About Fingerprinting
You might already be aware of how fingerprinting works: platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Meta, and SoundCloud have tools that scan user uploads (aka user-generated content, or UGC) looking for instances of audio or audiovisual content belonging to rightsholders. When UGC contains content that matches some or all of the reference file provided to the fingerprinting platform, these tools automatically add claims to the users’ uploaded content. A policy chosen by the rightsholder is then applied, which, depending on the platform, could either result in the rightsholder earning advertising revenue, tracking view and consumption statistics, or blocking the content entirely.
Ineligible Content
However, not all content is appropriate for claiming through fingerprinting. While the tools used by these platforms are quite powerful–YouTube’s Content ID tool, for instance, can detect the presence of a reference file in UGC in as little as ten seconds–there are certain types of content they cannot parse with certainty. For example, even if an artist themself recorded the sound of falling rain or birds chirping, fingerprinting tools would not be able to detect the difference between the artist’s recording and the sound of rain or birds in any given video uploaded to the platform. Likewise, ambient sounds–from simple room tone to a steady synth drone–may be unique to an artist’s sound recording, but fingerprinting tools typically aren’t able to differentiate one recording of this type from another. Ultimately, content should only be delivered to fingerprinting platforms if it is sufficiently distinct and for which the party that delivered it owns the exclusive rights.
Common Examples of Ineligible Content
- Re-recordings, soundalikes, and karaoke backing tracks: Because these recordings are produced to sound identical or near-identical to the original song, they can easily create inaccurate matches on content that features the original.
- Royalty-free backing tracks or production loops: References that contain audio elements that were purchased or downloaded from royalty-free databases can easily make numerous claims on UGC featuring the same content, and are not considered eligible for fingerprinting. Similarly, sound recordings or images that are in the Public Domain are not eligible for fingerprinting.
- Sound Effects or Nature Sounds: Generic sounds or soundbeds that might appear in other videos, either purposefully or by chance, are not permitted. Examples might include telephone ringing or crowd noises. Likewise, sounds that occur in nature are particularly common in UGC, and are therefore ineligible for fingerprinting. Examples include bird noises, rain or ocean sounds, or the sound of a campfire.
- Remixes: Remixes can be delivered to fingerprinting platforms only if the party who delivered them also owns the exclusive rights to the original sound recording on which the remix is based.
You can find the full list of ineligible content for YouTube Content ID and Meta at the following links. TikTok and SoundCloud share similar guidelines.
Why Is It Important?
Following the above rules and looking out for content that falls into one of these categories will ensure that your catalog continues to claim accurately across each platform. If you have any questions about your catalog’s eligibility at fingerprinting platforms, please reach out to your Orchard representative for more information.
