YouTube is opening up all public videos on the platform to YouTube Shorts remixes – with one exception.
YouTube says videos across the platform are opted into remixing by default. If creators don’t want their videos available to be remixed, they must opt-out of the program in YouTube Studio. Only music videos uploaded by YouTube’s music partners are ineligible to be remixed in YouTube Shorts by default.
Content on YouTube Shorts itself cannot be opted out of remixing. That means if you start creating YouTube Shorts, you consent to have your videos remixed by others. That works differently than how TikTok handles remixes. TikTok allows users to prevent others from sampling videos on an individual basis in the TikTok video privacy settings. You can also establish default permissions for videos in the app’s main privacy settings.
At this point, TikTok gives users more control over remixes than the competing platform offered by YouTube Shorts.
Shorts creators who want to restrict the use of their content don’t really have a way to do so. They can delete the original short which would remove the audio, but it would also delete other Shorts sampling that audio. Remixed Shorts have a higher chance of disappearing if the original content creator deletes their video. So the question becomes, why remix anything and risk that work being deleted without permission?
Automatically opting in YouTube videos over the platform’s lifetime may not be such a good move, either. The lack of granular controls over who can remix and how those remixes can be used feels like an oversight on YouTube’s part. If you do want to get busy creating your own YouTube Shorts remixes, here’s how the feature works.
How to Create YouTube Shorts Remixes
- Start by tapping on ‘Create’ in the Shorts app.
- Then tap ‘Cut’ from the remix options.
- You can sample a one-to-five second video segment from any eligible video or YouTube Shorts.
How to Restrict YouTube Videos From Shorts Remixes
Don’t want your YouTube videos to be remix eligible? Here’s the steps you need to take to opt out.
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- On the left menu, click ‘Content.’
- Click the video’s title or thumbnail.
- Scroll down and click ‘Show More.‘
- Find the option labeled ‘Shorts Sampling‘ and toggle it off.
- Select ‘Save.’
YouTube says you can also change the shorts sampling preferences in bulk on PC. Once a video has been removed from the remix pool, no remixes can be made featuring its audio.