How to Turn Off Remix on YouTube Shorts, and What Happens?
Your Shorts are open to remixing by default. Here is the YouTube Studio setting that limits it, and what YouTube Help says happens to remixes already made from your video.
4 min read
Summary
How to turn off remix on YouTube Shorts: sign in to YouTube Studio, click Content in the left menu, click the Short's title or thumbnail, click Show more, find "Shorts remixing", choose not to allow remixing and click Save. YouTube Help says this stops future video remixes, and remixes already made from your Short are affected too.
Are your Shorts open to remixing by default?
Yes. YouTube Help says Shorts you create are automatically opted in to remixing. Other creators can then use tools like Cut, Green Screen and Collab to sample a video segment, or use your audio with "Use this sound". Remixes are credited back to the original video with a link, so remixing can also send new viewers your way.
What are the steps in YouTube Studio?
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer.
- From the left menu, click Content.
- Click the title or thumbnail of the Short or video.
- Scroll down and click Show more.
- Find "Shorts remixing" and choose whether to allow remixing.
- Click Save.
YouTube Help adds that the "Shorts remixing" preference can also be edited in bulk and set when you upload, so you do not have to change videos one at a time.
What can a regular creator block, and what needs Content Manager?
A regular channel can opt its Shorts out of video remixing through the steps above. YouTube Help says partners with access to YouTube Studio Content Manager can opt content out of both audio and video remixing, and that restricting remixing for all videos in Content Manager is done by contacting a partner manager.
What happens to remixes that already exist?
According to YouTube Help, limiting remixing in YouTube Studio notifies the creators who remixed your video, and:
- Audio remixes are muted, set to Unlisted and scheduled for deletion in 30 days.
- Video remixes are deleted.
The same happens if you delete your video, or blur or trim it in YouTube Studio. Restricting remixing also stops any future remixes from being created. The remixing creators get an email, and views their Short already earned still count toward their lifetime views.
Should you turn remixing off?
That depends on why you want it off. YouTube says remixes link back to the source video, and you can measure the effect: in your reach reports, sort by the "Remixed video" traffic source to see views from visual remixes. If that number is helping, leaving remix on may be worth it. If remixes misuse your content, turning it off is the official control. YouTube also sends one summary notification a day, up to three times a week, when your video is remixed, so you can keep an eye on it either way.
Why can't people remix some Shorts anyway?
YouTube Help lists cases where visual remix is not available. For example, visual remix features are not available for Shorts that have third-party claims, and private videos or content claimed by copyright owners who have not made it available for Shorts can be unavailable for remixing.
FAQ
Does turning off remix delete my Short?No. It changes who can sample your Short. It is the remixes made by other creators that get muted or deleted.
Can I turn remix off for many Shorts at once?Yes. YouTube Help says the "Shorts remixing" preference can be edited in bulk.
Can I block people from using my Short's audio?YouTube Help says regular channels can opt out of video remixing, while Content Manager partners can opt out of both audio and video remixing.
Will I know when someone remixes my Short?Yes. YouTube sends a notification, with at most one summary a day and up to three a week.
Related
Sources
Lab evidence
What I found running this
Facts checked on 28 Oct 2026 against the YouTube Help page on creating Shorts with remixed content (computer and Android versions) and the Shorts remix eligibility page listed in Sources. We did not change the Shorts remixing setting on a real channel or watch what happened to existing remixes ourselves; every step and outcome here is quoted from YouTube Help, and YouTube can change the menus.
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