Copyright & DMCA Policy

Our policy

We respect the rights of creators, labels, publishers, and performers, and we expect every Youmus member to do the same. By uploading a track, a voice memo, or any cover art, you confirm that you own it or have the rights you need to share it. Demo culture is no excuse for posting music you did not make: stems, samples, loops, vocals, and beats all belong to someone, and clearing them is your responsibility.

We combine automated audio fingerprinting with in-app reporting to catch blatant rip-offs — full re-uploads of commercial releases, lifted vocals, and obvious copies. Fingerprint matches and member reports are reviewed before action, but uploads that clearly are not yours can be removed at any time, with or without a formal notice.

Reporting infringement

If you are a copyright owner, or authorized to act for one, and you believe material on Youmus infringes your copyright, send a written notice to our Designated Copyright Agent at dmca@youmus.app. To be valid under the DMCA, your notice must include all of the following:

• A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf.
• Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed (or a representative list, if multiple works are covered by one notice).
• Identification of the infringing material and enough information for us to locate it on Youmus — for example, the track URL and the @handle of the uploader.
• Your contact information: full name, mailing address, and email address.
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act on the owner's behalf.

Incomplete notices may delay our response. If you are unsure whether material infringes your rights, you may want to seek legal advice before filing.

What happens after a valid notice

When we receive a notice that meets the requirements above, we will act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the material identified in it. We will then notify the uploader that their content was removed in response to a copyright claim, and we will pass along a copy of the notice (including your contact details, which the uploader needs in order to respond) so they can decide whether to file a counter-notification.

Counter-notification

If your content was removed and you believe that was a mistake or a misidentification — for example, the work is yours, you have a license, or your use is otherwise lawful — you may send a counter-notification to dmca@youmus.app. A valid counter-notification must include:

• Your physical or electronic signature.
• Identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal (the track URL and your @handle).
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification.
• Your name, mailing address, and telephone number, plus consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court for the district where you live (or, if outside the United States, any district in which Youmus may be found), and agreement to accept service of process from the person who filed the original notice.

When we receive a complete counter-notification, we forward it to the original complainant. Unless they notify us that they have filed a court action seeking to keep the material down, we may restore the content in 10 to 14 business days. We are not the arbiter of disputed ownership; this process simply gives both sides their rights under the law.

Repeat-infringer policy

We terminate, in appropriate circumstances and in our sole discretion, the accounts of members who are repeat infringers. Each valid notice that results in a removal counts as a strike against the uploader. Accounts associated with repeated infringement — or with a single egregious violation, such as uploading a catalog of releases that are not theirs — will be terminated, and we may decline to restore them.

Misrepresentations

The DMCA is not a tool for silencing competitors or claiming work that is not yours. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing — or that it was removed by mistake — may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees, incurred by the alleged infringer, the copyright owner, or us. Please only file a notice or counter-notification you believe in good faith to be accurate.

Designated agent contact

Copyright notices and counter-notifications must be sent to our Designated Copyright Agent. Submissions to other addresses may not receive a timely response.