Above the Mainstage: Significant YouTube Meetings

Beyond VidCon - A Guide to the Most Important YouTube Events

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Want to meet your favorite creators? Or, do you want to become a better creator yourself? There are huge conventions you can go to where you can both indulge in fandom and work on your skills. Here are the 7 largest and most well-known:

1. VidCon (US/Europe/Australia)
2. PlayList Live (US)
3. Beautycon (US/UK)
4. YouTube Fanfest (Various international locations)
5. RTX (US/UK/Australia)
6. Amplify Live (Australia)
7. Summer in the City (UK)

The Most Important YouTube Events

Want to be a youtube creator too? Go and get Wondershare Filmora, the video editing software for all creators.

1. VidCon

VidCon US: June (Anaheim, California)

VidCon Europe (Amsterdam): March/April

VidCon Australia: August/September

In 2017 over 30,000 YouTube enthusiasts – from fans to A-list creators – attended VidCon US, and that was thousands of more people than attended in 2016. It’s hard to imagine that this event – the biggest convention for YouTube and online video – will do anything but grow over the next few years.

VidCon was founded by the Vlogbrothers in 2010 as a place for internet friends to meet in real life.

Passes:

There are three different types of passes for VidCon – the Community Track, the Creator Track, and the Industry Track.

The Community Track is for anyone who loves YouTube and wants a chance to see their favorite creators and meet other fans. Pricing ranges from $100 to $180, depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Creator Track gets you to access to all the same events as the Community badges (except for the Meet & Greet Lottery*), plus even more panels and workshops that will help you become a better creator. Pricing ranges from $150 to $250 depending on how early you buy your ticket.

The Industry Track is for anyone working in online video or video-adjacent industries, like advertising, branding, or talent management. There are panels on online marketing and working with influencers. Pricing ranges from $550 to $850, depending on when you buy your ticket.

*The Meet and Greet Lottery is a chance for anyone attending with a Community or Industry pass to meet their favorite creator. You rank the 15 creators you’d most like to meet according to how much you want to meet them. A computerized system will determine who gets into which Meet & Greet.

You have a two-week window (usually the first half of May) to submit your choices.

2. PlayList Live

Orlando, Florida: April/May

Tri-State (Secaucus, New Jersey): September

Washington DC: September

Playlist Live is a YouTube event for creators and their supporters that has a particular focus on music. Where VidCon is advertised using images of sunshine, crowded convention halls, and speakers, Playlist Live is advertised with images of city skylines, concerts, and fireworks.

Playlist Live prides itself on having ‘non-stop interactive activities.’ These include chances to meet your favorite creators on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Which meetups you get to attend are determined by first-come-first-serve online signup.

Passes:

Pricing may vary depending on which event you are attending and how early you purchase your ticket. The following ranges are an estimate. Not all pass types are available for all events.

The Standard Pass ($75 - $130) is the basic pass for fans of the online video who want to meet their favorite creators, play games, and have a great time.

The Standard Pass + Merch ($100-$155) gets you into the same events as the standard pass plus a t-shirt and a wristband.

The Standard Deluxe ($120 - $205) comes with a hoodie, sunglasses, and a commemorative ticket.

The Parent Pass/Parent + Merch/Parent Deluxe ($75-$200) is for parents who want to chaperone their kids around Playlist Live and includes access to everything the Standard Pass can access.

The Insight Pass ($150-$205) is for anyone who wants to learn more about being a digital creator. You get Standard access as well as workshops and panels for successful creators and industry professionals designed to help you on your path.

The Insight + Merch/Insight Deluxe Passes ($175-$280) you get the same access as an Insight Pass plus goodies like shirts, wristbands, commemorative tickets, and sunglasses.

The Premium Pass ($250-$404) grants you standard access plus early access for meetup registration and a special VIP meetup.

There is also business Passes with Merch and Deluxe (Business Deluxe can cost up to $330) options for people working in marketing, publicity, production, etc. These passes include access to an extra day of business and industry-specific programming.

3. Beautycon Festivals

Los Angeles: July

New York: April

London, UK: November

Beautycon is an event meant to highlight innovators in the fields of Beauty, Makeup, and Lifestyle. They bring together online creators, fans, celebrities, and brands for two-day festivals full of fun, panel discussions, shopping, and free samples.

In 2017, 30,000 people attended Beautycon festivals internationally.

Passes:

Two-Day General Admission ($69) gets you in for the whole weekend, and you’ll also get a fabric wristband and other goodies.

You can also get a One-Day General Admission to pass for $49.

The Two-Day Hauler pass ($199) gets you in the doors 2 hours before the General Admission passes, plus a VIP swag bag.

