar to how they interact with any YouTube video, including the ability to add to a playlist or appear in the “up next” queue. You can learn more about Art Tracks on YouTube’s dedicated help page.
How do I opt into or out of YouTube Music?
Opt-in
You can add YouTube Music to your selected stores when you initially set up your release.
- Log in to your TuneCore Account
- Under "Music" choose "add a new album" (or single) to get started
- When you're adding stores, choose "Social Platforms" then "Deliver to YouTube Music"
To add YouTube Music after you have already distributed a release to other stores:
- Log in to your TuneCore account
- Choose “Music” from the gray menu bar at the top of the screen
- Select “Store Manager” from the dropdown menu
- Check the box next to the store you want to add
- Follow the directions to proceed through checkout
- Your release will be automatically delivered to the added store(s)
Opt-out
If you’d like to remove your release(s) from YouTube Music, please review the steps outlined in our “How do I take down my music from stores?” FAQ and our Customer Care team will help with the rest.
YouTube Content ID
YouTube Content ID is an automated system that allows TuneCore to identify videos using your music on YouTube and collect revenue on your behalf. For more information about YouTube Content ID, please read this article.
How do I opt into or out of YouTube Content ID?
Opt-in
You can opt-in to YouTube Content ID when you initially set up your release.
- Log in to your TuneCore Account
- Under "Music" choose "add a new album" (or single) to get started
- When you're adding stores, choose "Social Platforms" then "Deliver to YouTube Content ID"
To add YouTube Content ID after you have already distributed a release to other stores:
- Log in to your TuneCore account
- Choose “Music” from the gray menu bar at the top of the screen
- Select “Store Manager” from the dropdown menu
- Check the box next to the store you want to add
- Follow the directions to proceed through checkout
- Your release will be automatically delivered to the added store(s)
Important: Please note that you must deliver your release to YouTube Music if you want to deliver it to YouTube Content ID.
Once your content has been submitted and approved by our Content Review team, YouTube will search its entire catalog for videos that are using your music and begin monetizing them on your behalf. If you choose to opt one or more of your tracks into YouTube's Content ID program, all of your release’s tracks will automatically be opted into YouTube Music via an Art Track.
Opt-out
If you are already setup with monetized tracks on YouTube and would like to opt out, please contact our Customer Care team directly and we can help remove your release(s) from this service.