Navigating to the Shadows of YouTube Videos

You may have noticed that some videos in your YouTube playlist are unavailable. This is because the platform allows content creators to categorize their videos into public, private, or unlisted based on their preferences.

To help you uncover the content that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, we’ve compiled a detailed guide to show you how to find YouTube hidden videos. We’ve also explained why so many unlisted videos are now labeled as private.

So, let’s get started with our guide without any further delay!

4 Types of Videos on YouTube

Firstly, let’s learn about the background of the types of YouTube videos. YouTube videos fall into the following four broad categories:

Public Videos: YouTube contains videos on many themes and topics. It makes it impossible to watch all uploaded content under a specific category.

So, whenever you search for a video or theme, a list of content is displayed in the search result: “Public Videos.” It means that they are visible to everyone around the globe (depending on the terms and conditions). Moreover, you can share, like, unlike, download, or add these videos to your playlists for later watching.

Private Videos: Private videos on YouTube can only be seen by people invited by the person who uploaded the video. This means that only those with access to the video’s shareable link can watch it.

Private videos are not visible to the public or to people who are not logged into YouTube. Hence, it is a great way to share sensitive or personal information with a select group.

Unlisted Video Unlisted videos on YouTube are not publicly visible on the site. They can only be seen by people who have the URL. This category works as a bridge between private and public videos. It is accessible only through sharable links without appealing in any YouTube public playlist or search result.

You might upload an unlisted video to YouTube if you do not want everyone to see it. However, you still want to share it with specific people, like your friends or family. You might also use an unlisted video to test out a new idea before making it public on the video-sharing platform.

Age-Restricted Videos: Age-restricted videos on YouTube are not suitable for all audiences. It may contain content that includes violence, profanity, sexual content, and other inappropriate material. YouTube requires that users be at least 18 years old to view these types of videos.

If you search on YouTube and come across an age-restricted video, you will be asked to confirm your age before viewing its content.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos

Now that we’ve learned about the four types of YouTube content, let’s discuss how you can find unlisted YouTube videos:

How To Find Other People’s Unlisted YouTube Videos?

Since unavailable videos in YouTube playlists are hidden from general public viewers, you cannot find them on YouTube or Google search results.

However, the following workaround can help you watch these YouTube videos without facing much trouble:

Step 1: First, open a browser on your PC and visit the Unlisted Videos website. This platform contains over 600,000 unlisted YouTube videos from 2016 and earlier. You can also submit your unlisted video on the site.

Step 2: Use the search bar at the top of your screen to search for other people’s YouTube playlists. You can also click the “All Video” or “Random Videos” option to find the hidden content of a user.

How To See Unlisted Videos on My YouTube Channel?

To see your unlisted videos on your YouTube channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, install the YouTube Studio app on your mobile device or visit its website using a browser on your computer. Next, launch the app and sign in to your channel’s account using your email and password.

Step 2: In the next step, tap/ click the “Content” tab and tap/click the “Funnel” icon at the top of the video list to access the visibility options.

Step 3:

• Now, choose the “Visibility” option.
• Select “Unlisted” to change the visibility.
• Click the “Save” option to apply changes.
• See the hidden videos on your channel.

Since YouTube has marked the videos uploaded before 2017 as private as of July 2021, you can find your old unlisted videos under the “Private” list. To access it, choose “Private” as the visibility option.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos with Google

Sometimes, unlisted YouTube videos appear on Google when someone shares the link to them on a public forum or website.

To confirm this, open a browser on your computer or a mobile device, head to the Google website, and search for your query. With some luck, you can find these unlisted YouTube videos in the search results.

You May Want to Know: Why Are So Many Unlisted Videos Now Private?

All unlisted videos uploaded to YouTube before January 2017 were switched to private. Therefore, if you have any older unlisted videos added to your Playlist or embedded on your website, you won’t be able to access them now.

However, the channel’s owner can restore access to the video by switching it back to unlisted or public. If now, the video will be labeled as “Private” indefinitely or until its settings are changed.

Conclusion

In this detailed guide, we’ve explored the four types of videos on YouTube and how to find YouTube hidden videos in three different ways. We’ve also explained why so many videos are now listed as “Private” and inaccessible.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now access the unlisted videos on YouTube without hassle.

