Can I use Creative Commons music in a video?

You can use Creative Commons music in a video, but only if the specific license matches what you plan to do. The condition that catches most video creators is NoDerivatives. Under the 4.0 license suite, synchronising music with a moving image is expressly Adapted Material. That changes the permissions. Whether your video is allowed depends entirely on which of the six CC 4.0 licenses the track carries, and the decisive exception is ND. Always check the official license terms on the source page, not on a platform filter or a repost.

The moment you place a music track behind a sequence of images, you create adapted material. Version 4.0 makes this explicit: synchronising a sound recording with a visual work is an adaptation requiring copyright permission. The license already grants that permission, but only if it allows adaptations.

The six CC 4.0 licenses fall into two groups. Licenses without ND, CC BY 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-NC 4.0, and CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, all permit adaptations. Licenses with ND, CC BY-ND 4.0 and CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, do not permit sharing adapted material. You may make a private synchronised video for yourself under an ND license. You cannot upload it to YouTube, Vimeo or any other public platform. That single rule is the decisive exception.

Format-shifting alone does not count as an adaptation. Converting a 44.1 kHz WAV file to a 48 kHz MP4 does not trigger adaptation rules. Cropping, excerpting, editing or combining with other works might or might not create an adaptation depending on your jurisdiction's copyright law. Only the 4.0 legal code gives you the categorical answer for synchronisation. If you are uncertain whether your edit crosses the line, treat it as an adaptation and test the license against that assumption.

Before you hit render, decide whether your video is an adaptation or a collection. A collection keeps separate works separate, unchanged songs in a playlist video, for example. Each work retains its own license. The collection's overall license does not replace them. An adaptation modifies the original work in a way that requires copyright permission. Synchronised music with moving images is an adaptation under 4.0.

If your video is a collection of separate works, the ND condition on a music track does not block the collection itself. The collection is not an adaptation of that track. But if you cut the music to match scene changes, fade it under dialogue or overlay it with a voice track, you have adapted it, and ND stops you from sharing the result.

When ND Blocks Your Video

CC BY-ND 4.0 says: you may share the unadapted work, including for commercial purposes, but you may not share adapted material. You may make adaptations for private use. A synchronised video shared on a public platform is an adaptation shared. That is not permitted. The video must stay on your hard drive.

When SA Changes the License You Must Use

CC BY-SA 4.0 and CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 add the ShareAlike requirement. If you synchronise music under one of these licenses and share the result, you must apply the same SA license (or a formally compatible license) to the entire video. The official compatibility list from Creative Commons controls this; you cannot invent a compatible license. The adapter's license covers the contribution you added, the images, the editing, the narrative, while the original music remains under the original CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Attribution notices for both the music and your own work must remain clear.

Getting Attribution Right

Every CC 4.0 license requires attribution. For a video, use a credits screen or a description box that lists the track title, creator name, source URL and the exact license with a link. Indicate that you modified the track by synchronising it with visuals. Including the work's title is good practice, though 4.0 does not require it separately. If the licensor requests removal of attribution, you must do so where reasonably practicable.

When NonCommercial Blocks Your Use

The NonCommercial condition under 4.0 defines NC as not primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or monetary compensation. The identity of the user, business, nonprofit or individual, does not decide the issue alone. If your video contains advertising, drives traffic to a paid product or is itself monetised, the NC condition likely blocks the use. Advertising, sponsorship and internal business use require context; you cannot assume a bright-line rule. If your video has material commercial risk, get separate permission from the music creator or obtain local legal advice.

Adapter's License Consequences

When you synchronise CC BY-SA 4.0 music into a video, the ShareAlike requirement forces you to license the entire video under CC BY-SA 4.0 (or an officially compatible license). The official compatibility list from Creative Commons currently names one-way compatibility from BY-SA 4.0 to GPLv3 for adapted material. This does not turn a CC license into a software license; it is specific to the adapted material context. Choose a different license for your video and you violate the SA condition. The license terminates automatically. The 4.0 termination mechanism gives you 30 days after discovery to cure the breach by correcting the license choice, but liability for the period of violation may remain. Express reinstatement by the licensor is a separate route.

Two inputs with incompatible SA conditions can block the entire project. Synchronising CC BY-SA 4.0 music with CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 footage creates a compatibility conflict unless you license the whole video under a license that satisfies both. The official compatibility chart is your only reliable guide. Do not assume two SA licenses work together.