![[Updated] How to Use Creative Commons Copyright Licenses [Complete Guide]](https://thmb.techidaily.com/2d4ed2db997a07df0abbc5f08371a080eeac3562475afaa223146d9d0657f5f7.jpg)
[Updated] How to Use Creative Commons Copyright Licenses [Complete Guide]
![](/images/site-logo.png)
How to Use Creative Commons Copyright Licenses [Complete Guide]
How to Use Creative Commons Copyright Licenses [Complete Guide]
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
You might have noticed that, when you post a video, you get to choose how you want to copyright it: standard license, or creative commons. You’ve also probably noticed that when you looking for royalty-free music or stock footage a lot of it is licensed through creative commons.
So, what exactly are creative commons ?
To hold the copyright to a creative work means that you own it, and anybody who wants to use your work for anything (i.e. uses a song you composed in their YouTube video) has to do so on your terms. When you license your work through creative commons you do not give up your rights to your creative work (a common misconception).
When you use a creative commons license you are outlining the terms under which other creators are allowed to use your creations in their projects for free if they credit you for your work.
If you do not want anyone using your work for free in any context, you stick to traditional copyrighting.
But if you’ve created a piece of music, a photograph, or a clip that you wouldn’t mind other people using, potentially as a way to get your name out there, you might want to consider creative commons.
There are 6 different creative commons licenses. Which is right for you will depend on your answers to these two questions:
Are you okay with a creator making money off of something they create using your work?
Are you okay with a creator producing a derivative of your work?
To say ‘no derivatives’ is to say ‘I’m okay with people using it, so long as they don’t change it’. One example of a derivative is a techno remix of a song. If you are alright with other creators making derivatives of your work, you may also want to require them to ‘ShareAlike’. ShareAlike means that the creator of that techno remix of your song has to use the same creative commons license you used for your original to distribute the remix.
An example of a derivative someone might make of a YouTube video would be auto-tuning it to make a song or cutting up your video to make one that’s just ‘the funny parts’.
Here are the 6 creative commons licenses, and a chart you can use as a quick reference tool.
Attribution – CC BY
If you’re using music or other media with this license, all you need to do is credit the artist.
If you license your video this way, people can do whatever they like with any element of it (video or sound) so long as they credit you. I.e. if someone wanted to mute your clips and use you as stock footage in a bigger project, they could.
Attribution-ShareAlike – CC BY-SA
If you use music, photos, or any other media licensed this way, then you must both credit the artist and license your video this same way. Meaning, you can’t use YouTube’s standard license and must instead allow for others to use your work the way you are using the licensed media.
If you apply this license to your video, you’re saying you don’t mind people using all or portions of your video for their project so long as they allow others to use their work in the same way.
Attribution-NoDerivs – CC BY-ND
This one can get tricky.
Essentially, you can use media licensed this way so long as you don’t alter it or create a different version. For example, you can’t take a song licensed this way and use it in a mashup with another song. That part is clear. Where it gets tricky is when you want to use a song in your video.
Under normal copyright rules, using a royalty-free song in the background of your video would not count as creating a derivative. The definition of derivative according to creative commons is a bit broader and includes ‘syncing’. This means you can’t take an ‘Attribution-NoDerivs’ song and create any kind of music video for it.
For example, you can’t edit clips of yourself snowboarding so that they’re in sync with a song that has this license.
Whether or not you can play the song in the background of your vlog while you are speaking can be a bit of a grey area. In theory, it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you’re accessing the music through a social site like SoundCloud then it might be best to ask the artist first.
There’s no reason to license your YouTube videos this way. If people cannot alter your video, all that’s left is for them to repost it. Even though they’d also be crediting you, they’d still essentially be stealing views and ad revenue from your original video.
Attribution-NonCommercial – CC BY-NC
If you’re using stock footage, music, or stock photos licensed this way then you should still be able to monetize your video. YouTube monetization and commercial use are different things. However, there is a lot of confusion about this issue, and chances are the rights holder intends for this license to mean ‘no monetization’.
What you definitely could not do with a NonCommercial license is to use the song/other media in an actual commercial for a product, including product placement that a brand is paying you for.
If you license your video this way, people can use it in whatever way they like so long as they credit you and don’t try to make money off of it. Once again, that doesn’t mean they can’t use it in a YouTube video which they monetize because, technically, they’d be making money off of the ad that ran ahead of the video and not the video itself.
The thing to be careful of with this license is that it’s not ‘ShareAlike’. So, if you license your video this way somebody could use your clips as stock footage and then provide them - as part of their project – for free to a third person to use in a project they were making money off of.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike – CC BY-NC-SA
Music and other media with an ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’ license can be used in and altered for your videos, so long as you aren’t making money off those videos. You must also use this same license for the video you create using elements licensed this way.
If you license your video this way, people can use it or a portion of it in their project if they credit you. They must also use this same license for their video if they do. This protects you from the situation where a third person who never licensed your original content is making money off of it.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs – CC BY-NC-ND
There aren’t many situations where you would be using media licensed this way in your YouTube videos. You can’t alter it, sync videos to it, or make money from any video that uses it.
You also probably shouldn’t use this license for your videos. ‘NoDerivs’ means there are not many ways people could use your content, except to repost full videos and steal your views.
Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Also read:
- [New] 2024 Approved Advanced Techniques for YouTube Shorts and Mp4 Exportation
- [New] Earning Mastery in Streams A Comprehensive Review for 2024
- [Updated] In 2024, 10 Best Intro Maker Apps for iPhone and Android
- [New] Amplifying Audio and Visual Quality in Your YouTube Videos for 2024
- [New] The Ugly Side of Digital Video Profits
- [New] In 2024, Discovering the Most Innovative Youtube Channel Names A Vlogger's Must-Have List (Maximum Length 156 Characters)
- [New] The Complete Setup Scoop Easy YouTube Tech for Starters
- [New] In 2024, Edit Like a Pro with Any of These Top 7 Free Options
- [New] In 2024, Aesthetic Alchemy Transforming YouTube Videos
- [New] How to Make a Thumbnail for Your YouTube Free Easily!
- [Updated] 2024 Approved Discover 9 Affordable Online Editors for YouTube
- [New] 2024 Approved Binge-Watching to Billions Jake Paul's Video Venture
- [New] Unleashing Potential The Best SEO Practices for Your YouTube Videos
- [New] Top Listings of YouTube Partner Opportunities and Advertisements
- [Updated] In 2024, Expert-Endorsed ASMR Microphones Unveiled
- [New] 2024 Approved Crafting Engaging Content with Google Trends Analytics
- [New] 2024 Approved Delving Into YouTube's Complex Calculation of Viewer Stats
- [Updated] In 2024, Ascending with Expertise Mastering The Art & Science of ASMR Production
- The Ultimate Compilation Budget-Friendly Editing Tools for 2024
- Pro Gamers' Top 5 Soundtrack Devices for 2024
- Perfect Visual Experience on YouTube with Professional Techniques for 2024
- [New] In 2024, Enhancing Video Content Top Formats on YouTube
- [Updated] Maximizing Online Exposure on YouTube by Keeping Up Creative Commons Usage
- Optimize Video Sharing Preferences on YouTube for 2024
- [Updated] Spotlight Solutions The Top 17 Vlog Gear Lists
- Online Video Hubs Picking Between Vimeo, YouTube & Dailymotion for 2024
- [New] 2024 Approved Dissecting YouTube's Operational Model Post-Upload
- [Updated] Elevating Your Content's Impact An In-Depth Look at YouTube Thumbnail Size for 2024
- [Updated] The Role of Green Infrastructure in Revitalizing Cities
- [Updated] Unveiling the Best No-Money Video Editor Picks
- [New] YouTube's Essential View Total to Secure Income
- [New] 2024 Approved Expert Conversion Tools for Video Content
- [New] 2024 Approved Affordable Options Selecting the Right Cam for Your Needs
- Ranking 8 Real-Time Strategies to Grow YouTube Success for 2024
- [Updated] Scriptwriting 101 for Aspiring YouTube Producers
- 2024 Approved Video Tag Management Made Easy Top Editors for Windows and Mac
- In 2024, Uniting OBS & Zoom for Professional Streams
- [Updated] Winning Over Viewers The Top 20 Must-Try TikTok Caption Strategies for 2024
- How To Leave a Life360 Group On Realme 11 5G Without Anyone Knowing? | Dr.fone
- 2024 Approved Streamlined Online GIF Conversion for Videos (Top 5)
- In 2024, Tailor-Made YouTube Music Mixes A Stepwise Technique for Web/Mobile Users
- New The Complete Handbook to Adding Auditory Elements to AE Projects, Revised for 2024
- In 2024, Why Your WhatsApp Location is Not Updating and How to Fix On Apple iPhone X | Dr.fone
- Updated The Ultimate Guide to 4K Proxy Video Editing Top Apps for 2024
- Advanced Movie File Management - Six Tips for the Modern User in Windows 11 for 2024
- 2024 Approved From Blurry to Brilliant Top Video Enhancement Tools
- Updated In 2024, Watermark-Free Video Editing Top 10 Online Tools You Need to Know
- In 2024, Making Sense of Virtual Reality's Promise and Peril
- The Ultimate Zoom Expertise for Improved Google Meet Visibility
- How To Simulate GPS Movement With Location Spoofer On Realme 11 Pro? | Dr.fone
- Giggle Genesis App for 2024
- [New] How To Fix OBS Studio Drop Frames Issue, In 2024
- How To Fix Auto Lock Greyed Out on iPhone 13 mini | Dr.fone
- [Updated] Precision Editing Embedding Times in Video Posts
- Complete guide for recovering contacts files on X100.
- [New] 2024 Approved Installing Social Media Adding Snapchat to Your Mac
- Captivating Audiences Instagram's Personalized Quest-Style Lives
- Audio Improvement for Effective Online Communication
- [New] 2024 Approved The Future at Your Fingertips – MyCam's Video Recorder Examined
- How To Record Your Computer Audio in Audacity
- [New] In 2024, Essential Guide Leading Video Editing Tools (Android/PC)
- In 2024, Ratio Mastery Uncovering the Secrets of 16X9 Calculators
- In 2024, How to Change Lock Screen Wallpaper on Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- [New] In 2024, Unleash Premium Zoom Audio Quality with Simple Adjustments
- New The Art of Slow Motion How to Create Stunning Videos on Kapwing for 2024
- Title: [Updated] How to Use Creative Commons Copyright Licenses [Complete Guide]
- Author: Kenneth
- Created at : 2024-06-05 10:03:51
- Updated at : 2024-06-06 10:03:51
- Link: https://facebook-video-footage.techidaily.com/updated-how-to-use-creative-commons-copyright-licenses-complete-guide/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.