YouTube assets and objects created for Art Tracks

When it processes the content of a YouTube Music DDEX message or a "Audio - Art Tracks" bulk upload spreadsheet, YouTube creates objects in the rights management system and associates them with your partner account.

For messages with new content, YouTube creates these objects:

• For each album (DDEX <Release> with a <ReleaseType> of Album), YouTube creates a playlist. The playlist consists of the its tracks (in DDEX, the primary resources identified in the <ReleaseResourceReferenceList> for the release).

• For each track (in DDEX, each <SoundRecording> in the <ResourceList>), YouTube creates:

  • A sound recording asset, if one does not already exist for the same ISRC code. The audio file is added as an inactive reference file for the asset. To make an active reference file for use with Content ID, use the “Audio - Sound Recording” CSV template or a YouTube_ContentID DDEX feed.
  • An art track asset, with no reference file. If you provide a ProprietaryId for the recording, the ID is saved as the custom_id of the art track asset.
  • A relationship between the sound recording asset and the art track asset
  • An Art Track
  • A claim on the Art Track from the art track asset

• YouTube sets ownership of the art track asset and applies a usage policy to it. The policy monetizes the Art Track in territories in which you’ve claimed ownership and blocks it in all other territories where there is no ownership defined. From a DDEX file, YouTube sets ownership based on the <ReleaseDeal> that defines subscription terms for an individual track; from a spreadsheet, it uses the track_territory_start_dates.

  If a DDEX message does not provide subscription terms, YouTube applies a policy that blocks the Art Track worldwide. The blocked Art Track is not available in the service with ads or the subscription service.

For messages containing updates, YouTube updates the previously created objects with the latest updates. For example, if the update message provides new subscription terms, YouTube updates the policy applied to the Art Track.

YouTube creates just one Art Track for each ISRC code. If more than one music partner submits content for the same ISRC code and the same territories, YouTube creates the Art Track using the metadata, artwork, and audio file from the submission with the earliest release date. YouTube also assigns ownership of the art track asset based on the earliest release date in each territory.