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

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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.

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Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Boosting Income with Effective Youtube Short Strategies

YouTube offers content creators a platform for creating a lucrative career. Of the major developments made in the recent past is the introduction of Shorts. These short vertical videos have grown in popularity as more people view videos on their phones. With this development, the YouTube Shorts fund was launched to reward creators for their efforts. The fund allows creators to monetize their Shorts quickly, supporting and incentivizing them to create high-quality Shorts content. In this article, we will explore the YouTube Shorts Fund 2023, including YouTube shorts fund eligibility.

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Part 1. YouTube Shorts Fund: Introduction and Benefits

YouTube launched YouTube Shorts Funds in 2021 to financially support creators who produce engaging and popular Shorts content. The monetization scheme would distribute $100 million to high-performing creators on the platform. The creators would receive high engagement and views from their Shorts for funding.

The main objective of the YouTube Shorts fund is to encourage creativity, diversity, and innovation in Shorts content creation. The fund operated between 2021 and 2022. It lets creators earn $100 - $10,000 a month for their content.

Participating in YouTube Shorts Funds offer several benefits to the creators:

• Additional Exposure: YouTube Shorts are predominately featured on the homepage, allowing creators to reach more people.
• Recognition: YouTube recognizes top Shorts creators through the Shorts Funding program, encouraging them to create more quality content.
• Potential Earnings: Creators can monetize their Shorts content in several ways including adding and other unique features.

YouTube incorporated monetization of Shorts in its YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Therefore, YouTube merged the Shorts Fund with the YPP in February 2023. This led to YouTube Shorts Fund 2023 which now offers creators more opportunities to make money quickly on YouTube.

Part 2. Making Money with YouTube Shorts: Eligibility and Earnings

The new YouTube Shorts monetization policy means that content creators on YouTube with access to the YPP can also earn from Shorts. The revenue-sharing model has now taken the place of the YouTube Shorts Fund, which only rewarded creators using YouTube’s money. However, creators don’t have to be members of the YPP to start receiving YouTube Shorts funding. They only need to meet certain requirements, make unique content, and adhere to Community Guidelines.

• YouTube Shorts Fund Eligibility
• Additional Steps of Actions to Activate YouTube Shorts Funding
• What the YPP Shorts Fund Entails
• How Much Can You Make with Short

YouTube Shorts Fund Eligibility

As of 2023, YouTube offers Shorts Funding as a monetization option. Creators can also choose to monetize with YPP combined with Shorts Fundings.

The eligibility requirements for Shorts funding include:

• At least 1,000 subscribers
• At least 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days

To become a member of the YPP and start accessing Shorts funding this way, the minimum requirements are as follows:

• At least 500 subscribers (You previously needed 1,000)
• At least 3,000 public watch hours over the last 13 months (You previously needed 4,000)

Additional Steps of Actions to Activate YouTube Shorts Funding

In addition to the basic eligibility requirements, creators are also required to take additional measures to comply with YouTube’s requirements. Additional steps include:

• Ensuring AdSense Account is active and in good standing: Since ad revenue will be paid through AdSense, you need to make sure your account is in good standing.
• Review and Accept the Terms of Shorts Monetization Module: In the YouTube Studio, head over to the Shorts Fund section and click on the Terms and Conditions link.
• Enable Monetization for Individual Shorts: Edit the monetization settings for each Short to start generating ad revenue.
• Comply with YouTube Policies and Guidelines: Visit the YouTube Creator Academy to learn more about the platform’s policies and guidelines.

What the YPP Shorts Fund Entails

The YPP Shorts Fund program includes the following features:

• Watch Page Monetization – Creators earn ad revenue from long-form content, YouTube Premium content, and live streams
• Shorts Monetization Module – Creators earn money from ads that play between YouTube Shorts.
• Commerce Product Addendum – Additional monetization features, including Super Chats. Channel Memberships, Super Thanks, and Super Stickers.

How Much Can You Make with Short s

The amount of money you can make on Shorts often varies. It can be hard to make decent money on Shorts sometimes, and other times it brings in a nice chunk of revenue. Unfortunately, the earnings are not as spectacular as the long YouTube videos. Most creators agree that the revenue per thousand views (RPM) for shorts is around $0.05 - $0.07. This would translate to about $50 - $70 for a million Shorts views. Although the ad revenue is relatively lower, you can generate more revenue with the shopping features. This will depend on how wee you keep your audience active and engaged.

Part 3. How to Use YouTube Shorts Funding: Application and Activation

The process of applying for and activating YouTube Short Funding is simple. You need to accept the Shorts Monetization Module in your terms and conditions. After activating, monetization starts immediately.

Head over to the YouTube Studio. Sign in to your account to accept the terms. Be sure to use a web browser because the YouTube app will not allow you to make these changes. Accept the terms and follow these steps to turn on the ads:

1. Setp 1: Click the Content button at the bottom of the menu in the YouTube Studio
2. Setp 2: Pick the video you want to monetize, and click Edit
3. Setp 3: Select the Earn tab pick on, and choose the ads you want to turn on.
4. Setp 4: Save your settings and the ads will be active.

Part 4. Editing YouTube Shorts for More Revenue with Wondershare Filmora

The best way to earn from the YouTube Shorts Fund is to create quality content. With good video editing software, you can achieve this and build a community of subscribers. Wondershare Filmora is a video editing software that is effective in creating quality Shorts videos. It supports various video resolutions, including vertical videos. It also has some fascinating features that make every creation unique and exciting. Take your overexposed footage to cinema-quality Shorts video that will keep your audience engaged.

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Filmora can help create visually appealing and engaging videos, ultimately increasing the chances of monetization on YouTube. The following features make editing videos on Filmora quick and easy.

1. Auto Reframe

You may have recorded horizontal videos and want to upload them as Shorts. The Auto Reframe feature allows you to automatically resize the video in seconds. You only need to choose the clip you want to resize and reframe it. No editing skills are required to do this.

2. Add Text to Video

Texts tell the audience what is happening in the video. It is also a great way to highlight major events in YouTube Shorts. The Add Text to Video feature on Filmora makes it easy to add text or captions to your videos.

3. Auto Synchronization

When editing Shorts, you will likely add many footage in a short video. It is common for the audio to end up being where it is not supposed to. The Auto Synchronization feature is the ultimate audio sync. It effortlessly matches your audio with the video, making sure viewers see what they hear

4. Mask & Blend

Creativity is a major component of YouTube Shorts content. The Filmora Masking and Blending mode helps you make creative video clips. It comes with a pen tool for creating free-form shapes on the go. Make your videos more impressive to your audience.

5. Auto Beat Sync

With YouTube Shorts, you need to entertain your audience in under a minute. A combination of visual and audio elements makes the video more entertaining. The Auto Beat Sync feature matches the footage with the music automatically. Be sure every beat corresponds to the scene.

Conclusion

The YouTube Shorts Fund offers an exceptional for creators to make additional income on the platform. Although the original Funds program has been updated with the latest monetization policy, creators can still generate nice revenue amount. As a creator, you need to publish quality and highly engaging content. With Wondershare Filmora, you can create content that will generate more revenue on the Shorts platform. The video editing software offers fantastic features that make video editing quick and fun.

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