Where To Find Youtube Copyright Claim: Complete Guide for 2026
If you have received a copyright claim on your YouTube video, or want to check if any of your videos have claims, here is exactly where to find that information and what to do about it.
Finding Copyright Claims in YouTube Studio
All copyright claims appear in YouTube Studio. Here is the step-by-step navigation:
- Go to studio.youtube.com (or open YouTube Studio app)
- Click Content in the left sidebar
- Look at the Restrictions column for each video
- Videos with copyright claims show "Copyright claim" in this column
- Click the claim text to see specific details
Understanding What the Claim Page Shows
When you click on a copyright claim, you will see:
Claimant information: Who made the claim (usually a record label, publisher, or content owner)
Claimed content: What specific content was identified (song title, video clip, etc.)
Timestamp: Where in your video the claimed content appears
Claim type: Content ID match, manual claim, or takedown
Impact: What the claim does to your video (monetization by claimant, blocked in certain countries, or blocked everywhere)
Types of Copyright Claims
Content ID Claims
Automated matches from YouTube's Content ID system. These are the most common type. The copyright holder's content was detected in your video through audio or visual fingerprinting.
Impact options the claimant can choose:
- Monetize: Ads run on your video with revenue going to claimant
- Track: Just monitors statistics, no impact on your video
- Block: Video unavailable in some or all countries
Manual Claims
A copyright holder manually identified their content in your video. These may be more difficult to dispute since a human reviewed the content.
Copyright Takedowns
Legal removal requests under DMCA or equivalent laws. These are more serious than Content ID claims and result in copyright strikes on your channel.
Checking for Claims Before Publishing
You can check for potential claims before making a video public:
- Upload your video as Private or Unlisted
- Wait 10-30 minutes for Content ID to process
- Check the Restrictions column in your Content tab
- If claims appear, decide whether to publish with claims, edit the video, or dispute
This preview approach lets you catch issues before they affect your public content.
Your Options When You Find a Claim
Do nothing: If the claim only monetizes your video and you do not mind losing that revenue, you can leave it.
Edit out the claimed content: YouTube's editor lets you trim, mute, or replace claimed audio segments. After editing, the claim may release automatically.
Dispute the claim: If you believe the claim is wrong, you have licensed the content, or your use qualifies as fair use, you can dispute. The claimant has 30 days to respond.
Remove the video: If the claim blocks your video or significantly impacts it, removing and re-uploading an edited version may be simplest.
Disputing a Copyright Claim
To dispute from the claim details page:
- Click Select action
- Choose Dispute
- Select your reason for disputing
- Provide explanation and any supporting documentation
- Submit the dispute
Dispute reasons include:
- You have a license or written permission
- The content is in the public domain
- The claim is a misidentification (wrong content)
- Your use is fair use
Monitoring for New Claims
Claims can appear on videos at any time, not just when you upload. Copyright holders continuously add content to Content ID, so a video that was claim-free last month may receive claims today.
Check your Content tab regularly, or set up email notifications for copyright issues in YouTube Studio settings.
Copyright Claims vs. Copyright Strikes
These are different:
Claims (Content ID): Affect monetization or availability but do not penalize your channel. You can have many claims without channel consequences.
Strikes (Takedowns): Legal removal requests that penalize your channel. Three active strikes can result in channel termination.
Need help managing copyright issues on your channel?Contact us to discuss YouTube channel management services.
