Super Smash Bros Ultimate Music Leaks Lead to YouTube Account Deletions
By Jason Fanelli ·
Two promiment video game music YouTube channels are facing deletion after uploading previously unreleased Super Smash Bros Ultimate songs before the game's release.
A retail leak of Super Smash Bros Ultimate two weeks before its release date has indirectly led to the suspension of two prominent YouTube video game music channels found to be uploading previously unreleased music.
Crunchii and Dystifizer were both struck with multiple copyright claims after uploading the music, in some cases uploading extended versions of songs that Nintendo had not previously revealed. Over 20 copyright claims were filed on Crunchii’s account alone, showing that Nintendo meant business with these preemptive uploads.
Crunchii tweeted about the fate of his channel in two-tweet thread, which you can read below:
For those wondering, I have 21 Copyright Strikes right now. This will probably go higher. You can probably guess why. The odd part is that I've been given strikes for songs from the older Smash titles too.
— Fallen Crunchii (@Crunchiitastic) November 25, 2018
I do not have access to my channel's settings anymore as a result.
My other channel that I used before for gaming is okay, that will be unharmed. I will not be using it though.
— Fallen Crunchii (@Crunchiitastic) November 25, 2018
The two channels combined sported over 140,000 unique subscribers, dealing a swift blow to the video game music community. While Crunchii has stated he’s leaving YouTube and shared a friend’s channel where his music will hosted (as it’s released), Dystifyzer has already announced plans for a return to the platform:
I have also been copyright striked and the Dystifyzer YouTube channel will be deleted in 7 days. I knew the risks when uploading a soundtrack 2 weeks early, but I didn't want to be left behind other uploaders. Tough luck.
— Dystifyzer (@Dystifyzer) November 25, 2018
Look I get these two knew the risks in uploading these tracks, and in Dystifyzer’s case he’s reached out to Nintendo to make amends, but even still this was a really foolish decision on both accounts. 70,000 followers a piece is nothing to sneeze at, and for those to be thrown away in an instant because they “didn’t want to be left behind other uploaders” just gives those other uploaders the advantage of not having to compete with these two anymore. Crunchii in particular was practically goading Nintendo on with his channel’s banner image:
Hopefully lessons have been learned and future endeavors will be treated differently, but in the meantime let this be a lesson to all YouTube channels out there: do not mess with copyright laws. It could cost you everything in a drop of a hat...or in this case, 21 copyrighted hats.