Streamlining Your Personal Library: From Spotify, To YouTube Music

Do you want to transfer your playlist to YouTube Music from Spotify? After all, there are some significant advantages to using the former over the latter. For one, YouTube Music offers a broader range of songs and videos without ads.

Though Spotify is a widely used music streaming app, its many limitations for non-Premium members have driven users to look for alternatives. For example, 30-second ads that play every 15 minutes and the inability to skip songs are among the app’s most frustrating features.

So, if you’re ready to convert Spotify playlists to YouTube Music, let’s get started!

Recommendation And Guidance For Using The Playlist Transfer Tools

With Spotify and YouTube Music, you can access millions of songs and playlists at the click of a button.

But what if you want to move your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music? Luckily, the following 5 best tools can help you to do just that.

Name	Price	Transfer amount limit	Speed	Compatibility
Playlist Buddy	Free	250 songs per playlist.	1 minute	YouTube and Spotify
TuneMyMusic	Free	1,000 tracks	38 seconds.	Spotify, Itunes, Apple Music, Nanpster, YouTube, Deezer, Tidal, Google Play Music, and Amazon Music
Soundiiz	Free	200 tracks	26 seconds.	Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL, and more
Playlist Converter	Free	unlimited	Slow processing	YouTube Music, Spotify, PLS, Deezer
SongShift	Free	Unlimited	40 seconds	Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, Discogs, and more

Playlist Buddy

Playlist Buddy is a free-to-use online tool that is fully dedicated to converting your Spotify playlist to YouTube within a minute. The program is quick, easy, and simple- so there’s no excuse not to try it out!

Key Features

• Transfers playlists one-by-one
• Free to use
• Compatible with YouTube and Spotify
• Can convert your lists to a CSV file

Limitations

• Cannot be used for other music streaming services
• Limited to only 250 tracks per playlist

How To Use?

To transfer your Spotify Playlist to YouTube Music using the Playlist Buddy, do the following steps:

Step1 First, open a browser on your PC and visit the “Playlist Buddy” site. Click “Login to Spotify.”

Step2 Now, click “Agree” to provide access to your account information. Click the “Sign in YouTube” button and log in to your account.

Step3 Select your Spotify playlist, click “Convert Playlist,” and Playlist Buddy will start transferring your Spotify to YouTube playlist.

Tune My Music

Tune My Music is another free tool that offers 96% accuracy while converting your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music. With this platform, you can transfer up to 1000 tracks at a time in just a few seconds.

Key Features

• Intuitive interface and workflow
• Can transfer playlists in batches
• Transfers tracks in 38 seconds
• Synchronizes two playlists from two different music services
• Backups your songs

Limitations

• Does not transfer playlists/tracks in order
• No playlist descriptions

How To Use?

The following steps will help you use the TuneMyMusic platform to convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music:

Step1 Visit the Tune My Music website using your browser and click the “Let’s Start” option.

Step2 On the “Select The Source” page, choose “Spotify” as your source and sign in to your account.

Step3 Now, load your Spotify playlist or paste its URL from your account. Click “Next: Select Destination” on the next page and choose “YouTube Music” from the given options.

Finally, click “Start Moving My Music” to convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music.

Click here

Soundiiz

If you want to quickly and instantly convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube, Soundiiz is the right solution for you! This tool is free and compatible with multiple musics streaming services.

Key Features

• 98% accuracy while transferring songs
• Fast transfer of playlists between many platforms
• No app download is required
• Excellent UI

Limitations

• Transfers albums, artists, and liked songs only in the premium version
• Can only transfer 200 tracks

How To Use

Follow these steps to convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube music using Soundiiz:

Step1 In the first step, visit the Soundiiz website and click the “Start Now” option.

Step2 Select the “Sign in with Spotify” option from the list to log in to your account and click “Access” to provide permission to access your details.

Step3 Select “YouTube Music” from the left-side panel and click “Connect.” Now, sign in to your account.

Step4 Now, open the “Transfer” tab, choose “Spotify” as a source, and go to “Playlists.” Choose the Spotify playlist and click “Confirm and Continue.”

Step5 Configure your playlist and click the “Save Configuration” option. Next, click “Confirm” and choose “YouTube Music” on the next page to convert your Spotify to a YouTube playlist.

