Most of our clients use YouTube to host their videos and they have their own channels. However, once a video is uploaded you often find annoying adverts playing over them – why is this? It could be due to the fact that you have monetised the video, but unless you are expecting hundreds of thousands of views that is hardly worth it. You want your viewer to have the best experience and an advert playing over it is not the ideal start to watching a video.

The most common reason for seeing adverts over videos is because YouTube has recognised ‘matched third-party content’ in the video. Then, until you can prove you have permission or have purchased a legitimate license YouTube elects to play adverts over it. It continues to amaze me how many clients don’t dispute this and allow the adverts to be placed over their videos resulting in a compromised user experience. If you or your video production company has purchased a license for the music then you should dispute the third party recognition in a few easy steps:

Step 1 – Click on the ‘Matched Third Party Content’ link

Step 2 – Click on ‘Dispute’ link

Step 3 – Select your reason for dispute (usually it is that you have purchased a license) and click continue

Step 4 – Confirm that you have permission and click continue

Step 5 – Now confirm again and sign your name

Step 6 – Finally submit your dispute to YouTube

The adverts will then be immediately removed from your video. A message will remain on your video in ‘video manager’ saying ‘under dispute’ until the dispute has been checked and verified with the third party rights owner. Once agreed the message will be removed.

A word of warning, don’t dispute music rights unless you are absolutely certain you have a legitimate license. YouTube will come down hard on you if you raise unsubstantiated disputes.