So, I made a video and tried to post it, with a song that I really like. I didn't really think about copyright issues… I've seen so many homemade videos to preexisting songs on places like youtube, that I really thought the issue was resolved as a sort of "fair use." Obviously not. Youtube disabled the video I uploaded because it detected "copyrighted material" – ie the soundtrack to the video I made.
My reaction: 1) I have to find a different song. 2) I'll have to rethink adding songs to my videos, in general – but, my life has always had a soundtrack, and I was thinking how totally cool it was to be able to "share" that life-soundtrack with others, and now I can't always do that, which leads to 3) some weird, residual anger at the artist in question – why can't I use her song to show the feeling or mood I have associated with my homemade video? Do I have to go through the rigmarole of getting permission? It's not even a matter of money – I'm sure the money is insubstantial. It's the inconvenience. Do I want to remain a fan of an artist that makes my life annoying and inconvenient? Maybe not. Now, when I hear that song, instead of thinking the reflective, deep, philosophical thoughts I previously associated with it, I'll be getting grumpy thinking about DRM and why she wouldn't let me use her song on my amateur video, in what I thought was a thoughtful, respectful way, including crediting the song at the end (as I've been doing). So I doubt that song will remain on my mp3, either. Maybe that artist just lost a fan. Is that what DRM (in all its manifestations) is supposed to do?
Youtube offered me the option of replacing my audio track. But the whole point of the exercise was that I thought I'd come up with a video that matched the song in question in mood and atmosphere. What are the chances I'd find such a song in their weird random library of "licensed" tracks? Further, as youtube notes, "Note that advertisements may be displayed on videos that contain soundtracks from the AudioSwap library." Oh, goody. Not that I have anything against advertising… it's what makes most of the internet free, after all. But, I just don't feel like attaching random advertising to this video.
Outcome: the video won't be posted. Sorry.