General Admission and Hauler passes do not include access to programmed meetups.

Two-Day All Access passes ($999) include early entry as well as reserved seating in the front row at the Min Stage, photo opportunities in the Halo Room, a tour of the Creator Gifting Suite, custom merch, credit at the Beautycon Shop online, plus everything from the General and Hauler packs.

The final type of pass, the Two-Day Beauty Insider ($1999) pass, has everything the All-Access pass has plus a 2-night stay at a hotel downtown (for the LA festival).

4. YouTube FanFest

These events are customized to the wherever festival is visiting, so you’re always sure to see the big and rising YouTube stars from your region. Generally, these events include performances and activities as well as a Meet & Greet.

There is not a steady annual schedule for FanFests, but it has visited these cities in the past: Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Tokyo, Jeddah, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

5. RTX

Austin, Texas: August

London: September

Sydney, Australia: February

Brought to you by the creators behind Rooster Teeth, RTX is a celebration of internet culture and gaming. It includes exhibitors, live events, panels, and activities targeting gamers. Partners include Twitch and multiple gaming companies.

Passes:

It costs $50 for a Friday or Sunday pass, and $55 for just Saturday. You’ll get an attendee bag and lanyard with your pass.

The Weekend pass costs $110, and you get access to all 3 days plus the bag/lanyard and 1 autograph code.

A Weekend Plus ($335) pass gets you everything the Weekend pass gets you plus 2 autograph codes, early access to the Expo hall on Friday, lounge access, and reserved seating at the stage.

The Platinum pass is the most expensive at $729, and it includes everything the Weekend Plus pass does plus a priority line for panels, priority seating, and an exclusive party.

6. Amplify Live

Sydney, Australia: April

Melbourne, Australia: April

These events showcase the biggest social medial talent and musical acts in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017 the headliners of the Cool for Summer tour were Lindsey Stirling, Dan & Phil, and Nash Grier.

Tickets for the Cool for Summer tour cost $65 or $75 AUD depending on how early you buy them.

For VIP access, you can buy a Deluxe pass for $125-$150 AUD.

Meet and Greet tickets must be purchased separately from your event ticket.

Silver Meet and Greet, $80 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ featuring non-headliner talent.

Gold Meet and Greet, $189 AUD: access to the ‘Cool for Summer Celebrity Zone’ plus a guaranteed meeting with one of the headliners (you choose which when you purchase).

Platinum Meet & Greet, $450 AUD: meet all the headliners and get access to an exclusive VIP area, merch pack, and special entry.

7. Summer in the City

London, UK: August

This is the largest online video festival in the UK. It features discussion panels, workshops, and live performances targeted at creators, fans of online video, and industry professionals. YouTubers might hang out on the show floor meeting fans, and there are also Meet and Greet sessions for top creators. All ticket holders can submit online ballots for a chance at Meet and Greet access.

Summer in the City even has its own awards show, SitC, to honor the best in online content. Previous winners include Dodie, Tomska, Jack & Dean, and Nathan Zed.

There is one day of Summer in the City called ‘Creator Day’ (generally on Friday), which features educational workshops for creators and industry professionals.

Passes:

If you buy your tickets during early bird pricing, the prices will look like this:

Saturday OR Sunday: £30.00

Saturday AND Sunday: £45.00

Creator Day: £30.00

Creator Day + Weekend: £60.00

Industry Ticket: £100.00

Have you ever attended an offline YouTube event? Which one, and how did you like it?

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

The Definitive Guide to Avoiding YouTube Copyright Issues

The Ultimate Guide to YouTube Copyright

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

One of the trickiest terrains for new YouTubers to navigate is the land of copyright rules.

We get it, it’s confusing and stressful, especially when what you want to focus on is making videos, but instead, you are worried about getting your account terminated or being sued.

Can you or can’t you use that song or that clip from the movie? That’s all you want to know.

In this article, we are going to address the key areas that YouTubers need to understand when it comes to YouTube copyright. What is okay and what isn’t? What may be considered risky or what would be worth taking a chance?

Remember that everything discussed in this article is only best practices and shouldn’t be taken as definitive legal advice.

Now that we are set, let’s dive in:

Part 1: What is Fair Use?

When we talk about YouTube copyright, we have to talk about fair use.

Without fair use, there wouldn’t be any flexibility for creators. There wouldn’t be mashups, parodies, or lip dubs. Without fair use, any video with copyright content such as music in the background or a reference to a scene from a famous movie will require approval from the content owner and can be removed. Because of fair use, you can publish a video with copyrighted material in it and not have to ask anyone.

Think of fair use as exceptions to copyright rules.

