Decoding YouTube Income: How Much Does Each 1,000 Viewer Earn?

YouTubers are fantastic people who create content and make a living out of it. But have you ever thought about how much YouTube pays or what YouTube AdSense earnings are?

If you aren’t sure about the YouTube payment situation or how much AdSense pay for views, you will learn this below. Whether you’re planning to create a channel or already have one, learning how much you can expect YouTube to pay will help you in the longer run.

Be it AdSense pay on 1,000 views or AdSense pay per click; this blog features information you may appreciate.

1. Type of Content
2. Keywords
3. User Location
4. Time Requires to Get Views
5. Video Duration
6. Your Niche or Industry

• Pros and Cons of Earning Money from Google AdSense

Part 1: How Much Does AdSense Pay Per 1,000 Views

As a content creator, you might be tempted to know how much you can expect to earn through AdSense. Since it’s a free and simple way to make extra bucks, showing ads with the content you produce for online platforms, it’s essential to know how much it pays for views.

Pay Per 1,000 Views by AdSense

For 1,000 views, expect AdSense to pay around $8-$20. However, your total earnings will depend on factors such as your content type, users’ location, and setting of ads in Google AdSense, so it can pay on thousand views.

More so, AdSense opts for Revenue Per 1,000 impressions or (RPM) to showcase the amount you would get for 1,000 impressions. Remember, this RPM doesn’t include the actual amount you’ve earned. But it focuses on dividing your earnings by page views and impressions, then multiplying those by 1,000.

You can also refer to the formula for better understanding.

Formula:

RPM = (Estimated earnings / Number of page views) * 1000

From this formula provided by Google official, we can easily know that

Estimated earnings = (RPM * Number of page views) / 1000

To understand it further, see the example below.

Suppose you’ve earned around $0.10 from 20 page views; your page RPM would be $6.00 in simpler terms.

($0.10 / 25) * 1000 = $6.00

Also, if RPM is $4.00 from 45,000 ad impressions, your estimated earnings would be equal $180.00

($4.00 * 45,000) / 1000 = $180.00

AdSense Pay Per View

Lastly, if you’re looking for an exact answer regarding how much it pays per view, know that it varies and is based on different factors, such as niche or audience demographic.

But you can expect something between $8 to $12 on 1,000 views after monetizing your YouTube channel with your Google AdSense account.

Part 2: How Much Does AdSense Pay Per Click?

After understanding AdSense’s way to pay for 1,000 views, formula, or pay per view, here’s what you need to know about AdSense’s payment on per click policy.

On Average, you can expect AdSense to pay something around $0.20 to $15 on a click. Talking about estimated earnings or one click, it depends on the cost-per-click in the niche, including the publisher’s earnings and competition among rival advertisers.

And if you’re wondering, cost-per-click is when a user clicks on your ad, and you earn money for it. However, advertisers always decide the cost-per-click for ads. In this case, some advertisers don’t hesitate to pay extra, depending on what they intend to advertise.

Part 3: AdSense Earnings Per Thousand Pageviews Examples

From pay per 1,000 views to pay per click, understanding the AdSense payment policy is essential if you’re up to monetize your YouTube channel.

Since there’re YouTube AdSense requirements, such as audience demographic, niche, or content, learning about which niche is the lucrative one will also help you decide your next move.

Let’s take a look at the following examples for better understanding:

• For example, if arts and entertainment is your niche, you can expect to earn $5.62 after accumulating 1,000 pageviews.
• Creators who create content on vehicles can earn around $9.20 on every 1,000 pageviews.
• If you’re into beauty and fitness, expect to earn up to $13.01 on 1,000 pageviews.
• For real estate, health, home, and garden niches, you can earn $14.50, $17.40, and $23.35 on every 1,000 pageviews.

Remember, people from North America can make the most of these earnings. But worry not if you are based outside North America. Because Google AdSense revenue calculator can help you find the average pageviews on monthly basis.

Part 4: Earnings from AdSense: Factors to Consider

After learning how much you can earn in different niches, it’s equally important to focus on the following factors, so you can qualify and start earning from AdSense with ease.

1) Type of Content

To monetize your videos for AdSense, ensure that you own the rights to use visuals and audio elements of your video. And focus on creating all elements of your video yourself.

For YouTube, you can try creating tutorials, do-it-yourself videos, original short films, original music videos, home videos, travel vlogs, or even daily-life vlogs.

While creating content for YouTube, remember advertisers consider placing ads on more advertiser-friendly content.

As a blogger, you must provide unique but quality content to exceed AdSense’s eligibility criteria. Having unique content helps Google understand what your website is about. It’s even better if your website provides a one-of-its-kind experience and users visit it again.

Be it a vlog or blog, please ensure that it’s original and not a copy from other sources. This way, you can elevate your credibility on the respective platforms. For a great user experience, opt for intuitive navigation.

And to up your content game, you can even use the calculator to determine the value of your content and estimated revenue from AdSense.

2) Keywords

Keywords are phrases and words that describe your service or product. The ones you choose will help show your ads to users.

