How do I license a video or film?

You license only what you own. A Creative Commons license covers the material you hold copyright in. Every third-party element in your video needs its own permission, or your license does not apply to it. Audit every component before you choose a license.

Build The Full Inventory

Write down every element: the video footage you shot or created, any still images or graphics, the music track, spoken word or narration, text overlays, and any embedded clips from other works. For each element, ask who owns the copyright. If you shot the footage yourself, you are the copyright holder. If an employee shot it under a standard employment contract, the employer owns the rights. Confirm the contract. If a freelancer or collaborator contributed, get a written assignment or a license that allows you to sub-license under CC terms. Without that written permission, you cannot apply a CC license to their contribution.

Clear The Music Rights First

Music synchronisation is expressly Adapted Material under the 4.0 legal code. Combining music with moving images creates an adaptation. You need permission from the music copyright holder. A CC license on your video does not cover the music unless you also hold the rights to that music or have a license that permits synchronisation.

Get Written Performer Releases

Performers, actors, voice artists, musicians have separate rights under copyright and, in many jurisdictions, performer's rights or neighbouring rights. Written releases from every identifiable performer are required before you apply a CC license. If you used stock music or a royalty-free track, read the exact terms of that track's license. Confirm it allows redistribution under CC.

Once you own or have clearance for every component, attach the license notice directly to the video. The notice must include the exact license and version, for example, CC BY 4.0, a link to the license deed or legal code, the creator name and attribution parties you designate, a copyright notice, and a warranty disclaimer if you choose to include one. For a video uploaded to a platform like YouTube or Vimeo, put the full notice in the description field. Do not rely solely on a platform's built-in CC badge. YouTube's CC option historically defaulted to CC BY. Verify the platform's current help page and include the full written notice in your description. The platform's badge does not guarantee the correct version or confirm coverage of all components.

What The 4.0 License Requires

Below is a complete notice you can adapt and paste into your video description. Replace the placeholders with your actual details. The TASL mnemonic, title, author, source, license, is a useful shorthand but not the complete legal requirement under 4.0. The 4.0 attribution clause requires the creator and designated attribution parties, a copyright notice, a notice referring to the license, a warranty disclaimer (if supplied), and a URI or hyperlink to the material where reasonably practicable. Include all of these.

Paste This Notice And Fill It In

Example notice: "Sunset Over The Harbour" by Jane Smith is licensed under CC BY 4.0. © 2025 Jane Smith. No warranty is made for this work. Source: [source URL]. License: the official CC BY 4.0 deed. Modifications: colour graded. Third-party elements: background music "Ambient Waves" by Alex Lee is used with permission under a separate license; performers have granted written release. If you adapt this video, retain this notice and indicate your own changes.

Preserve Every Original Credit

If your video includes a clip from another CC-licensed work, preserve the original attribution notices from that work. Under 4.0, you retain earlier modification notices and add your own. Do not remove or hide the original creator's name, license reference, or source link. If you combine multiple CC-licensed clips, each one's notice must remain accessible. A consolidated credits section is reasonable provided the mapping from each clip to its credit is clear and the credits are readily accessible. Do not place the credits behind a paywall or require a login to view them.

Check Licence Compatibility

If the third-party clip uses a NonCommercial or NoDerivatives license, check that your intended use, sharing the combined video, is permitted by that license. ND blocks sharing an adaptation; NC blocks commercial use.

If you cannot obtain a release from a performer, permission from a music copyright holder, or a compatible license for a third-party clip, you have three options. Remove the element entirely. Replace it with material you own or that carries a CC license permitting your intended use. Or do not apply a CC license to the video at all. Distribute it under a standard all-rights-reserved notice instead. Attempting to license a video under CC while including unlicensed third-party material does not extend the license to that material. It may expose you to a copyright infringement claim. The 4.0 license operates only where you control the rights; it does not grant you the right to sub-license someone else's work.