Part 2: What YouTube Considers Fair Use

There are a few aspects YouTube looks at when it comes to determining whether creators are using copyrighted content that meets the fair use exceptions.

1. Is the copyrighted content being creatively or purposefully used?
2. Are there more original content used than copyrighted content in the video?
3. Will your video benefit the original copyrighted content?

Part 3: Types of Content That Meet Fair Use

Some acceptable styles of videos that allow you to exercise fair use are:

Critiques and Reviews: You can use clips of a movie that you review or play a chorus from a song that you are analyzing in a video and it will be okay to use because it’s serving a purpose of educating the viewer.

Tutorials and Commentary: A YouTube gamer streaming the video games and making comments throughout, that is within fair use, because it can be said that it is giving the video game exposure. Additionally, anything that can be classified as tutorials can also fall under fair use. If you have a video teaching people how to play a famous song, like The Beatles’ Let It Be , on piano, that’s fine!

Mashups: Mashups tend to be built entirely out of copyrighted material, but when done well this style of videos are very creative and often serve to promote the original work as opposed to replacing it.

There couldn’t be two more different movies than Toy Story and Fight Club, but somehow thanks the the creativity of a YouTube creator, there is a now a mashup of it. Some might call it an abomination, but this type of recycled art takes skills and planning, and it wouldn’t exist without fair use.

Parody: Imitation for comedic or dramatic effect is an artistic pursuit as long as it is done in a transformative manner. What does transformative mean? It means in some way, the original is being examined.

In this example from The Hillywood Show, we see a parody of both BBC’s Sherlock Holmes and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s Thrift Shop. The nuisance of the show and song recreated are there, but nobody who enjoys the originals will sit down and appreciate it in the same way. A parody is in no way trying to replace the original, but rather using the subject, structure, and style of the original as a vessel to another creative work.

Part 4: What To Do When You Get a YouTube Copyright Strike

If you are reading this, you may have already gotten a YouTube copyright strike.

This may have surprised you. Don’t be too concerned. If it was a mistake, the copyright strike merely acts as a warning, letting you know that the content in your video is copyrighted material.

However, if you were to get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days, you may be penalized by:

- Having all your accounts and videos removed

- Not being able to create a new channel

So what should you do? Here are the steps to take after you receive a copyright strike:

1. Review the copyright strike by going into Creator Studio > Video Manager > Copyright notice

1. Click on the “Copyright Strike” link beside the flagged video to see details
2. Decide how to respond to the strike:
   1. Allow the strike to expire after 90 days and complete the YouTube’s copyright school
   2. Contact the person who reported your video and get the claim retracted
   3. Dispute the claim with a counter notification

Part 5: 5 Ways to Avoid Copyright Strike

It’s not always clear what YouTube deems fair use, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of meeting the qualification.

1. Use non-fictional copyright content instead of creative and fictional copyrighted content. You’ll have a better chance of meeting fair use if you use footages from a news broadcast than you would from a movie or television show.

The intent is clear when using non-fictional copyright content, such as in Bad Lip Reading. They aren’t trying to rebroadcast the Mark Zuckerberg integration, they are parodying it. The easier it is for the public to recognize that the content is from a source, and understand that the creator isn’t trying to take credit for it, the more likely it’ll pass the fair use qualification.

However, if Bad Lip Reading posted the content without lip dubbing, then one can argue that they are taking views away from the original news sources and that wouldn’t be fair use.

2. Make sure your video with copyrighted content isn’t replacing the original one. Only use enough of the source material to get your point across and ensure you are not negatively affecting the original through views and sales.

In this example from Screen Prism, we see scenes from Wes Anderson movies all through the video, however, it is not replacing any of the original films. In fact, you can say that because of this video, people will be motivated to go and watch a Wes Anderson movie, those benefiting the original creator.

3. The copyrighted material is essential to your video. Whether the copyrighted content is needed in order to illustrate a point or if that one moment from a well-recognized movie helps tie together the message, as long as the copyrighted material is serving the video in some significant way, then it will be consider fair use.

4. Give the original creator credit. Just because you give the original creator credit doesn’t mean you can rightfully use their content, however, it does give you a better chance at avoiding copyright strike. Most often, the original creators simply want credit for their work. If they see that you have noted that the content was made by them, it will only give them more exposure.

5. Keep it short. There is no precise number of seconds or ratio of copyrighted to original footage you should have in your video to qualify as fair use. But generally, if the copyrighted clip is short and/or broken up, then it stands a better chance at being approved by YouTube.

Part 6: What to Do When Other YouTubers Are Copying Your Content

As a new YouTuber, it’s a little freaky to think that someone is taking your content and republishing it or using your creations in their video without your permission.

