Using Creative Commons Assets In Your Productions

Securing quality media assets—like video B-roll, photos, artwork, and music—is a crucial part of any production. For many creators, this means purchasing licenses from stock sites like Getty Images or subscribing to libraries such as Shutterstock or Storyblocks. But if you’re working on a tight budget, these costs can quickly add up.

While public domain media is a great free alternative, the selection can be limited in both quantity and quality.

This is where Creative Commons licenses come in. They offer a powerful, free solution for accessing a vast library of media, as long as you understand the conditions attached to their use.

What Is a Creative Commons License?

Founded in 2001, Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that provides a standardized framework for creators to share their work. Unlike public domain works, which have no copyright, Creative Commons assets are still protected by copyright. The original creator simply grants permission for others to use their work under specific terms, typically requiring proper attribution.

Creative Commons licenses give creators a simple way to answer the question, “What can I do with this work?” They offer different tiers of permissions, from very open to quite restrictive.

The Seven Types of Creative Commons Licenses

Creators can choose one of seven licenses to apply to their work. They are listed below from most to least permissive.

• CC0 (Creative Commons “Zero”): This is the most permissive license. The creator gives up all copyright, effectively placing the work in the public domain. You can use it freely for any purpose without any conditions.

• CC BY (Creative Commons BY Attribution): This is the most common Creative Commons license. You are free to use, adapt, and build upon the work, even for commercial projects, as long as you give credit to the original creator.

• CC BY-SA (Creative Commons BY, Share Alike): You can use this work in any way you want, including commercially, as long as you credit the original author and apply the exact same license to your new project.

• CC BY-NC (Creative Commons BY, Non-Commercial): You can use this work in any of your projects as long as you give credit to the creator and your project is not for commercial or for-profit use.

• CC BY-NC-SA (Creative Commons BY, Non-Commercial and Share Alike): This license combines the two previous conditions. You must give credit, your project must be non-commercial, and you must apply this same license to your new work.

• CC BY-ND (Creative Commons BY, No Derivatives): You can use this asset in your project, commercially or not, as long as you give proper attribution. However, you are not allowed to adapt, remix, or edit the original work in any way.

• CC BY-NC-ND (Creative Commons BY, Non-Commercial and No Derivatives): This is the most restrictive license. You can use the asset for free, but you must give credit to the creator, you cannot alter the original work, and your project must be non-commercial.

Applying and Attributing a License

If you're a creator, you can apply a Creative Commons license to your work as long as you are the legal copyright holder. Once you publish your work with a license, it cannot be revoked. This means if you release an asset under CC BY and someone uses it, you cannot later change your mind and apply a more restrictive license to that work retroactively. So, choose your license carefully.

To apply a license, simply state it clearly with the work. For example, you can include it with a copyright notice: "© 2024. This work is licensed under a CC BY License." It's also a good practice to include a link to the official Creative Commons website for more information.

When you use a Creative Commons asset, providing attribution is straightforward. You should credit the author, name the work, provide the source, and declare the specific license used. You can put this information in a video description, end credits, or a caption.

Creative Commons is a fantastic resource that empowers artists to share their creations and helps new creators find the assets they need. You can find licensed media by using the official search tool at search.creativecommons.org.

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