YouTube updates audio eraser tool to help creators deal with copyrights

Reportedly, the updated eraser tool will let creators trim, replace or mute copyrighted music without impacting other audio elements of the videos from within YouTube Studio

YouTube has released an updated version of the eraser tool with which creators can remove copyrighted music from their videos without affecting other audio elements such as the dialog or sound effects. When a video faces a copyright issue then there are restrictions on whether it can be viewed or monetised. Previously users could mute all the audio in the copyrighted segment or remove the copyright segment completely. With the new feature, users can remove just the portion affected by the copyright without having to take down the video.

YouTube chief Neal Mohan announced about the eraser tool in a post on X that reads “Good news, creators: our updated Erase Song tool helps you easily remove copyright-claimed music from your video (while leaving the rest of your audio intact).” The post is accompanied by a video which informs that YouTube has been working on testing the eraser tool for a while but it was not as accurate in removing a copyright song. The video also notes that the new tool utilises an AI-powered algorithm to detect and remove songs without impacting other audio.

YouTube has stated a caution on its support page that at times the algorithm might fail to remove just the song or not work if the song is hard to remove. Users can trim out the segment, replace the song or mute the song. Creators can also choose to “Mute all sound in the claimed segment”.

After the video is edited, YouTube will remove the content ID claim, YouTube’s own way of recognising use of copyrighted content in different clips.