If you ever notice that your content is being copied without your approval — if they have duplicated your video completely or is using your video without giving credit — and it is not benefiting your channel in any way, don’t worry, YouTube is designed to protect you.

Steps to Report Copyright Infringements on YouTube

1. View the video that contains your copyrighted material.
2. Click on “Report”

1. Select “Infringes my rights” in the pop up window and click “infringes my copyright” in the dropdown options.

1. Supply additional information to the report form, including the URL of the video infringing your copyrighted content and the URL of your own video.
2. Submit report and wait for an email confirmation that the infringing content has been removed.

Part 7: YouTube Copyright Match

In 2018, YouTube launched a new feature called Copyright Match Tool, which automatically finds videos that are very similar or the same as the ones you’ve created. This gives you the power to determine what to do once you know the video exist.

- You can choose to do nothing.

- You can contact the publisher.

- You can report the video to YouTube for removal.

Key Takeaways

I hope this article has clarified what you can and cannot do with copyrighted content. Here is a quick summary of what we touched on in this post:

- Avoid having 3 copyright strikes on your channel at all costs.

- When using copyrighted material, ensure it is essential to the video and you are not overdoing it.

- Make sure that the copyrighted content does not take views and sales away from the original source.

- Strive to use the copyrighted content in a transformative way, as a parody or a commentary, to educate or inform.

- Give the original creator credit or have it benefit the original by giving more publicity.

- Report any creator that is infringing on your content.

Got any questions on YouTube copyright? Leave a comment below and we’ll help you answer it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

One of the trickiest terrains for new YouTubers to navigate is the land of copyright rules.

We get it, it’s confusing and stressful, especially when what you want to focus on is making videos, but instead, you are worried about getting your account terminated or being sued.

Can you or can’t you use that song or that clip from the movie? That’s all you want to know.

In this article, we are going to address the key areas that YouTubers need to understand when it comes to YouTube copyright. What is okay and what isn’t? What may be considered risky or what would be worth taking a chance?

Remember that everything discussed in this article is only best practices and shouldn’t be taken as definitive legal advice.

Now that we are set, let’s dive in:

Part 1: What is Fair Use?

When we talk about YouTube copyright, we have to talk about fair use.

Without fair use, there wouldn’t be any flexibility for creators. There wouldn’t be mashups, parodies, or lip dubs. Without fair use, any video with copyright content such as music in the background or a reference to a scene from a famous movie will require approval from the content owner and can be removed. Because of fair use, you can publish a video with copyrighted material in it and not have to ask anyone.

Think of fair use as exceptions to copyright rules.

Part 2: What YouTube Considers Fair Use

There are a few aspects YouTube looks at when it comes to determining whether creators are using copyrighted content that meets the fair use exceptions.

1. Is the copyrighted content being creatively or purposefully used?
2. Are there more original content used than copyrighted content in the video?
3. Will your video benefit the original copyrighted content?

Part 3: Types of Content That Meet Fair Use

Some acceptable styles of videos that allow you to exercise fair use are:

Critiques and Reviews: You can use clips of a movie that you review or play a chorus from a song that you are analyzing in a video and it will be okay to use because it’s serving a purpose of educating the viewer.

Tutorials and Commentary: A YouTube gamer streaming the video games and making comments throughout, that is within fair use, because it can be said that it is giving the video game exposure. Additionally, anything that can be classified as tutorials can also fall under fair use. If you have a video teaching people how to play a famous song, like The Beatles’ Let It Be , on piano, that’s fine!

Mashups: Mashups tend to be built entirely out of copyrighted material, but when done well this style of videos are very creative and often serve to promote the original work as opposed to replacing it.

There couldn’t be two more different movies than Toy Story and Fight Club, but somehow thanks the the creativity of a YouTube creator, there is a now a mashup of it. Some might call it an abomination, but this type of recycled art takes skills and planning, and it wouldn’t exist without fair use.

Parody: Imitation for comedic or dramatic effect is an artistic pursuit as long as it is done in a transformative manner. What does transformative mean? It means in some way, the original is being examined.

In this example from The Hillywood Show, we see a parody of both BBC’s Sherlock Holmes and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s Thrift Shop. The nuisance of the show and song recreated are there, but nobody who enjoys the originals will sit down and appreciate it in the same way. A parody is in no way trying to replace the original, but rather using the subject, structure, and style of the original as a vessel to another creative work.

Part 4: What To Do When You Get a YouTube Copyright Strike

If you are reading this, you may have already gotten a YouTube copyright strike.

This may have surprised you. Don’t be too concerned. If it was a mistake, the copyright strike merely acts as a warning, letting you know that the content in your video is copyrighted material.

