YouTube's Creator Music marketplace will finally enable creators to license pop music

The Creator Music library will make YouTube a leader in music licensing.
By Elizabeth de Luna  on 
A line drawing of a YouTube site page, with blue squares representing thumbnails and a little red square with a music symbol on it representing the Creator Music library.
A Creator Music library will make YouTube a leader in licensing for creators. Credit: YouTube

YouTube creators' music woes many finally be coming to an end. For more than a decade, creators have struggled to soundtrack their videos with anything other than instrumental or stock music and still make money. If they wanted to use a pop song — popular or not — they'd have to do so knowing that all the revenue from their video would go to the rights holder for that track.

Today, Sept. 20, at its inaugural "Made on YouTube" event, YouTube announced Creator Music, a new marketplace for creators to browse and license music with clearly defined terms and rates all spelled out. They can also elect to share revenue with music rights holders.

A screenshot of the Creator Music site where creators can search music by genre and artist and by top revenue sharing tracks.
A screenshot of the Creator Music site where creators can search music by genre and artist and by top revenue sharing tracks Credit: YouTube

The marketplace is free to use, much like YouTube's longstanding but outdated Audio Library, which offers free stock music and sound effect options to creators from within the Creator Studio.

It's a huge step forward in a content creation landscape that has evolved faster than copyright laws have been able to keep up with it. Creator Music is in beta in the U.S. and will expand to more countries in 2023.

Topics YouTube

Mashable Image
Elizabeth de Luna
Culture Reporter

Elizabeth is a digital culture reporter covering the internet's influence on self-expression, fashion, and fandom. Her work explores how technology shapes our identities, communities, and emotions. Before joining Mashable, Elizabeth spent six years in tech. Her reporting can be found in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, TIME, and Teen Vogue. Follow her on Instagram here.


Recommended For You
Spotify is dabbling in online learning
A promo shot for Spotify's online video learning showing three phones with videos playing.

Jon Stewart gives a no-holds-barred teardown of Trump's fraud case
A man sits at a talk show desk with an image of an older man in the top-left corner.

What is Instagram Spins?
In this photo illustration, an Instagram logo seen displayed on a smartphone.

5 ways Wondershare Filmora 13.2’s AI features make video editing easier
By Mashable BrandX and Wondershare
Video editing software in Wondershare/Filmora

'Girls5Eva' Interview: Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philips and Paula Pell break down their Season 3 character arcs
Girls5Eva Cast Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philips and Paula Pell

More in Life
Trans people are turning to VR as society fails them
pink person inside a cracking egg surrounded by screens

Celebrate spring blooms with flowery Lego sets on sale for 20% off at Amazon
a woman builds a bouquet of lego flowers




Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 29
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 29
a phone displaying Wordle

NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 29
Closeup view of crossword puzzle clues

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 28
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!