Music Copyright Checker: Can I Use This Song?

Whether you can use a piece of music depends on two rights: the composition (melody, lyrics) and the recording (the specific performance). In the EU and the UK a composition becomes free 70 years after its last author died, a recording 70 years after it was released; the US uses publication dates. The checker below applies those terms to your case and tells you which permission is missing. It does not recognise audio and does not look anything up: it works with what you know about the piece.

The checker

1. What do you want to use?

An existing recording (from Spotify, YouTube, a CD or a film)A piece I will perform or record myselfA track from a music library or licensing platform

2. Which piece?

Year the composer or songwriter died (the last surviving author if several)still aliveYear the song was first published (optional, matters for the US)

Year the recording was first released

3. Where will your video be published?

Composition (the song or piece itself)

EU/UKNot enough information

USNot enough information

Recording (the audio you would use)

EU/UKNot enough information

USNot enough information

You need permission before you use it.

Missing: a licence for the composition from the publisher or songwriter (sync licence)
Missing: a licence for the recording from the label or whoever produced it (master use licence)

Before you rely on this

A new arrangement, edition or translation of a free work can have its own copyright.
Lyrics and music can have different authors; the work is free only when the last one has been dead for 70 years.
A remastered or restored reissue of an old recording can carry new rights; check the release you actually have.
Some countries deviate (France adds wartime extensions, for example).
Even a licensed or public-domain piece can receive a YouTube Content ID claim; a claim is not a copyright strike.
General information, not legal advice.

How to check if a song is copyrighted

1. Identify the song and the recordingTitle, composer or songwriter, and the exact recording (artist, label, year). A song-recognition app helps with unknown music; the credits on the release or the streaming service are more reliable.
2. Check the compositionFind when every author (music and lyrics) died, and who publishes the song: search the collecting societies’ repertoire databases, ASCAP and BMI Songview in the US, PRS in the UK, GEMA in Germany.
3. Check the recordingWhen was this exact recording released, and who owns it (label, artist, producer)? Discogs and MusicBrainz list label and year; a reissue can carry new rights.
4. Define your useVideo, advert, film, podcast, public performance? Media, territory and duration decide which licences you need and what they cost.
5. Test before you publishYouTube Studio runs a copyright check during upload and shows Content ID claims before the video goes public. It tells you a rights holder has registered the recording; it does not tell you whether you are licensed.

Copyright terms at a glance (as of 2026)

	EU, UK and most countries	United States
Composition	70 years after the last author’s death (free in 2026: died in or before 1955)	First published in or before 1930: free; later works 95 years from publication or life plus 70 years
Recording	70 years from release; recordings released before 1963 are free	Published in or before 1925: free; later recordings protected
Traditional songs	Melody free; arrangements and recordings protected	Melody free; arrangements and recordings protected

What an automatic copyright checker cannot tell you

It does not know your licence. Content ID and recognition services report that a recording is registered, not whether you may use it. A claim on licensed music is normal and is not a copyright strike.
It does not separate the work from the recording. A public-domain Beethoven symphony in a 2015 recording is protected; recognition only reports "Beethoven".
It does not know borders. A song can be free in the US and protected in the EU: "Georgia on My Mind" (1930) entered the US public domain in 2026 but stays protected in the EU until the end of 2051, because Hoagy Carmichael died in 1981.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check if a song is copyrighted?

Check two things separately: is the composition free (in the EU and UK 70 years after the last author died; in the US published in or before 1930)? Is the recording free (in the EU and UK released before 1963; in the US published in or before 1925)? Find the publisher in the ASCAP, BMI or PRS repertoire search and the label on the release. The checker on this page applies the terms to your case.

Is there a free music copyright checker?

Yes, this one. It applies the legal copyright terms and shows which licence is missing. No tool can tell you for certain whether you may use a particular file: that depends on the rights holder and your licence.

Is a song free to use if it plays for free on YouTube or Spotify?

No. Being free to listen to does not let you put it in your own video. For that you need the rights to both the composition and the recording.

Is classical music copyrighted?

The composition usually is not, if the composer died more than 70 years ago. The recording is: every performance is protected on its own. To use classical music in a video you need a licence for the recording.

What does a Content ID claim mean?

A rights holder has registered the recording with YouTube. A claim can redirect ad revenue but it is not a copyright strike. A licence lets you show you are entitled to use the music.

How long does copyright on a song last?

In the EU and UK until 70 years after the last author died (composition) and 70 years from release (recording). In the US, as of 2026, compositions published in or before 1930 and recordings published in or before 1925 are public domain.

Next: Public domain music · Public-domain classical music · What a music licence covers

Sources & note

General information, not legal advice. As of October 2026. Some countries deviate; when in doubt, check the specific country and the specific release.