However, if you were to get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days, you may be penalized by:

- Having all your accounts and videos removed

- Not being able to create a new channel

So what should you do? Here are the steps to take after you receive a copyright strike:

1. Review the copyright strike by going into Creator Studio > Video Manager > Copyright notice

1. Click on the “Copyright Strike” link beside the flagged video to see details
2. Decide how to respond to the strike:
   1. Allow the strike to expire after 90 days and complete the YouTube’s copyright school
   2. Contact the person who reported your video and get the claim retracted
   3. Dispute the claim with a counter notification

Part 5: 5 Ways to Avoid Copyright Strike

It’s not always clear what YouTube deems fair use, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of meeting the qualification.

1. Use non-fictional copyright content instead of creative and fictional copyrighted content. You’ll have a better chance of meeting fair use if you use footages from a news broadcast than you would from a movie or television show.

The intent is clear when using non-fictional copyright content, such as in Bad Lip Reading. They aren’t trying to rebroadcast the Mark Zuckerberg integration, they are parodying it. The easier it is for the public to recognize that the content is from a source, and understand that the creator isn’t trying to take credit for it, the more likely it’ll pass the fair use qualification.

However, if Bad Lip Reading posted the content without lip dubbing, then one can argue that they are taking views away from the original news sources and that wouldn’t be fair use.

2. Make sure your video with copyrighted content isn’t replacing the original one. Only use enough of the source material to get your point across and ensure you are not negatively affecting the original through views and sales.

In this example from Screen Prism, we see scenes from Wes Anderson movies all through the video, however, it is not replacing any of the original films. In fact, you can say that because of this video, people will be motivated to go and watch a Wes Anderson movie, those benefiting the original creator.

3. The copyrighted material is essential to your video. Whether the copyrighted content is needed in order to illustrate a point or if that one moment from a well-recognized movie helps tie together the message, as long as the copyrighted material is serving the video in some significant way, then it will be consider fair use.

4. Give the original creator credit. Just because you give the original creator credit doesn’t mean you can rightfully use their content, however, it does give you a better chance at avoiding copyright strike. Most often, the original creators simply want credit for their work. If they see that you have noted that the content was made by them, it will only give them more exposure.

5. Keep it short. There is no precise number of seconds or ratio of copyrighted to original footage you should have in your video to qualify as fair use. But generally, if the copyrighted clip is short and/or broken up, then it stands a better chance at being approved by YouTube.

Part 6: What to Do When Other YouTubers Are Copying Your Content

As a new YouTuber, it’s a little freaky to think that someone is taking your content and republishing it or using your creations in their video without your permission.

If you ever notice that your content is being copied without your approval — if they have duplicated your video completely or is using your video without giving credit — and it is not benefiting your channel in any way, don’t worry, YouTube is designed to protect you.

Steps to Report Copyright Infringements on YouTube

1. View the video that contains your copyrighted material.
2. Click on “Report”

1. Select “Infringes my rights” in the pop up window and click “infringes my copyright” in the dropdown options.

1. Supply additional information to the report form, including the URL of the video infringing your copyrighted content and the URL of your own video.
2. Submit report and wait for an email confirmation that the infringing content has been removed.

Part 7: YouTube Copyright Match

In 2018, YouTube launched a new feature called Copyright Match Tool, which automatically finds videos that are very similar or the same as the ones you’ve created. This gives you the power to determine what to do once you know the video exist.

- You can choose to do nothing.

- You can contact the publisher.

- You can report the video to YouTube for removal.

Key Takeaways

I hope this article has clarified what you can and cannot do with copyrighted content. Here is a quick summary of what we touched on in this post:

- Avoid having 3 copyright strikes on your channel at all costs.

- When using copyrighted material, ensure it is essential to the video and you are not overdoing it.

- Make sure that the copyrighted content does not take views and sales away from the original source.

- Strive to use the copyrighted content in a transformative way, as a parody or a commentary, to educate or inform.

- Give the original creator credit or have it benefit the original by giving more publicity.

- Report any creator that is infringing on your content.

Got any questions on YouTube copyright? Leave a comment below and we’ll help you answer it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

One of the trickiest terrains for new YouTubers to navigate is the land of copyright rules.

We get it, it’s confusing and stressful, especially when what you want to focus on is making videos, but instead, you are worried about getting your account terminated or being sued.

Can you or can’t you use that song or that clip from the movie? That’s all you want to know.

In this article, we are going to address the key areas that YouTubers need to understand when it comes to YouTube copyright. What is okay and what isn’t? What may be considered risky or what would be worth taking a chance?

Remember that everything discussed in this article is only best practices and shouldn’t be taken as definitive legal advice.

