ABOUT WATH

What is We Are The Hits?

WATH or We Are The Hits, is a service that allows content creators to license covers that they perform in a legal way!

When will I be able to use WATH?

If you’re reading this then it’s waiting in your Freedom! dashboard for you! However, to use it, make sure you’re fully partnered with us and that you’ve signed up for WATH.

Does WATH work for other platforms besides YouTube? 

Currently, WATH only works on YouTube.

How do I know if WATH is available in my country?

We Are The Hits is able to license service to you globally!

Do I need to create a WATH website account to use the service?

No. It’s actually very easy to use, you just need to login first. Just follow these steps:

1. Login to your Freedom! Dashboard.
2. Click in the “Music Library” menu and then, under it, select “We Are The Hits”.
3. On the top right side of the page, you will see a login area.
   
   
4. Click "Login to We Are The Hits" and if you have a partnered channel the WATH website will shows you already as logged in.
   
   
   
   

To login on my WATH account do I need to go through my Freedom! account?

Yes, because your WATH account is connected to your Freedom! Account.

How do I check if a song is available in WATH library?

It’s actually quite simple. After you have logged in to your WATH account, click on “Search Library” at the top of the page. You will be able to search by song title, name of the artist, and more.

Will my video be claimed if I use WATH?

Yes. This allows WATH to send some of the ad revenue to the rights holders and redirect some back to you rather than you losing it all to another claim type or, even worse, losing your channel to strikes!

What is the revenue share Freedom! has for partners that use WATH?

Freedom! pays you a 90% revenue share of your WATH earnings.

How/when do I receive my WATH earnings?

By default, Freedom! pays via PayPal, with no minimum payouts. WATH pays quarterly. Below is the WATH payment schedule:

• October, November, December earnings are paid on February (Feb 28th/Feb 29th)
• January, February, March earnings are paid on May (May 31st)
• April, May, June earnings are paid on August (August 31st)
• July, August, September earnings are paid on November (November 30th)

When I sign up to WATH through Freedom! do I need to fill out tax forms?

You shouldn’t be asked to fill out a W8 (tax form) if you sign up through Freedom! However, if you are presented with a message like this please email support@wearethehits.com with details about where, and when you saw this as well as your WATH account information. They should be able to guide you on how to fix this situation.

Where can I see earnings for my YouTube cover songs through Freedom and WATH?

Earnings can be seen on your WATH account page. In addition, the Freedom! dashboard will have this functionality soon!

Can I monetize cover songs on my youtube channel from before I started using WATH?

If you already have a video on your channel, DO NOT upload it again via WATH. Doing so creates a duplicate, and your original video blocks the duplicate. When you join WATH and want older videos claimed, simply search their library to see if a song is cleared for monetization. You can do this by clicking the “Search Library” menu at the top of the site. Make a list of links to the videos that have songs cleared for monetization and send those links to info@wearethehits.com and their team will claim them. Also make sure to let them know, in the subject of the email, that you’re using the service through Freedom!

When I log into my WATH account, I don't see any views on my video or that it is making money, but it's been watched many times. What's going on?

If you uploaded the video to WATH system properly, they are tracking and monetizing it. The reason you don't see anything is because all that data is not in real time. They base those figures from the monthly YouTube report.

If you sent WATH links to claim instead of uploading to their site, you won't see the videos listed in your account for the same reason, however the process takes longer since they have to manually match the video to your account and the composition.

I'm looking at my channel and all my covers have a grey $ after WATH claimed it. Why isn't my video monetized?

Actually, the video is being monetized by WATH and not your channel, which is why you don't see a green $. If you are still concerned, please email support@wearethehits.com and include a link to the video in question.

What if my covers are already claimed by someone else?

We Are The Hits cannot unclaim YouTube videos for you. Freedom! suggests using these as promotion to help people find your legally licensed covers so you can indirectly monetize them that way.

I made a cover song with a friend and we both uploaded it on our channels can we both send it to WATH and have it monetized?

