Choosing the Right License for Your YouTube Upload: Standard YouTube vs Creative Commons

Uploading content to YouTube can be a powerful way to share your creativity with the world, but it's important to choose the right license for your upload. If you've used images from Pexels and music from the YouTube Audio Library, you might wonder whether the Standard YouTube License or the Creative Commons license is the best option for you. In this article, we will explore the differences between these two licenses and help you make an informed decision.

Understanding the Standard YouTube License

The Standard YouTube License is the default license for all uploads to YouTube. This means that your video is subject to YouTube's Copyright Content Policy and Community Guidelines. Under this license, YouTube retains certain rights to monetize your content, and it provides a straightforward method to manage content blocks and take down reports.

Key Features of the Standard YouTube License

Monetization: YouTube can potentially monetize your video with ads, which means you can earn money from your content. Content ID: This system helps to manage content blocks and take down reports, ensuring that your content is protected. No Attribution: By default, the creators of the video will not be required to attribute or credit the original creators of the images or music. Scale: This is the most widely recognized and used license on the platform, ensuring compatibility with other videos and content.

Understanding Creative Commons Licenses

If you want to give more freedom to the users who want to use your video, you can choose a Creative Commons (CC) license for your content. These licenses are flexible and allow for different levels of distribution, adaptation, and use.

Key Features of Creative Commons Licenses

Attribution (CC BY): This requires that the original creator (you) be attributed in all uses. This license is often used for educational and research purposes. Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC): This allows others to share, use, and adapt your work non-commercially, but again, you must be credited. Attribution-NoDerivatives (CC BY-ND): This allows for the redistribution of your work as-is, but no derivative works can be created. Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA): This allows for the creation of derivative works, but any new work must also be licensed under the same terms as the original. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA): This combination of the two licenses allows non-commercial use and sharing under the same terms. Attribution-NoDerivatives-NonCommercial (CC BY-ND-NC): This allows for non-commercial redistribution of your work, but no derived works can be created.

Your Situation: Using Pexels Images and YouTube Audio Library Music

You've already mentioned the use of images from Pexels and music from the YouTube Audio Library. Let's break down what this means for your video upload:

Pexels Images

Pexels images are available under a Creative Commons Zero license (CC0), which effectively puts the content into the public domain. This means anyone can use the images without credit or attribution, and you do not need to worry about the same for Pexels images. However, you should still double-check the specific license terms for any individual images, as they can vary.

YouTube Audio Library Music

When using music from the YouTube Audio Library, you are allowed to use the song for both your personal and commercial projects as long as you attribute the song and artist properly. This aligns with the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which means you must give credit to the original creators of the music.

Which License to Choose?

Given your situation, you can choose a Creative Commons license, particularly the Attribution (CC BY) or Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) licenses, because:

It aligns with the licenses of both Pexels and the YouTube Audio Library. This ensures that you are complying with the terms under which you obtained the images and music. It allows for maximum flexibility and reusability of your video content. Other creators and users will have the freedom to share, use, and even modify your video as long as you, as the creator, are given proper credit. It can help you reach a wider audience, as more people will be able to use your content for their projects without restrictions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Do I need to credit the original creators of the images and music if I choose a Creative Commons license?
A: Yes, if you choose any Creative Commons license (except for the NoDerivatives (ND) and NonCommercial (NC) variants), you must give proper attribution to the original creators of the images and music. This is a mandatory requirement of the Creative Commons licenses.

Q: Can I monetize my video if I choose a Creative Commons license?
A: Yes, you can still monetize your video under a Creative Commons license, but the terms of the specific license you choose might limit the types of uses where monetization is allowed. For example, under the Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license, monetization might be restricted to certain circumstances.

Q: Can I use the Standard YouTube License if I use images from the YouTube Audio Library?
A: Technically, you can use the Standard YouTube License even if you use music from the YouTube Audio Library, as long as you attribute the music as required by the terms (attribution given but no commercial usage allowed). However, if you want to align with the more permissive terms of the Creative Commons licenses, it would be more appropriate to use a Creative Commons license.

Conclusion

When uploading your video to YouTube, the choice of license is crucial. While the Standard YouTube License offers simplicity and monetization possibilities, the Creative Commons license provides greater freedom and flexibility. Given your use of images from Pexels and music from the YouTube Audio Library, using a Creative Commons license is the most appropriate choice as it aligns with the licenses of the sources you've used and maximizes the potential reuse of your content.