Now that we are set, let’s dive in:

Part 1: What is Fair Use?

When we talk about YouTube copyright, we have to talk about fair use.

Without fair use, there wouldn’t be any flexibility for creators. There wouldn’t be mashups, parodies, or lip dubs. Without fair use, any video with copyright content such as music in the background or a reference to a scene from a famous movie will require approval from the content owner and can be removed. Because of fair use, you can publish a video with copyrighted material in it and not have to ask anyone.

Think of fair use as exceptions to copyright rules.

Part 2: What YouTube Considers Fair Use

There are a few aspects YouTube looks at when it comes to determining whether creators are using copyrighted content that meets the fair use exceptions.

1. Is the copyrighted content being creatively or purposefully used?
2. Are there more original content used than copyrighted content in the video?
3. Will your video benefit the original copyrighted content?

Part 3: Types of Content That Meet Fair Use

Some acceptable styles of videos that allow you to exercise fair use are:

Critiques and Reviews: You can use clips of a movie that you review or play a chorus from a song that you are analyzing in a video and it will be okay to use because it’s serving a purpose of educating the viewer.

Tutorials and Commentary: A YouTube gamer streaming the video games and making comments throughout, that is within fair use, because it can be said that it is giving the video game exposure. Additionally, anything that can be classified as tutorials can also fall under fair use. If you have a video teaching people how to play a famous song, like The Beatles’ Let It Be , on piano, that’s fine!

Mashups: Mashups tend to be built entirely out of copyrighted material, but when done well this style of videos are very creative and often serve to promote the original work as opposed to replacing it.

There couldn’t be two more different movies than Toy Story and Fight Club, but somehow thanks the the creativity of a YouTube creator, there is a now a mashup of it. Some might call it an abomination, but this type of recycled art takes skills and planning, and it wouldn’t exist without fair use.

Parody: Imitation for comedic or dramatic effect is an artistic pursuit as long as it is done in a transformative manner. What does transformative mean? It means in some way, the original is being examined.

In this example from The Hillywood Show, we see a parody of both BBC’s Sherlock Holmes and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s Thrift Shop. The nuisance of the show and song recreated are there, but nobody who enjoys the originals will sit down and appreciate it in the same way. A parody is in no way trying to replace the original, but rather using the subject, structure, and style of the original as a vessel to another creative work.

Part 4: What To Do When You Get a YouTube Copyright Strike

If you are reading this, you may have already gotten a YouTube copyright strike.

This may have surprised you. Don’t be too concerned. If it was a mistake, the copyright strike merely acts as a warning, letting you know that the content in your video is copyrighted material.

However, if you were to get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days, you may be penalized by:

- Having all your accounts and videos removed

- Not being able to create a new channel

So what should you do? Here are the steps to take after you receive a copyright strike:

1. Review the copyright strike by going into Creator Studio > Video Manager > Copyright notice

1. Click on the “Copyright Strike” link beside the flagged video to see details
2. Decide how to respond to the strike:
   1. Allow the strike to expire after 90 days and complete the YouTube’s copyright school
   2. Contact the person who reported your video and get the claim retracted
   3. Dispute the claim with a counter notification

Part 5: 5 Ways to Avoid Copyright Strike

It’s not always clear what YouTube deems fair use, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of meeting the qualification.

1. Use non-fictional copyright content instead of creative and fictional copyrighted content. You’ll have a better chance of meeting fair use if you use footages from a news broadcast than you would from a movie or television show.

The intent is clear when using non-fictional copyright content, such as in Bad Lip Reading. They aren’t trying to rebroadcast the Mark Zuckerberg integration, they are parodying it. The easier it is for the public to recognize that the content is from a source, and understand that the creator isn’t trying to take credit for it, the more likely it’ll pass the fair use qualification.

However, if Bad Lip Reading posted the content without lip dubbing, then one can argue that they are taking views away from the original news sources and that wouldn’t be fair use.

2. Make sure your video with copyrighted content isn’t replacing the original one. Only use enough of the source material to get your point across and ensure you are not negatively affecting the original through views and sales.

In this example from Screen Prism, we see scenes from Wes Anderson movies all through the video, however, it is not replacing any of the original films. In fact, you can say that because of this video, people will be motivated to go and watch a Wes Anderson movie, those benefiting the original creator.

3. The copyrighted material is essential to your video. Whether the copyrighted content is needed in order to illustrate a point or if that one moment from a well-recognized movie helps tie together the message, as long as the copyrighted material is serving the video in some significant way, then it will be consider fair use.

4. Give the original creator credit. Just because you give the original creator credit doesn’t mean you can rightfully use their content, however, it does give you a better chance at avoiding copyright strike. Most often, the original creators simply want credit for their work. If they see that you have noted that the content was made by them, it will only give them more exposure.

