Guidelines for Effective Use of CC Licenses

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.

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Richard Bennett

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

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Deciphering the Code: YouTube Community Rules Explained

YouTube has become more than an entertainment now. Most content creators are using the platform to earn and bring their skills to some use. Good knowledge of YouTube Community Guidelines would work in the long run.

The article introduces the YouTube Community and covers how to make community posts on YouTube. Additionally, stay tuned to find out how to get the community tab on YouTube. So let us begin!

Part 1: What is YouTube Community?

Before getting into YouTube community posts, it is crucial to understand what YouTube Community is and how it affects the content creators. The YouTube community is an extensive range of viewers or followers that one needs to grow their channel. Creating a connection with the viewers helps because you have loyal followers; you have got it all.

It is because the trusted followers would go above and beyond to share your content to their social media accounts and give you instant feedback. YouTube community tab works like a charm for creators to engage with the audience. They can use YouTube community posts such as polls, ask questions, use GIFs, and interact with the community.

Part 2: How to Make A Community Post on YouTube?

The first question to arise in one’s mind revolves around how to make a community post on YouTube. The community post YouTube helps in interaction with the general public and community. To make community posts YouTube via computer and mobile device, follow the guidelines below in detail.

Community Post YouTube Via Computer

The steps below shall help the reader to make a YouTube community post through the system.

Step 1: Launch YouTube from your browser and log in to your account. Now, click on the “Upload” button located at the top right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Tap on “Create Post” and type the message in the textbox. You can insert an image, GIF, or video as required. Now, pick the type of post.

Step 3: Hit “Post” afterward. The “Community” posts can be accessed from the “Community” tab in your account channel.

Community Post YouTube Via Mobile Phone

To know How to make community posts on YouTube mobile, follow the guidelines below:

Step 1: Launch the YouTube application from your iPhone or Android. Hit the “Create” icon that looks like a video camera located in the top right corner.

Step 2: Click on “Create Post,” add the post to the textbox and upload any required media. Choose the type of post and tap “Post.”

Part 3: How to Get Community Tab on YouTube?

The vital concern to be addressed in this section spins around how to enable a community tab on YouTube. On October 12, 2021, YouTube updated the policy that stated that a channel must have a minimal 500+ subscribers to get community tab YouTube.

Before October, the threshold for subscribers used to be 1000+. Now it has been reduced so that most channels can communicate and engage with the audience. The content creators can access the community tab on YouTube faster by following some pointers and tips.

For once, they can interact with the audience more and find ways to keep them in a loop. It creates a strong community of followers and subscribers. To do so, the account owners can reply to every comment, ask different questions, and pin the best comments. Additionally, you can ask for feedback and opinions in the comment tab to enable the community tab on YouTube.

Ask people their take on a certain stereotype, have a tip from viewers that can be shared with the community, and how they want to see the future. It also makes the community ponder upon the cruel realities of the world and express themselves out loud. You can also make more quality content videos to be a part of the community for good.

Part 4: How to Make Good Use of Community Tab on YouTube?

The users know how to get the community tab on your YouTube channel and how to post community posts on YouTube. It is time to know how to make good use of the community tab on YouTube. Having this knowledge shall help the new and old content creators to use their skills and bring good to the world.

So, without wasting any time, let us begin the process.

Showcase Behind the Scenes and Bloopers

Most viewers crave authenticity more than ever. The regular videos and updates on a channel and scripted and well-crafted, so there is no window for error. However, upload your life updates and BTS scenes from video production to engage the audience and use the community tab to its full potential.

Cross Channel Promotion Process

The community tab helps promote your various vlog or podcasts. It means that you can support new creators in the market and establish a cross-channel promotion network. Engaging with other creators helps the audience know about your community tab YouTube.

Use Teasers and Promos

Using different teasers and promos plays a significant role in developing the well-deserved hype for the show or video. It compels the audience to stay tuned to whatever the channel is bringing to the table. Moreover, the time between working on the video and uploading it can be filled by teasers that promote the upcoming project big time.

Exceptional and Planned Giveaways

Giveaways appear to be a devious plan to lure in the audience. However, if your content is worthy enough to stick around, you don’t need to worry much. Therefore, plan a giveaway and set some rules for it. The circle of interest is widely enhanced using this tactic from the platform of community tab on YouTube.

Hosting Q/A Sessions

Another effective way to use the YouTube community tab to its full potential revolves around hosting a Questions and Answer Session. The general public likes to relate to the bloggers and influencers and know about them. A Q/A session sparks the connection between the two where the viewers ask different personal and professional questions.

It is a huge possibility that you gain new followers, and they stick to the way you communicate and give importance to your subscribers.

Ask for Inspiration and Video

The most common practice of renowned content creators is to engage the audience and ask them for inspiration in the following video. You can ask your subscribers what they want to see you act on and what topic should be covered. Do not hesitate to use polls and gauge interest in general and stereotypical subjects.

Conclusion

YouTube has become a one-stop shop for watching impeccable content and earning through the creation of media. It is vital to know YouTube community guidelines to work better and efficiently.

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02 How to Make A Community Post on YouTube?

03 How to Get Community Tab on YouTube?

04 How to Make Good Use of Community Tab on YouTube?

Part 1: What is YouTube Community?