Playlist Converter

Playlist Converter allows you to take your favorite Spotify playlists and convert them to YouTube Music, Apple Music, Google Play Music, or Amazon Music.

This handy platform is easy-to-use and only takes a few minutes to convert your favorite playlists.

Key Features

• Converts to multiple music sources and file formats
• Available for free
• Unlimited transfers
• No registration is required

Limitations

• Not much accurate
• It takes time to process

How To Use?

To use the Playlist Converter tool for converting Spotify playlists to YouTube Music, follow these steps in sequence:

Step1 Visit the Playlist Converter website using your browser and go to the “Spotify” tab.

Step2 Click “Log in with Spotify” and sign in to your account. Make sure to provide access to your details.

Step3 Select your Spotify playlist and click “Export to YouTube Account.” Next, click the “Login With YouTube and Export the Playlist” option and sign in to your account.

Playlist Converter will fetch your playlist details and transfer them to your YouTube account.

SongShift

SongShift is an iOS app that allows you to transfer your songs between music streaming platforms. It’s an excellent way to keep all your song tracks in one place, no matter where you prefer to stream them.

The app is easy to use and only takes a few steps to get started!

Key Features

• It lets you fix mismatches
• Excellent user experience and interface
• Transfers tracks to multiple music streaming platforms
• Unlimited song transfer

Limitations

• Only available for iOS devices

How To Use?

Here’s how you can use the SongShift app to convert your Spotify playlist to your YouTube Music account:

Step1 Open the App Store on your iOS device, install the SongShift app and launch it.

Step2 On the app’s main page, tap “Connect Your Music” and go to the “Music Services” page. Select “Spotify” and click the “Connect” option.

Step3 Now, sign in to your Spotify account and tap the “Plus” icon at the bottom of the screen.

Step4 Tap the “Setup Source” option under New Configuration and choose “Spotify” as the source service.

Click here

Next, tap “Playlist” under the “Select Media Type” header and find your Spotify playlist.

Step5 Afterward, tap the “Setup Destination” option and select “YouTube Music.” Now, choose your destination type and tap “I’m Finished” to start transferring your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music.

Bonus Video Tutorial: Another Way To See the Music - Audio Visualization Effects

Hopefully, this article helped resolve your query, and you can now quickly transfer all your favorite playlists from Spotify to YouTube Music.

Besides, before the end, we want to show you another exciting way to feel the music - Audio Visualization Effects. The effect will intelligently match the sound in your video while also adding dynamic effects. You can try it in a user-friendly video editor Filmora . If you want to know more about the effect and how to realize it with Filmoea, please watch the video we specially prepared for you below.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

This comprehensive guide recommends the 5 best tools to help you convert Spotify playlists to YouTube Music. In addition, we’ve provided a step-by-step process of using each tool, its key features, and its limitations to help you make the right decisions.

Playlist Buddy

Playlist Buddy is a free-to-use online tool that is fully dedicated to converting your Spotify playlist to YouTube within a minute. The program is quick, easy, and simple- so there’s no excuse not to try it out!

Key Features

• Transfers playlists one-by-one
• Free to use
• Compatible with YouTube and Spotify
• Can convert your lists to a CSV file

Limitations

• Cannot be used for other music streaming services
• Limited to only 250 tracks per playlist

How To Use?

To transfer your Spotify Playlist to YouTube Music using the Playlist Buddy, do the following steps:

Step1 First, open a browser on your PC and visit the “Playlist Buddy” site. Click “Login to Spotify.”

Step2 Now, click “Agree” to provide access to your account information. Click the “Sign in YouTube” button and log in to your account.

Step3 Select your Spotify playlist, click “Convert Playlist,” and Playlist Buddy will start transferring your Spotify to YouTube playlist.

Tune My Music

Tune My Music is another free tool that offers 96% accuracy while converting your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music. With this platform, you can transfer up to 1000 tracks at a time in just a few seconds.

Key Features

• Intuitive interface and workflow
• Can transfer playlists in batches
• Transfers tracks in 38 seconds
• Synchronizes two playlists from two different music services
• Backups your songs

Limitations

• Does not transfer playlists/tracks in order
• No playlist descriptions

How To Use?

The following steps will help you use the TuneMyMusic platform to convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music:

Step1 Visit the Tune My Music website using your browser and click the “Let’s Start” option.

Step2 On the “Select The Source” page, choose “Spotify” as your source and sign in to your account.

