Saving YouTube Audio from References?

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Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by MusicBug » Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:38 pm

Hi. I'm wondering if there is a (legal) way to download the audio from YouTube videos that are used as references in listings. Particularly when the track referenced is being used in a commercial or trailer and there is no way of knowing who or where that track comes from. I would find it helpful to be able to A/B the reference. Is anyone doing that, or does anyone know if that's possible? Thanks.
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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by cosmicdolphin » Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:54 am

I don't think it's strictly legal. It's a grey area to say the least so what you shouldn't ever do is :

1. Use the loop back feature if your audio interface supports it, as this would allow your DAW to record whatever is playing on your computer.

2. Get a browser extension from the Chrome store that records any websites audio to a Wav or MP3

3. Use sketchy YouTube MP3 converter sites that grab the audio from the YouTube URL.

Please don't do any of these even if it's just for educational purposes. Be content with having YT open alongside your DAW and doing it the old fashioned way.

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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by lesmac » Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:00 am

Just use a youtube downloader. Download, convert, use and then delete it when you are finished.

People on this forum spend hours as creators to submit music that may get placed or disappear into the stratosphere forever and they whip themselves over a download from a streaming site that pays per the web search below.

"Youtube is a multi-sided platform in terms of payout. There are at least three separate payouts under the brands' umbrella: per YouTube Red/YouTube Music stream ($0.008), per video-stream on the official artist's channels ($0.00164) and videos monetized through Content ID ($0.00087)."

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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by Kolstad » Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:47 am

I just buy the tracks I need from iTunes Store, or listen at streaming services. No need to record anything.
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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by Casey H » Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:13 am

I think if you use a tool to record the audio to put in your DAW as A/B reference and do not use it for ANY other purpose, no sampling, no sharing it with others, no play for pure enjoyment, etc. you're OK with regard to the spirit of the laws. BIG Caveat: Not a lawyer!

Of course, spending a buck or two to purchase a legal download supports the artist and ensures they are getting paid for their work. That is something that **WE** as musicians in the biz should have a great respect for.

Casey

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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by andygabrys » Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:34 pm

Kolstad wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:47 am
I just buy the tracks I need from iTunes Store, or listen at streaming services. No need to record anything.
I agree. Its a tax write off anyways.

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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by Kolstad » Wed Sep 30, 2020 11:09 pm

andygabrys wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:34 pm
Kolstad wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:47 am
I just buy the tracks I need from iTunes Store, or listen at streaming services. No need to record anything.
I agree. Its a tax write off anyways.
Yeah, those 99c’s add up! :lol:

Another advantage here is that you don’t have to worry about recording levels. Just buy the track, import in the reference plugin, and there you have the right levels.
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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by MusicBug » Thu Oct 01, 2020 8:47 am

Thanks for all the replies. Just to be clear, I only want to be able to compare my mixes with the references given in the listing. That's all. When the refs are obvious, I buy them and download them from Amazon. But when it's a commercial for a car or something and there's no way to know who created the music ref, what to do? Is there some database somewhere on the web that would have that info? For some reason when I have my DAW open (Presonus StudioOne 5) I can't get any other video to play, so I can't have them open side-by-side. I have to close the DAW open YT, and go back and forth. Annoying and time consuming. If anybody knows how to solve that issue, I'd love to hear it!

I absolutely don't want to step on anyone's toes or do anything unethical. Please accept my thanks for all your help. I'm a newbie with tons to learn, hundreds of questions and both ears wide open.

:D
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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by andygabrys » Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:01 am

If you use Shazam you can often find a link to the actual song.

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Re: Saving YouTube Audio from References?

Post by guscave » Thu Oct 01, 2020 10:51 am

Buy the tracks and keep them in a folder for references. Even if you don't import them to your DAW, you'll get a better quality reference. Streaming services compress the audio so that all songs are at the same volume.

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