5. Keep it short. There is no precise number of seconds or ratio of copyrighted to original footage you should have in your video to qualify as fair use. But generally, if the copyrighted clip is short and/or broken up, then it stands a better chance at being approved by YouTube.

Part 6: What to Do When Other YouTubers Are Copying Your Content

As a new YouTuber, it’s a little freaky to think that someone is taking your content and republishing it or using your creations in their video without your permission.

If you ever notice that your content is being copied without your approval — if they have duplicated your video completely or is using your video without giving credit — and it is not benefiting your channel in any way, don’t worry, YouTube is designed to protect you.

Steps to Report Copyright Infringements on YouTube

1. View the video that contains your copyrighted material.
2. Click on “Report”

1. Select “Infringes my rights” in the pop up window and click “infringes my copyright” in the dropdown options.

1. Supply additional information to the report form, including the URL of the video infringing your copyrighted content and the URL of your own video.
2. Submit report and wait for an email confirmation that the infringing content has been removed.

Part 7: YouTube Copyright Match

In 2018, YouTube launched a new feature called Copyright Match Tool, which automatically finds videos that are very similar or the same as the ones you’ve created. This gives you the power to determine what to do once you know the video exist.

- You can choose to do nothing.

- You can contact the publisher.

- You can report the video to YouTube for removal.

Key Takeaways

I hope this article has clarified what you can and cannot do with copyrighted content. Here is a quick summary of what we touched on in this post:

- Avoid having 3 copyright strikes on your channel at all costs.

- When using copyrighted material, ensure it is essential to the video and you are not overdoing it.

- Make sure that the copyrighted content does not take views and sales away from the original source.

- Strive to use the copyrighted content in a transformative way, as a parody or a commentary, to educate or inform.

- Give the original creator credit or have it benefit the original by giving more publicity.

- Report any creator that is infringing on your content.

Got any questions on YouTube copyright? Leave a comment below and we’ll help you answer it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

One of the trickiest terrains for new YouTubers to navigate is the land of copyright rules.

We get it, it’s confusing and stressful, especially when what you want to focus on is making videos, but instead, you are worried about getting your account terminated or being sued.

Can you or can’t you use that song or that clip from the movie? That’s all you want to know.

In this article, we are going to address the key areas that YouTubers need to understand when it comes to YouTube copyright. What is okay and what isn’t? What may be considered risky or what would be worth taking a chance?

Remember that everything discussed in this article is only best practices and shouldn’t be taken as definitive legal advice.

Now that we are set, let’s dive in:

Part 1: What is Fair Use?

When we talk about YouTube copyright, we have to talk about fair use.

Without fair use, there wouldn’t be any flexibility for creators. There wouldn’t be mashups, parodies, or lip dubs. Without fair use, any video with copyright content such as music in the background or a reference to a scene from a famous movie will require approval from the content owner and can be removed. Because of fair use, you can publish a video with copyrighted material in it and not have to ask anyone.

Think of fair use as exceptions to copyright rules.

Part 2: What YouTube Considers Fair Use

There are a few aspects YouTube looks at when it comes to determining whether creators are using copyrighted content that meets the fair use exceptions.

1. Is the copyrighted content being creatively or purposefully used?
2. Are there more original content used than copyrighted content in the video?
3. Will your video benefit the original copyrighted content?

Part 3: Types of Content That Meet Fair Use

Some acceptable styles of videos that allow you to exercise fair use are:

Critiques and Reviews: You can use clips of a movie that you review or play a chorus from a song that you are analyzing in a video and it will be okay to use because it’s serving a purpose of educating the viewer.

Tutorials and Commentary: A YouTube gamer streaming the video games and making comments throughout, that is within fair use, because it can be said that it is giving the video game exposure. Additionally, anything that can be classified as tutorials can also fall under fair use. If you have a video teaching people how to play a famous song, like The Beatles’ Let It Be , on piano, that’s fine!

Mashups: Mashups tend to be built entirely out of copyrighted material, but when done well this style of videos are very creative and often serve to promote the original work as opposed to replacing it.

There couldn’t be two more different movies than Toy Story and Fight Club, but somehow thanks the the creativity of a YouTube creator, there is a now a mashup of it. Some might call it an abomination, but this type of recycled art takes skills and planning, and it wouldn’t exist without fair use.

Parody: Imitation for comedic or dramatic effect is an artistic pursuit as long as it is done in a transformative manner. What does transformative mean? It means in some way, the original is being examined.

