I think when Dave uploaded his video first, it was rejected due to the music.
a) Can the video be rejected because of copyrighted music?
Yes, but not always.
YouTube uses Content ID to detect copyrighted audio. Depending on the rights holder’s rules, the video might be:
- Blocked worldwide or in some countries → looks like “Video blocked” / “Rejected”
- Muted automatically in regions where the copyright applies
- Allowed but monetized by the rights holder (your video stays up, but they get the ad revenue)
A full rejection/complete block usually happens when the copyright owner does not allow reuse of the music at all.
b) Could YouTube suggest removing or replacing the audio and re-uploading?
Yes, and even easier: YouTube often allows fixing it without re-uploading.
YouTube’s “Copyright” tab in YouTube Studio can offer options such as:
- Mute the copyrighted segment
- Replace the music with a track from YouTube’s audio library
- Trim out the affected parts
In most cases, you do not have to re-upload the whole video.
But if you prefer, you could remove the audio track locally and re-upload a clean version—youTube doesn’t forbid that.
The red notice in your screenshot — “Audio removed for copyrighted music” — is not something YouTube normally overlays on its own. YouTube usually shows its own small banner or text under the video player (“This video contains copyrighted content…”) or mutes certain sections silently.
Why they did it that way
Probably because:
- The original upload was blocked or claimed in a way that prevented it from being visible.
- YouTube’s built-in tools (mute segment / replace audio) might not have worked well, or the whole soundtrack was copyrighted.
- Re-uploading gave them more control and a clearer message for viewers.
Is this allowed?
Yes. Uploaders are allowed to:
- remove or replace audio,
- re-upload the edited video,
- add their own annotations explaining why the sound is missing.
As long as the new upload contains no copyrighted audio, it complies with YouTube’s copyright policies.
But there are bunch of other footages of the same event with original music.
YouTube does not treat all copyrighted music the same. Different rights-holders set different rules, and that’s why:
- Some videos with event music stay up with no problem
- Some get claimed but remain visible
- Some get blocked
- Some trigger a full takedown (rare)
- Some let you mute or replace audio
- Some require re-uploading, as in the example you mentioned