What is YouTube Content ID?

YouTube Content ID is an automated system that identifies copyright-protected content in videos uploaded to YouTube. It helps copyright owners protect their content and manage how it is used on YouTube.
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To protect copyright-protected content, YouTube employs an automated system called Content ID. Copyright owners, such as songwriters, record labels, or publishers, submit reference copies of their material to YouTube.
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YouTube then generates a unique digital fingerprint for each piece of content, along with a corresponding Content ID. This fingerprint serves as a signature that allows YouTube to scan all uploaded videos and identify potential matches with the registered content.
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By matching fingerprints, YouTube can effectively identify copyright-protected content in user-uploaded videos, enabling copyright owners to manage how their material is used on YouTube.