In this example from The Hillywood Show, we see a parody of both BBC’s Sherlock Holmes and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s Thrift Shop. The nuisance of the show and song recreated are there, but nobody who enjoys the originals will sit down and appreciate it in the same way. A parody is in no way trying to replace the original, but rather using the subject, structure, and style of the original as a vessel to another creative work.

Part 4: What To Do When You Get a YouTube Copyright Strike

If you are reading this, you may have already gotten a YouTube copyright strike.

This may have surprised you. Don’t be too concerned. If it was a mistake, the copyright strike merely acts as a warning, letting you know that the content in your video is copyrighted material.

However, if you were to get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days, you may be penalized by:

- Having all your accounts and videos removed

- Not being able to create a new channel

So what should you do? Here are the steps to take after you receive a copyright strike:

1. Review the copyright strike by going into Creator Studio > Video Manager > Copyright notice

1. Click on the “Copyright Strike” link beside the flagged video to see details
2. Decide how to respond to the strike:
   1. Allow the strike to expire after 90 days and complete the YouTube’s copyright school
   2. Contact the person who reported your video and get the claim retracted
   3. Dispute the claim with a counter notification

Part 5: 5 Ways to Avoid Copyright Strike

It’s not always clear what YouTube deems fair use, but there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of meeting the qualification.

1. Use non-fictional copyright content instead of creative and fictional copyrighted content. You’ll have a better chance of meeting fair use if you use footages from a news broadcast than you would from a movie or television show.

The intent is clear when using non-fictional copyright content, such as in Bad Lip Reading. They aren’t trying to rebroadcast the Mark Zuckerberg integration, they are parodying it. The easier it is for the public to recognize that the content is from a source, and understand that the creator isn’t trying to take credit for it, the more likely it’ll pass the fair use qualification.

However, if Bad Lip Reading posted the content without lip dubbing, then one can argue that they are taking views away from the original news sources and that wouldn’t be fair use.

2. Make sure your video with copyrighted content isn’t replacing the original one. Only use enough of the source material to get your point across and ensure you are not negatively affecting the original through views and sales.

In this example from Screen Prism, we see scenes from Wes Anderson movies all through the video, however, it is not replacing any of the original films. In fact, you can say that because of this video, people will be motivated to go and watch a Wes Anderson movie, those benefiting the original creator.

3. The copyrighted material is essential to your video. Whether the copyrighted content is needed in order to illustrate a point or if that one moment from a well-recognized movie helps tie together the message, as long as the copyrighted material is serving the video in some significant way, then it will be consider fair use.

4. Give the original creator credit. Just because you give the original creator credit doesn’t mean you can rightfully use their content, however, it does give you a better chance at avoiding copyright strike. Most often, the original creators simply want credit for their work. If they see that you have noted that the content was made by them, it will only give them more exposure.

5. Keep it short. There is no precise number of seconds or ratio of copyrighted to original footage you should have in your video to qualify as fair use. But generally, if the copyrighted clip is short and/or broken up, then it stands a better chance at being approved by YouTube.

Part 6: What to Do When Other YouTubers Are Copying Your Content

As a new YouTuber, it’s a little freaky to think that someone is taking your content and republishing it or using your creations in their video without your permission.

If you ever notice that your content is being copied without your approval — if they have duplicated your video completely or is using your video without giving credit — and it is not benefiting your channel in any way, don’t worry, YouTube is designed to protect you.

Steps to Report Copyright Infringements on YouTube

1. View the video that contains your copyrighted material.
2. Click on “Report”

1. Select “Infringes my rights” in the pop up window and click “infringes my copyright” in the dropdown options.

1. Supply additional information to the report form, including the URL of the video infringing your copyrighted content and the URL of your own video.
2. Submit report and wait for an email confirmation that the infringing content has been removed.

Part 7: YouTube Copyright Match

In 2018, YouTube launched a new feature called Copyright Match Tool, which automatically finds videos that are very similar or the same as the ones you’ve created. This gives you the power to determine what to do once you know the video exist.

- You can choose to do nothing.

- You can contact the publisher.

- You can report the video to YouTube for removal.

Key Takeaways

I hope this article has clarified what you can and cannot do with copyrighted content. Here is a quick summary of what we touched on in this post:

- Avoid having 3 copyright strikes on your channel at all costs.

- When using copyrighted material, ensure it is essential to the video and you are not overdoing it.

- Make sure that the copyrighted content does not take views and sales away from the original source.

- Strive to use the copyrighted content in a transformative way, as a parody or a commentary, to educate or inform.

- Give the original creator credit or have it benefit the original by giving more publicity.

- Report any creator that is infringing on your content.

Got any questions on YouTube copyright? Leave a comment below and we’ll help you answer it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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