Thanks for your replies.
I did not purchase tracks- just found them on youtube and didn't think there would be an issue...now I'm stumped as to what I can do if I want to sing with music?! I'm pretty sure I've watched others sing to karaoke in youtube videos but perhaps they are just taking chances...?
Setting the legalities and technicalities aside, here's what is likely to happen in real life.
You record the thing - the studio doesn't care...they take your money.
You put it on youtube and you get a matched content notification and the option to appeal. Don't appeal - you don't own the material.
You acknowledge that there's 3rd party copyright and everyone has a happy life.
This is simply youtube letting you know that there is copyrighted material. It's not coming from the copyright owner or anything like that.
That outcome seems to be the most common, in my limited experience, but it is possible for a copyright owner to request that youtube have it blocked in certain countries, or removed.
If the latter happens, you get a strike.
As I understand it Youtube is 3 strikes and you're out.
I've posted maybe 10 covers on youtube, all recorded from scratch. Youtube has immediately identified all of them (felt pretty good about that
) but nothing happened beyond that.
Some have been up for 4-5 years.
Soundcloud is good fun. I've posted plenty of covers up there and never had an issue.
On the other hand, I've posted material that I co-wrote, produced, released, and registered with royalty collection agencies, only to have Soundcloud remove it on copyright grounds! lol
I had to appeal it and tell them who I was.
Hope that's useful.