Instagram currently holds a comfortable spot in the top 5 most used social media apps across the globe, being a digital photo album of sorts giving users the ability to upload photos and videos of their daily lives and such.
But just like any other social media platform, Instagram also has its fair share of issues.
Instagram videos being blocked in some countries is the topic in question today. While not necessarily being a bug or an internal problem within Instagram, it’s still quite a common issue users face more often than not.
One of the most prevalent reasons why Instagram blocks videos in some countries is because you used Instagram Music.
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The music is copyrighted and the record company has blocked it in certain countries.
In this post, Iâll go over why your instagram videos are blocked in some countries and global blocks in greater detail. Plus, Iâll show you how to appeal and prevent videos from getting blocked.
Why Does Instagram Block Videos When Using Instagram Music?
Instagram music, in short, is a native tool within the app/site that allows users to apply music from a select library chosen by Instagram, to stories theyâd wish to make.
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But if the music is natively provided by instagram themselves, there shouldnât be an issue, right?
WRONG.
Though Instagram does indeed offer the music itself, that doesnât mean they own the song outright.
The rights holders have set specific licensing agreements with Instagram in order for them to continue the distribution of copyrighted music onto the social media platform.
On Instagramâs own Updates and Guidelines page, it is mentioned that people should follow a few general guidelines when using Instagram Music.
- Music in stories and live music performances are allowed.
- The higher the number of full-length recorded tracks in a video, the more likely it may be limited.
- Shorter clips of music are recommended for this reason.
- There should always be a visual component to your video; audio should not be the focus.
It is also mentioned that there are only 90 countries that have Instagram music available for use. So by default, the video is blocked in other countries.
The list is bound to grow as time goes on but until then weâll just have to wait and see.
But countries that have the feature available arenât entirely safe either, some Record Labels tend to block their music from being shared/distributed to some countries.
This Reddit post shows an example of what I mean. Most people get their videos blocked in 71 countries.
What Should You Do?
Even if you follow these guidelines to the letter it is not guaranteed that your video will not be blocked in some countries.
The only way to have your video returned back to normal, if it does end up getting blocked, is by submitting a dispute.
Submitting a dispute allows whatever company or record label that issues the claim to review your video and have it judged within 7 days.
Or if you donât want to risk getting your account suspended, you have the option to delete the video entirely.
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Other Reasons Why Instagram May Block Videos
Instagram also tends to block videos that may violate their community guidelines, and since 90+% of users donât even bother reading the Terms of Use when creating an account they donât really know why their videos keep getting blocked.
After a not-so-thorough research I found that there are a handful of reasons why Instagram may be blocking your videos, them being:
Posting Inappropriate Videos
Instagram strictly prohibits uploading videos that may contain violence, nudity, or se*** interactions, in order to protect the younger user base on the platform.
Even the slightest slip-up may result in your video being blocked or in the worst case your account may be suspended or perma-banned.
Video May Have Been Reported
Other users on the platform are able to report your video as spam if it contains topics such as hate speech, violence, pornography, etc. or anything that offends them.
If the video receives a lot of reports, Instagram will ban the video.
An automated email is sent to you if your video has been blocked due to it being reported.
Copyright Infringement
Like most other social media platforms, Instagram is also plagued with infringement issues.
Meaning, if you were to upload a video that contains copyrighted music or imagery Instagram is obligated to take it down if requested by the owner or producer of said products.
It’s an even bigger problem if your account is a Business account, as using competitive products in your marketing in some countries is not allowed.
Government Censorship
In some countries, Governments tend to censor, influence, and restrict a lot of social media platforms, especially in Asia and in Eastern Europe.
They mostly do this when a state of panic ensues within the country due to various reasons such as terrorist attacks, rebellion against the government and so on and so forth.
If this is the case, you will be blocked from even accessing Instagram – not just videos.
How To Appeal To Instagram If Video Is Blocked
If you believe that you have not violated any guidelines or have enough evidence showing that you were wrongly punished, there is a way to have your video unblocked.
Step 1: Go into the notifications menu on your Instagram.
Step 2: Locate the message saying âyour video was removed because of X reasonâ sent by Instagram and click on it.
Step 3: Click on âI agreeâ and type in your signature in the text box below Electronic Signature (Your username or public name on Instagram should work).
Step 4: Now click on the Appeal button and wait for about 24 hours for a response from Instagram.
How To Prevent Instagram Videos Getting Blocked
If you want to prevent instagram videos blocked in some countries – DONâT USE Instagram MUSIC. Use royalty-free, open-source music.
You can easily find high-quality Royalty-Free material on the internet, and using it in your own videos is entirely legal and will cause you no infringement issues within Instagram or any other social media platform.
For Royalty-Free music, you can use a site like Epidemic Sound and use Pexels for videos.
Here are a couple of other ways to prevent different types of Instagram blocks:
Giving Credits
If you have uploaded a video with copyrighted material without knowing, you can either ask for the original ownerâs permission to use their material in your video or give them full credit for the material used in the video.
Slightly editing the material used can sometimes work but if the creator or original owner were to still find out, they can report your video and get it removed or get your account suspended.
Work Around Government Censorship
Well, it’s a bit complicated you see. You can escape government censorship with the help of a VPN or a good proxy.
However, even those are heavily restricted in countries like China and North Korea which are known for their over-the-top government influence and censorship of the media broadcast in the country and whatever social media the populace uses.
If the censorship and restrictions have been put in place due to political reasons or acts of terrorism, you will most likely have to wait till the restrictions have been lifted by the government itself.