Is Square Enix Music DMCA Safe? answered

With the release of the Square Enix Music Channel on YouTube, content creators are wondering if the music posted on the channel is fair to use and DMCA safe. Square Enix has always upheld its copyright in music and has frequently sent cease and desist letters to content creators who use its music without permission. Most YouTube fan channels featuring Square Enix music shut down due to copyright strikes.

Even with the official music channel, it’s doubtful that Square Enix will change stance and suddenly make its music DMCA-safe. This means that any music from any of the games published on YouTube is not being used fairly, and that includes all Final Fantasy and Neir titles.

Square Enix has released lengthy music sessions on its music channel that serve as low-frequency tracks that people can listen to while working. One video is called Airship Cruise Beats and the other is called Mellow Minstrel Mix. Both sessions are DJ remixes of classic songs from Square Enix games. Sometimes companies release lo-fi music sessions for public use, especially when the music used in the sessions is provided by fans. For example, Riot Games has two music sessions based on League of Legends, and Riot specifically states that the music can be used by creators “without concerns about copyright strikes.”

Square Enix does not mention whether its music sessions are fair use. At the end of the video description in both Square Enix sessions it says that all rights are reserved by the company. It’s probably not a good idea to use music from the Square Enix Music Channel assuming it’s DMCA safe.