What is a reference?
A reference is a copy of an asset’s video or audio content that YouTube uses for Content ID matching. It is one of three representations of your intellectual property in the YouTube system. It is not a publicly viewable YouTube video, but rather a representation of an asset in YouTube’s Content ID system.
You create a reference by claiming a video that you own and enabling in for Content ID. You can also create a reference byuploading a reference file directly using the Content and Rights Administration Feed or one of the bulk update spreadsheet templates.
From a reference, YouTube creates a digital fingerprint that Content ID compares with videos uploaded by other YouTube users. When Content ID detects a match, it automatically claims the video on your behalf and applies your designatedmatch policy to it.
An asset can have more than one reference. For example, a movie asset could have separate references with 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios. The reference need not be the same as a viewable YouTube video; see Choose effective references for more information.
Choose effective references
We encourage you to use full-length files as references, rather than clips. Full-length references result in more Content ID matches and higher monetization rates. If the full-length reference includes segments of third-party material such as public domain footage or commercials, you can exclude those segments from Content ID match consideration.
The examples below compare the effect of using a clip or a full-length video as a reference for a 42-minute long television episode.
Five-minute clip as reference
Full-length reference
Create references
YouTube creates a reference when you enable a claimed video for Content ID.
- Upload and claim a new video, or claim a previously uploaded video.You must set a usage policy and identify the asset type before continuing to the next step. Claiming the video creates the asset for the YouTube rights management system.
- On the Monetization tab, select the Enable Content ID matches check box.By selecting the box, you assert that you have exclusive rights to the material in the video. If the video includes content that you don’t own, you’ll need to exclude that content from consideration when determining matches.
- Select the Match policy to apply to user-generated videos that match this reference.
- Click Save changes.
- In the Video Manager, select the videos you want to create references from.Click the check box next to the names of the videos. You can use filters or search to refine the list of videos.
- From the Actions drop-down list, choose Advanced > Content ID matching.
- Select the Enable radio btn and select the Match policy to apply to user-generated videos that match these videos.When creating references in bulk, you must apply the same match policy to all of them.
- Click Submit.
- From your list of Claims, choose the video to add as a reference.
You can only create a reference from a video you uploaded and claimed, not from user-generated videos claimed with Content ID.
The claims page shows details about the claimed video, including the applied usage policy.
- Click the Claim all matching videos check box at the bottom of the Policy tab.If the Claim all matching videos check box does not appear, it likely means that the video is not eligible as a reference.
- Click the check box to confirm that you have exclusive rights to the content of the video.
- From the drop-down list, select the match policy to apply to user-generated videos that match this reference.
- Click Save.
You can also create a reference by uploading a reference file directly using the Content and Rights Administration Feed or one of the bulk update spreadsheet templates.
Exclude third-party content from a reference file
You must have exclusive rights to all content you enable for Content ID matching. If your content features third-party material, such as public domain footage, short clips used under fair use principles, commercial breaks, or non-exclusive audio loops, be sure to exclude those segments from your reference file.
Learn more about content that is ineligible for Content ID.
How to exclude timestamps from a reference in your YouTube account
If you uploaded a reference file that contains non-exclusive content, you can exclude specific time stamps from the Content ID tab in your account.
- Go to Assets.
- Click the title of the asset you’d like to update.
- On the asset page, click References. Keep in mind that you can only exclude segments from assets with one or more active references.
- Click the thumbnail for the reference you’d like to update.
- Hover over the text displayed below “Excluded segments” and click the pencil icon.
- Click Add new segment.
- Input timestamps you want to exclude from the reference. Click Save.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 to exclude additional timestamps.
How to exclude timestamps from a reference in XML
When delivering a reference file through XML, you can exclude segments by following the syntax illustrated below:
<reference_exclusions>
<interval start=”0:00″ end=”0:10″ />
<interval start=”1:00:20″ end=”1:00:30″ />
</reference_exclusions>
See Exclude reference content from match consideration for more details about the XML option.
Fix Content ID reference overlaps
Reference overlaps (previously called conflicting reference files) occur when two reference files uploaded to the Content ID system contain identical audio, video, or audiovisual content.
In order for Content ID to correctly execute claims based on an overlapping reference file, partners need to specify which party owns exclusive rights to any of its overlapping section(s).
Fixing reference overlaps
Your reference files that have overlapping ownership are listed under To Dos on the Content ID menu.
Each of the reference files listed here will have information about the reference file(s) that overlap it. At a glance, this includes the amount of overlap, the percent of the reference that overlaps and general information about the owner(s) of the overlapping reference file(s). Clicking on an item in this list will provide even more information about the overlap and allows you to playback and compare the overlapping portions of the two references.
From here, you can determine whether to exclude the overlapping section from your ownership of the reference, allowing the other party to assert ownership to that portion. Or, conversely, you can declare exclusive rights over that overlapping segment.
If you’re not sure what to do, there is a btn you can use to contact the other owner(s) for more information, or to help resolve the issue.
It is also now possible exclude or assert exclusive ownership in bulk. You can do this by selecting the check box for any reference overlaps you wish to do in bulk and selecting the appropriate action from the Actions dropdown.
Validate potentially invalid reference content
When a reference includes content that YouTube identifies as potentially invalid, the reference is sent to the YouTube content owner for review. Any claims made based on the potentially invalid portion of the reference are also sent for review. The content owner needs to verify that he or she owns the content exclusively with sufficient rights or exclude that portion of the reference from consideration when making matches.
To review potentially invalid reference content:
- From the To Dos section of the Content ID menu, select Invalid references.The Invalid references option appears only when you have references to review.
- Review the flagged portion of the reference.The bar above the video player shows information about the reference and the potentially invalid portion, including what percentage of the reference has been flagged. To view the flagged portion, click the Play segment btn.
- Verify that you own the content in the flagged portion, or exclude the flagged portion from the reference.
- If you own the flagged content exclusively, click Segment is valid.
- If the flagged portion features third-party material, such as public domain footage, short clips used under fair use principles, commercial breaks, or non-exclusive audio loops, click Exclude segment.
Once the segment is confirmed as valid, pending claims based on the segment become valid. If you exclude the segment, any claims based on the segment are released.
Deactivate references
In certain situations, you may want suspend Content ID matching for a particular asset, temporarily or permanently. When you deactivate a reference, Content ID no longer matches or claims user-generated videos for the asset. You can choose whether to release existing claims made using the reference.
Deactivating a reference suspends Content ID matching for the entire reference. If you want to exclude matching for certain segments of the reference, such as segments that include third-party material, you can exclude those segmentsfrom your reference file rather than deactivating the reference.
To deactivate a reference:
- From your list of Assets, choose the asset whose reference(s) you want to deactivate.
- Select the References tab.
- If the asset has multiple references, choose the reference to deactivate from the list of references.
- Click the Deactivate reference btn.
- To release existing claims made based on this reference, leave the Release all claims check box selected.To retain existing claims but not make new claims, deselect the Release all claims check box.
- Click Deactivate.
When you’re ready to reactivate the reference, repeat the first three steps above and click Reactivate reference.
To deactivate references for multiple assets at once:
- From your list of Assets, select the assets whose references you want to deactivate.Click the check box next to the names of the assets. You can use filters or search to refine the list of videos.
- From the Actions drop-down list, choose Deactivate Reference.
- Choose whether to Deactivate References or Deactivate References and release all claims.
- Click Submit.
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