Step3 Now, load your Spotify playlist or paste its URL from your account. Click “Next: Select Destination” on the next page and choose “YouTube Music” from the given options.

Finally, click “Start Moving My Music” to convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music.

Soundiiz

If you want to quickly and instantly convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube, Soundiiz is the right solution for you! This tool is free and compatible with multiple musics streaming services.

Key Features

• 98% accuracy while transferring songs
• Fast transfer of playlists between many platforms
• No app download is required
• Excellent UI

Limitations

• Transfers albums, artists, and liked songs only in the premium version
• Can only transfer 200 tracks

How To Use

Follow these steps to convert your Spotify playlist to YouTube music using Soundiiz:

Step1 In the first step, visit the Soundiiz website and click the “Start Now” option.

Step2 Select the “Sign in with Spotify” option from the list to log in to your account and click “Access” to provide permission to access your details.

Step3 Select “YouTube Music” from the left-side panel and click “Connect.” Now, sign in to your account.

Step4 Now, open the “Transfer” tab, choose “Spotify” as a source, and go to “Playlists.” Choose the Spotify playlist and click “Confirm and Continue.”

Step5 Configure your playlist and click the “Save Configuration” option. Next, click “Confirm” and choose “YouTube Music” on the next page to convert your Spotify to a YouTube playlist.

Playlist Converter

Playlist Converter allows you to take your favorite Spotify playlists and convert them to YouTube Music, Apple Music, Google Play Music, or Amazon Music.

This handy platform is easy-to-use and only takes a few minutes to convert your favorite playlists.

Key Features

• Converts to multiple music sources and file formats
• Available for free
• Unlimited transfers
• No registration is required

Limitations

• Not much accurate
• It takes time to process

How To Use?

To use the Playlist Converter tool for converting Spotify playlists to YouTube Music, follow these steps in sequence:

Step1 Visit the Playlist Converter website using your browser and go to the “Spotify” tab.

Step2 Click “Log in with Spotify” and sign in to your account. Make sure to provide access to your details.

Step3 Select your Spotify playlist and click “Export to YouTube Account.” Next, click the “Login With YouTube and Export the Playlist” option and sign in to your account.

Playlist Converter will fetch your playlist details and transfer them to your YouTube account.

SongShift

SongShift is an iOS app that allows you to transfer your songs between music streaming platforms. It’s an excellent way to keep all your song tracks in one place, no matter where you prefer to stream them.

The app is easy to use and only takes a few steps to get started!

Key Features

• It lets you fix mismatches
• Excellent user experience and interface
• Transfers tracks to multiple music streaming platforms
• Unlimited song transfer

Limitations

• Only available for iOS devices

How To Use?

Here’s how you can use the SongShift app to convert your Spotify playlist to your YouTube Music account:

Step1 Open the App Store on your iOS device, install the SongShift app and launch it.

Step2 On the app’s main page, tap “Connect Your Music” and go to the “Music Services” page. Select “Spotify” and click the “Connect” option.

Step3 Now, sign in to your Spotify account and tap the “Plus” icon at the bottom of the screen.

Step4 Tap the “Setup Source” option under New Configuration and choose “Spotify” as the source service.

Next, tap “Playlist” under the “Select Media Type” header and find your Spotify playlist.

Step5 Afterward, tap the “Setup Destination” option and select “YouTube Music.” Now, choose your destination type and tap “I’m Finished” to start transferring your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music.

Bonus Video Tutorial: Another Way To See the Music - Audio Visualization Effects

Hopefully, this article helped resolve your query, and you can now quickly transfer all your favorite playlists from Spotify to YouTube Music.

Besides, before the end, we want to show you another exciting way to feel the music - Audio Visualization Effects. The effect will intelligently match the sound in your video while also adding dynamic effects. You can try it in a user-friendly video editor Filmora . If you want to know more about the effect and how to realize it with Filmoea, please watch the video we specially prepared for you below.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Conclusion

This comprehensive guide recommends the 5 best tools to help you convert Spotify playlists to YouTube Music. In addition, we’ve provided a step-by-step process of using each tool, its key features, and its limitations to help you make the right decisions.

Understanding & Implementing CC Licenses Wisely

How to Use Creative Commons Copyright Licenses [Complete Guide]

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

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.

Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

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.

Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

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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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.

Edit Video with the Most Excellent Video Editor

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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