iMovie music copyright issues
If iMovie music files are royalty-free, can I use them in a monetized YouTube video?
iPhone XR, iOS 14
Question marked as
Hi, MrTechnicality,
As you can see from the license language quoted below, "Royalty-free" doesn't mean copyright free. Also, since you wish to monetize the songs that may run afoul of the "personal, non-commercial use" restriction of the license. The easiest way to test this is to upload a short test video to You Tube containing the songs you want to use, and see if you get a copyright flag. If it gets flagged there will be a note saying what restrictions apply to the use of the song. Sometimes there are no restrictions at all, but most of the time there will be a prohibition against monetizing. If the restrictions are not satisfactory to you, you can pull down the video and substitute different songs. iTunes has quite a large collection of songs that can be used without royalty or copyright issues.
For your information, Paragraph 2G of the iMovie license provides in part:
"The Apple Software contains media content including but not limited to
graphics, audio clips, video clips and/or templates (“Media Content”). This
Media Content is proprietary to Apple and/or its licensors, and is protected by
applicable intellectual property and other laws, including but not limited to
copyright. Except as otherwise provided, all Media Content included in the
Apple Software may be used on a royalty-free basis in your own video projects
but may not be distributed on a standalone basis (and audio Media Content may
only be used for your own personal, non-commercial use)."
As Apple advises elsewhere in the license, you would need to consult an attorney for a definitive opinion on your rights. However, Apple has a website where you can inquire about legal issues pertaining to the use of their products. That would be free. You may be able to get your answer there. Here's the link.
https://www.apple.com/legal/contact/
-- Rich