Yes! However it’s important to know that your friend will need to license the video as well, The best way to do this is to decide between the two of you which of you will upload the video first and send that through the WATH upload system while the secondary uploader sends the cover through the email support@wearethehits.com with an explanation of the situation.

Are remixes allowed with WATH's cover song system?

That depends on how you define "Remix" a genre bend is fine, or a mashup of an instrumental cover and a vocal one, however, if you are using any part of the original (vocals or instrumental) that's in no way a "cover".

Some people generally define genre bending as a type of remix. Here is one example of something that is a cover and possibly seen as a remix in some peoples eyes. Here's another example at 3:39 where the artist is swapping between "under pressure" and "let it go". Here's another example where the artist is singing 5 songs at the same time in his own arrangement.

All of the above are perfectly fine as long as all songs are listed with WATH on upload BUT the below are not ok because they use portions of the original work making them true remixes rather than covers.

• This one uses large parts of the source materials.
• This one uses the vocals from the source.
• Same with this one.

What happens when I authorize WATH to automatically upload my video for me, on Step 3 of the Uploading page?

To make sure your videos are immediately monetized, the best way is to authorize WATH to upload the video automatically to your channel, which is done when you arrive at step 3 of the upload process.

Many issues arise when you choose not to do this, such as copyright claims, strikes, and the like. If you do authorize WATH, you will get a pop-up message from YouTube stating, "Authorization will be used exclusively for this purpose (uploading). WATH will never have access to your Google login credentials." WATH cannot manage your channel or access it in any way. Don't fear the automatization of uploading! Also, you can schedule exactly when you want your video to be published.

How long does it take for a video to upload through WATH?

Typical processing time depends on the size of the video and number of items in the queue. A good estimate is about 15 - 30 minutes. If you experience a longer time, go ahead and upload the video directly to your channel, then send an email to support@wearethehits.com with the link(s) so that they can confirm it is monetized.

I have a video that is a medley/mash-up of songs. How do I upload that?

It's very easy to upload them in the WATH system. If it's a new video that isn't already on your channel, follow these steps on how to upload the video.

Note: You can repeat this process until all songs in your video are added.

1) Enter a song, it doesn’t matter what order it is in the video, and click the +Add button on the left side:

2) After the first song is added, you can delete what you put in the song and artist fields. Once cleared, type the second song information:

3) Click +Add on the correct song. Repeat as necessary.

4) Fill in the remaining information on the upload page and you’re all set! IMPORTANT: You can only do this if ALL songs are cleared for monetization. If you plan on monetizing your covers using WATH, make sure to do your research and see if your song(s) are covered. ALL tracks must be listed in the WATH library.

If the video is already on your channel, search their library and confirm that ALL of the songs in your video are cleared for monetization. If they are not, WATH can't claim and monetize it for you. If they are, send the link to info@wearethehits.com and they'll claim them for you :)

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What can happen if I do covers without a license?

We’re not lawyers but the team over at legalzoom put together this piece where you can learn more about the topic.

Are cover songs on YouTube protected under a mechanical license?

NO. For YouTube you’ll need a synchronization license because, generally, you’re synchronizing the music with images.

What license do you need for a cover song video?

You need a sync license for cover song videos posted to YouTube. If you plan to sell or distribute a cover on other platforms you may also need a mechanical license. We suggest contacting an entertainment lawyer with questions should you have any.

Are cover songs fair use?

We’re not lawyers, but, the general consensus seems to be no. Here’s a paper that looks into that further.

What is an original cover video?

An original cover video is when you perform a song you didn't write without the use of a master recording as a backing track.

If you play a recording you didn't make (or hired someone to make for you) and sing over it, you probably shouldn't upload it to WATH. If you're unsure, you can always email WATH at info@wearethehits.com to confirm the music you're using won't cause a copyright strike.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please make sure to reach out to our support team by clicking in the "Submit a request" link at the top of this page.