You may have noticed that some videos in your YouTube playlist are unavailable. This is because the platform allows content creators to categorize their videos into public, private, or unlisted based on their preferences.

To help you uncover the content that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, we’ve compiled a detailed guide to show you how to find YouTube hidden videos. We’ve also explained why so many unlisted videos are now labeled as private.

So, let’s get started with our guide without any further delay!

4 Types of Videos on YouTube

Firstly, let’s learn about the background of the types of YouTube videos. YouTube videos fall into the following four broad categories:

Public Videos: YouTube contains videos on many themes and topics. It makes it impossible to watch all uploaded content under a specific category.

So, whenever you search for a video or theme, a list of content is displayed in the search result: “Public Videos.” It means that they are visible to everyone around the globe (depending on the terms and conditions). Moreover, you can share, like, unlike, download, or add these videos to your playlists for later watching.

Private Videos: Private videos on YouTube can only be seen by people invited by the person who uploaded the video. This means that only those with access to the video’s shareable link can watch it.

Private videos are not visible to the public or to people who are not logged into YouTube. Hence, it is a great way to share sensitive or personal information with a select group.

Unlisted Video Unlisted videos on YouTube are not publicly visible on the site. They can only be seen by people who have the URL. This category works as a bridge between private and public videos. It is accessible only through sharable links without appealing in any YouTube public playlist or search result.

You might upload an unlisted video to YouTube if you do not want everyone to see it. However, you still want to share it with specific people, like your friends or family. You might also use an unlisted video to test out a new idea before making it public on the video-sharing platform.

Age-Restricted Videos: Age-restricted videos on YouTube are not suitable for all audiences. It may contain content that includes violence, profanity, sexual content, and other inappropriate material. YouTube requires that users be at least 18 years old to view these types of videos.

If you search on YouTube and come across an age-restricted video, you will be asked to confirm your age before viewing its content.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos

Now that we’ve learned about the four types of YouTube content, let’s discuss how you can find unlisted YouTube videos:

How To Find Other People’s Unlisted YouTube Videos?

Since unavailable videos in YouTube playlists are hidden from general public viewers, you cannot find them on YouTube or Google search results.

However, the following workaround can help you watch these YouTube videos without facing much trouble:

Step 1: First, open a browser on your PC and visit the Unlisted Videos website. This platform contains over 600,000 unlisted YouTube videos from 2016 and earlier. You can also submit your unlisted video on the site.

Step 2: Use the search bar at the top of your screen to search for other people’s YouTube playlists. You can also click the “All Video” or “Random Videos” option to find the hidden content of a user.

How To See Unlisted Videos on My YouTube Channel?

To see your unlisted videos on your YouTube channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, install the YouTube Studio app on your mobile device or visit its website using a browser on your computer. Next, launch the app and sign in to your channel’s account using your email and password.

Step 2: In the next step, tap/ click the “Content” tab and tap/click the “Funnel” icon at the top of the video list to access the visibility options.

Step 3:

• Now, choose the “Visibility” option.
• Select “Unlisted” to change the visibility.
• Click the “Save” option to apply changes.
• See the hidden videos on your channel.

Since YouTube has marked the videos uploaded before 2017 as private as of July 2021, you can find your old unlisted videos under the “Private” list. To access it, choose “Private” as the visibility option.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos with Google

Sometimes, unlisted YouTube videos appear on Google when someone shares the link to them on a public forum or website.

To confirm this, open a browser on your computer or a mobile device, head to the Google website, and search for your query. With some luck, you can find these unlisted YouTube videos in the search results.

You May Want to Know: Why Are So Many Unlisted Videos Now Private?

All unlisted videos uploaded to YouTube before January 2017 were switched to private. Therefore, if you have any older unlisted videos added to your Playlist or embedded on your website, you won’t be able to access them now.

However, the channel’s owner can restore access to the video by switching it back to unlisted or public. If now, the video will be labeled as “Private” indefinitely or until its settings are changed.

Conclusion

In this detailed guide, we’ve explored the four types of videos on YouTube and how to find YouTube hidden videos in three different ways. We’ve also explained why so many videos are now listed as “Private” and inaccessible.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now access the unlisted videos on YouTube without hassle.

