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highplainsdem

(55,314 posts)
Thu Mar 20, 2025, 08:07 PM Mar 20

Watch out for altered videos on YouTube

And I don't mean just the AI slop that's more and more common there, with music from AI tools like Suno and Udio, whose use is sometimes identified in the YouTube description or credits at the end of the video, but not always.

And I'm not talking just about video of live performances that an artist or record label might decide to "improve" with autotune, either, sometimes many years after that performance was recorded. I do hate that, and I posted a couple of threads about how much Fil - Wings of Pegasus - hates it:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1034104347

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1034114593

But one site I wanted to mention in particular is the YouTube account for Smurfstools Oldies Music Time Machine, which has a lot of classic rock. Lots of TV appearances, where that YouTuber replaced audio he didn't like with another recording of the song, such as the studio track. I ran across that account a couple of years ago when they posted what was supposed to be video of Golden Earring performing Radar Love on The Midnight Special, but they'd replaced the audio of that performance with the studio track.

I was reminded of the account today when SheltieLover posted video from it of the Tremeloes' Silence Is Golden.

The reason given for changing the audio is changing mono to stereo, which they think is an improvement even if they swap out a live performance for a studio track.

From the description of the account at https://youtube.com/@smurfstoolsoldiesmusictimemach/videos

Stereo remixes by Sammy unless noted otherwise as being by staff members or contributors to this channel.
We strongly do not recommend other channels re-uploading our creative work and/or copying our mixing/editing techniques to YouTube as there will be a conflict that will result in our filing a copyright claim.
We provide classic video music clips from the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's and occasionally the 1980's. We are dedicated in improving your viewing and listening pleasure by editing, restoring and remastering vintage film clips. Enjoy!


I don't consider this sort of change particularly creative or an improvement. It isn't the actual TV appearance. But a lot of people will assume it is, if they don't read the digital version of fine print.

I'd remembered that smurf image on their Golden Earring video, and their name, so I guessed that what SheltieLover had posted earlier wasn't what she thought it was. What most people surfing YouTube would have assumed it was.

It's usually a good idea to look at the full YouTube description (click "more" in the section under the video title) to see how much info there is on that particular video.
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Watch out for altered videos on YouTube (Original Post) highplainsdem Mar 20 OP
Ty, HPD SheltieLover Mar 20 #1
Yvw, Sheltie! highplainsdem Mar 20 #2
Ty! SheltieLover Mar 20 #3
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