Can I use Elite Dangerous soundtracks on Youtube?

Hi Commanders,

I'm about ready to start publishing my guide to the Galaxy on youtube...

Question - Can I use the game soundtrack (If I purchase it) as background music and Monetize it?

Thanks

Nutter

o7
 
Music copyright is a tricky beast. If YouTube detects that you are using copyrighted music it will stop you from monetising your video (although incidental music that has been captured from the game stream may be overlooked, that's kind of a grey area).

As for buying the music from Frontier, you can't do that. You *may* be able to purchase a licence from them but that would require you to negotiate an agreement with them.

If you're planning to extract the music and use it as (for example) your signature introduction for each video, I would say don't do it. Maybe find some public domain music that has a similar feel?
 
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We're definitely the wrong bunch to ask. We'll tell you whatever you want to hear, or don't want to hear, or things about our cats.
But if you ask Frontier, they can answer that, or give you the OK and you can add a "Used with permission" tag in your video and YouTube's slavering bunch of ambulance-chasing shysters can wrap their lips around it and inhale.

Oh, did I let how I really feel slip out?
 
....Can I use the game soundtrack (If I purchase it) as background music and Monetize it?...

Think about it this way, if I buy the Rolling Stones greatest hits on CD or DVD, can I then post it on YouTube and ask to make money from it?

No is the answer, unless I also purchased the rights to their greatest hits. But that would cost more than I have. A lot more.
 
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Think about it this way, if I buy the Rolling Stones greatest hits can I then post it on YouTube and ask to make money from it?

No is the answer.

Thanks but you're talking about a totally different use. I want to use sound bites in my videos that promote the product (Elite) which is a win win for FD.

What I don't want to do is Publish the whole album which would cause a strike against my account for blatant theft!
 
Thanks but you're talking about a totally different use. I want to use sound bites in my videos that promote the product (Elite) which is a win win for FD.

What I don't want to do is Publish the whole album which would cause a strike against my account for blatant theft!

Okay, thanks, that's clearer.

In which case contact FDev directly and explain how and why you want to use the music - the stumbling block in the OP for me seemed the "Monetize it" aspect. If it's for an ED fan project, I doubt they'd have much concern, unless you do want to make money from it.
 
Think about it this way, if I buy the Rolling Stones greatest hits on CD or DVD, can I then post it on YouTube and ask to make money from it?

No is the answer, unless I also purchased the rights to their greatest hits. But that would cost more than I have. A lot more.



Thanks but you're talking about a totally different use. I want to use sound bites in my videos that promote the product (Elite) which is a win win for FD.

What I don't want to do is Publish the whole album which would cause a strike against my account for blatant theft!


Nutter, you are thinking about this in the correct way. There are a lot of people who play video games on YouTube, both as livestreams and as videos. When they play these games, the game soundtrack is usually playing as well...not everyone disables the soundtrack. A game's soundtrack is a part of the game. If the developer / publisher allows players to stream / create videos of their games, it is implied they are also allowing you use of the audio of that game - which includes music.

I've never seen a game video / livestream be claimed for using the games music. I'm not sure how YouTube detect use of the music when it comes to clearing the use of a games soundtrack with a specific game, and I certainly wouldn't use game A music with game B. For example I wouldn't use GTA 5 audio on a Minecraft video.

But using Elite audio (and music) on an Elite video, should be totally fine. Monitizing the video (placing adverts) should also be completely fine.



If worse comes to the worse, YouTube will simply disable or share monitization for that one specific video (and I highly doubt this will happen). Either way you won't get a copyright strike.
 
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