You may have noticed that some videos in your YouTube playlist are unavailable. This is because the platform allows content creators to categorize their videos into public, private, or unlisted based on their preferences.

To help you uncover the content that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, we’ve compiled a detailed guide to show you how to find YouTube hidden videos. We’ve also explained why so many unlisted videos are now labeled as private.

So, let’s get started with our guide without any further delay!

4 Types of Videos on YouTube

Firstly, let’s learn about the background of the types of YouTube videos. YouTube videos fall into the following four broad categories:

Public Videos: YouTube contains videos on many themes and topics. It makes it impossible to watch all uploaded content under a specific category.

So, whenever you search for a video or theme, a list of content is displayed in the search result: “Public Videos.” It means that they are visible to everyone around the globe (depending on the terms and conditions). Moreover, you can share, like, unlike, download, or add these videos to your playlists for later watching.

Private Videos: Private videos on YouTube can only be seen by people invited by the person who uploaded the video. This means that only those with access to the video’s shareable link can watch it.

Private videos are not visible to the public or to people who are not logged into YouTube. Hence, it is a great way to share sensitive or personal information with a select group.

Unlisted Video Unlisted videos on YouTube are not publicly visible on the site. They can only be seen by people who have the URL. This category works as a bridge between private and public videos. It is accessible only through sharable links without appealing in any YouTube public playlist or search result.

You might upload an unlisted video to YouTube if you do not want everyone to see it. However, you still want to share it with specific people, like your friends or family. You might also use an unlisted video to test out a new idea before making it public on the video-sharing platform.

Age-Restricted Videos: Age-restricted videos on YouTube are not suitable for all audiences. It may contain content that includes violence, profanity, sexual content, and other inappropriate material. YouTube requires that users be at least 18 years old to view these types of videos.

If you search on YouTube and come across an age-restricted video, you will be asked to confirm your age before viewing its content.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos

Now that we’ve learned about the four types of YouTube content, let’s discuss how you can find unlisted YouTube videos:

How To Find Other People’s Unlisted YouTube Videos?

Since unavailable videos in YouTube playlists are hidden from general public viewers, you cannot find them on YouTube or Google search results.

However, the following workaround can help you watch these YouTube videos without facing much trouble:

Step 1: First, open a browser on your PC and visit the Unlisted Videos website. This platform contains over 600,000 unlisted YouTube videos from 2016 and earlier. You can also submit your unlisted video on the site.

Step 2: Use the search bar at the top of your screen to search for other people’s YouTube playlists. You can also click the “All Video” or “Random Videos” option to find the hidden content of a user.

How To See Unlisted Videos on My YouTube Channel?

To see your unlisted videos on your YouTube channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, install the YouTube Studio app on your mobile device or visit its website using a browser on your computer. Next, launch the app and sign in to your channel’s account using your email and password.

Step 2: In the next step, tap/ click the “Content” tab and tap/click the “Funnel” icon at the top of the video list to access the visibility options.

Step 3:

• Now, choose the “Visibility” option.
• Select “Unlisted” to change the visibility.
• Click the “Save” option to apply changes.
• See the hidden videos on your channel.

Since YouTube has marked the videos uploaded before 2017 as private as of July 2021, you can find your old unlisted videos under the “Private” list. To access it, choose “Private” as the visibility option.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos with Google

Sometimes, unlisted YouTube videos appear on Google when someone shares the link to them on a public forum or website.

To confirm this, open a browser on your computer or a mobile device, head to the Google website, and search for your query. With some luck, you can find these unlisted YouTube videos in the search results.

You May Want to Know: Why Are So Many Unlisted Videos Now Private?

All unlisted videos uploaded to YouTube before January 2017 were switched to private. Therefore, if you have any older unlisted videos added to your Playlist or embedded on your website, you won’t be able to access them now.

However, the channel’s owner can restore access to the video by switching it back to unlisted or public. If now, the video will be labeled as “Private” indefinitely or until its settings are changed.

Conclusion

In this detailed guide, we’ve explored the four types of videos on YouTube and how to find YouTube hidden videos in three different ways. We’ve also explained why so many videos are now listed as “Private” and inaccessible.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now access the unlisted videos on YouTube without hassle.

