Using someone else's footage can save hours, but it can also cost you a copyright claim, a strike or a lost video. This page covers the rules YouTube explains in its help pages. It is general information, not legal advice.
What Creative Commons means on YouTube
YouTube's license types page says uploaders can choose between the standard YouTube license and a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY). If the uploader applies CC BY, other creators can reuse the video, subject to the terms of that license. Using work under CC BY means you must give the creator credit.
Two important details from the same page:
- A video can only get the CC BY label if all of its content can be licensed that way. That includes the uploader's own original work, content released under CC BY and public domain content.
- If a video has a Content ID claim, the uploader cannot mark it CC BY.
YouTube also says it cannot grant you the rights to content that is already on YouTube, and it cannot help you find the people who can. That research is yours to do.
How to find and credit Creative Commons footage
- Type what you need into the Free and CC Footage Finder.
- Open the first card. It searches YouTube with the Creative Commons filter on.
- Open a clip you like. Scroll to the description and check that it really says Creative Commons Attribution.
- Check the video itself for things that are not the uploader's, such as popular music, a film clip or a brand logo. The CC label does not clear those.
- Fill in the attribution helper with the title, the author, the source link and the license. Copy the credit line.
- Put the credit in your video, as a text overlay or a spoken line, and in your video description.
YouTube's page lists what a credit should include: the title of the work, the author, the source (a URL) and the license, such as "is licensed under CC BY."
Other places the tool searches
The finder also opens searches on Pexels, Pixabay, Wikimedia Commons, the Internet Archive and Mixkit. Each has its own license, and these are not all the same:
- Some need no credit, some ask for it.
- Some limit certain uses, such as selling the clip alone or using people's likenesses.
- Public domain material can still include parts that are not in the public domain, like a music track.
Read the license on the clip's page every time. The tool can send you to the right place, but it cannot check a license for you.
Can I monetize a video with CC footage?
YouTube's page says you can monetize content under a Creative Commons license if the license gives you the right to use it commercially. Some owners also ask for credit or proof of purchase for commercial use. Read the terms.
What about fair use?
Fair use is a legal defense, not a permission. YouTube's fair use page says courts decide each case on its facts, and lists four factors: the purpose of the use, the nature of the work, how much is used, and the effect on the market. It also says that giving credit does not by itself make something fair use, and that phrases like "no infringement intended" give no automatic protection. If you rely on fair use, get legal advice.
What the tool does not do
- It does not verify licenses or tell you a clip is safe.
- It does not download videos. This toolkit has no video or audio downloader.
- It cannot see whether a CC clip contains someone else's music or footage.
- Search results are only as good as the source sites.
FAQ
Can I use any YouTube video if I give credit?
No. Credit alone is not permission. You can reuse a video if it is under a Creative Commons Attribution license and you follow its terms, or if you have permission from the owner.
What does CC BY mean?
It means you may reuse the work if you give the creator credit. On YouTube, "Creative Commons" refers to this CC BY license.
How do I credit a Creative Commons video?
Include the title, the author, a link to the source and the license, for example: "Clip title" by Author (link) - licensed under CC BY. The tool writes this for you.
Does Creative Commons footage mean I can't be claimed?
No. A claim can still happen if the clip includes someone else's material, such as music. Check the clip and be ready to dispute a wrong claim.
Is it free to use Pexels and Pixabay clips?
They are free to use under their own licenses, which are not the same as Creative Commons. Read the license on each site.