Misleading “Free Music” That Leads to False Copyright Claims
I’m a YouTube creator who downloaded music that was clearly listed as “Free for commercial use – No attribution required” on Pixabay Music. The track was uploaded by a user who linked to Tunetank’s website, claiming it was royalty-free and safe for use in monetized videos. Shortly after publishing my video, I received a copyright claim from Tunetank Inc. / SourceAudio Holdings LLC, stating that the same track now belonged to them under a completely different name. This is a classic bait-and-switch tactic — they publish music as “free” on stock-music sites like Pixabay, then later use YouTube’s Content ID system to flag it and push creators toward their paid “whitelisting” or subscription services. It’s deceptive and unfair to honest content creators. If you’re a YouTuber, streamer, or small creator, avoid using Tunetank’s music entirely — even if you see it listed on free platforms. What looks like a free resource can end up costing you monetization or even your channel reputation. Free should mean free, not a trap to funnel you into a $7/month “fix” after the fact. I’ve filed a dispute with YouTube and reported this as potential Content ID abuse. Be careful, and spread the word so other creators don’t fall into the same trap.