You may have noticed that some videos in your YouTube playlist are unavailable. This is because the platform allows content creators to categorize their videos into public, private, or unlisted based on their preferences.

To help you uncover the content that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, we’ve compiled a detailed guide to show you how to find YouTube hidden videos. We’ve also explained why so many unlisted videos are now labeled as private.

So, let’s get started with our guide without any further delay!

4 Types of Videos on YouTube

Firstly, let’s learn about the background of the types of YouTube videos. YouTube videos fall into the following four broad categories:

Public Videos: YouTube contains videos on many themes and topics. It makes it impossible to watch all uploaded content under a specific category.

So, whenever you search for a video or theme, a list of content is displayed in the search result: “Public Videos.” It means that they are visible to everyone around the globe (depending on the terms and conditions). Moreover, you can share, like, unlike, download, or add these videos to your playlists for later watching.

Private Videos: Private videos on YouTube can only be seen by people invited by the person who uploaded the video. This means that only those with access to the video’s shareable link can watch it.

Private videos are not visible to the public or to people who are not logged into YouTube. Hence, it is a great way to share sensitive or personal information with a select group.

Unlisted Video Unlisted videos on YouTube are not publicly visible on the site. They can only be seen by people who have the URL. This category works as a bridge between private and public videos. It is accessible only through sharable links without appealing in any YouTube public playlist or search result.

You might upload an unlisted video to YouTube if you do not want everyone to see it. However, you still want to share it with specific people, like your friends or family. You might also use an unlisted video to test out a new idea before making it public on the video-sharing platform.

Age-Restricted Videos: Age-restricted videos on YouTube are not suitable for all audiences. It may contain content that includes violence, profanity, sexual content, and other inappropriate material. YouTube requires that users be at least 18 years old to view these types of videos.

If you search on YouTube and come across an age-restricted video, you will be asked to confirm your age before viewing its content.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos

Now that we’ve learned about the four types of YouTube content, let’s discuss how you can find unlisted YouTube videos:

How To Find Other People’s Unlisted YouTube Videos?

Since unavailable videos in YouTube playlists are hidden from general public viewers, you cannot find them on YouTube or Google search results.

However, the following workaround can help you watch these YouTube videos without facing much trouble:

Step 1: First, open a browser on your PC and visit the Unlisted Videos website. This platform contains over 600,000 unlisted YouTube videos from 2016 and earlier. You can also submit your unlisted video on the site.

Step 2: Use the search bar at the top of your screen to search for other people’s YouTube playlists. You can also click the “All Video” or “Random Videos” option to find the hidden content of a user.

How To See Unlisted Videos on My YouTube Channel?

To see your unlisted videos on your YouTube channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, install the YouTube Studio app on your mobile device or visit its website using a browser on your computer. Next, launch the app and sign in to your channel’s account using your email and password.

Step 2: In the next step, tap/ click the “Content” tab and tap/click the “Funnel” icon at the top of the video list to access the visibility options.

Step 3:

• Now, choose the “Visibility” option.
• Select “Unlisted” to change the visibility.
• Click the “Save” option to apply changes.
• See the hidden videos on your channel.

Since YouTube has marked the videos uploaded before 2017 as private as of July 2021, you can find your old unlisted videos under the “Private” list. To access it, choose “Private” as the visibility option.

How To Find Unlisted YouTube Videos with Google

Sometimes, unlisted YouTube videos appear on Google when someone shares the link to them on a public forum or website.

To confirm this, open a browser on your computer or a mobile device, head to the Google website, and search for your query. With some luck, you can find these unlisted YouTube videos in the search results.

You May Want to Know: Why Are So Many Unlisted Videos Now Private?

All unlisted videos uploaded to YouTube before January 2017 were switched to private. Therefore, if you have any older unlisted videos added to your Playlist or embedded on your website, you won’t be able to access them now.

However, the channel’s owner can restore access to the video by switching it back to unlisted or public. If now, the video will be labeled as “Private” indefinitely or until its settings are changed.

Conclusion

In this detailed guide, we’ve explored the four types of videos on YouTube and how to find YouTube hidden videos in three different ways. We’ve also explained why so many videos are now listed as “Private” and inaccessible.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now access the unlisted videos on YouTube without hassle.

Unveiling the Secrets of Creative Commons Licensing

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.

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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.

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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

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