Therefore, go for the relevant yet high-quality keywords and add them to your ad campaigns. This strategy will put your ad in front of potential buyers.

3) User Location

Remember, AdSense follows geo-targeting strategy, so it can place ads on different pages. These ads are based on a user’s language, region, and IP address.

Put simply, ads serving to a user from Algeria may differ from the ads for a user from Georgia.

4) Time Requires to Get Views

There’s no fixed time frame; however, you can focus on search volume, audience, and competition to start getting the desired number of views.

The first 60 minutes are crucial after you post a video. Then, the next 24 hours and the first 48 hours are equally important because YouTube gives an unnatural boost to it. It helps YouTube observe responses, such as how viewers interacted with the video and what kinds of viewers were interested in it.

Remember, if a video fails to get any views in a couple of days, it won’t likely perform and will consider “dead” on the platform.

More so, if a video performs better slightly, it’ll start to reach its full potential in the next 3 to 6 months, according to the views it receives per day. Oftentimes, videos took up to a year to perform well.

And if your video starts to perform better and faster in those 3-6 months, it’ll likely do better in the longer run.

5) Video Duration

Focus on the length of your video, as it determines how many ads can be shown in it. This part also influences your earning potential. When your video is longer in length, it’ll increase its worth.

However, you must find the right balance between video duration, quality, and the number of videos on your channel, so you can continue to earn without hindrance.

6) Your Niche or Industry

Niche is another essential factor to opt for AdSense earnings. Some of the profitable topics are:

• Business
• Investment
• Health
• Insurance
• Online Marketing

You can choose the area that interest you the most and start people educating about it.

For example, people tend to think about investing their money to multiply it. You can create videos on investment-related topics, tips and tricks to get maximum views.

Part 5: Pros and Cons of Earning Money from Google AdSense

At this point, you’re familiar with almost all aspects of generating money using Google AdSense. And considering the factors, it seems like a task you can perform.

Before you try earning money via AdSense, consider the following pros and cons.

Pros

• Google AdSense doesn’t charge an extra fee. It’s a totally free service that can help you earn dollars.
• Don’t know how to make ads? Don’t worry; Google will do it for you.
• It enables you to use one account to monetize multiple websites.
• As a passive income, it doesn’t require additional effort.

Cons

• Making the first $100 is a must to get paid further.
• With AdSense, you won’t be allowed to use another ad network.
• A policy breach could make you lose your account.
• You need a lot of traffic to make some serious money.
• Adding several ads can annoy your viewers.

Final Words

Monetizing your YouTube channel for AdSense is great for having a steady passive income. But, it’s a time-consuming process and has a set of advantages and disadvantages.

If you already have a YouTube channel and a certain number of views, you can take it further using the provided information. However, focus on factors such as user demographic, content type, and quality to achieve long-term success.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: How Much Does AdSense Pay Per 1,000 Views

As a content creator, you might be tempted to know how much you can expect to earn through AdSense. Since it’s a free and simple way to make extra bucks, showing ads with the content you produce for online platforms, it’s essential to know how much it pays for views.

Pay Per 1,000 Views by AdSense

For 1,000 views, expect AdSense to pay around $8-$20. However, your total earnings will depend on factors such as your content type, users’ location, and setting of ads in Google AdSense, so it can pay on thousand views.

More so, AdSense opts for Revenue Per 1,000 impressions or (RPM) to showcase the amount you would get for 1,000 impressions. Remember, this RPM doesn’t include the actual amount you’ve earned. But it focuses on dividing your earnings by page views and impressions, then multiplying those by 1,000.

You can also refer to the formula for better understanding.

Formula:

RPM = (Estimated earnings / Number of page views) * 1000

From this formula provided by Google official, we can easily know that

Estimated earnings = (RPM * Number of page views) / 1000

To understand it further, see the example below.

Suppose you’ve earned around $0.10 from 20 page views; your page RPM would be $6.00 in simpler terms.

($0.10 / 25) * 1000 = $6.00

Also, if RPM is $4.00 from 45,000 ad impressions, your estimated earnings would be equal $180.00

($4.00 * 45,000) / 1000 = $180.00

AdSense Pay Per View

Lastly, if you’re looking for an exact answer regarding how much it pays per view, know that it varies and is based on different factors, such as niche or audience demographic.

But you can expect something between $8 to $12 on 1,000 views after monetizing your YouTube channel with your Google AdSense account.

Part 2: How Much Does AdSense Pay Per Click?

After understanding AdSense’s way to pay for 1,000 views, formula, or pay per view, here’s what you need to know about AdSense’s payment on per click policy.

On Average, you can expect AdSense to pay something around $0.20 to $15 on a click. Talking about estimated earnings or one click, it depends on the cost-per-click in the niche, including the publisher’s earnings and competition among rival advertisers.

And if you’re wondering, cost-per-click is when a user clicks on your ad, and you earn money for it. However, advertisers always decide the cost-per-click for ads. In this case, some advertisers don’t hesitate to pay extra, depending on what they intend to advertise.

Part 3: AdSense Earnings Per Thousand Pageviews Examples

From pay per 1,000 views to pay per click, understanding the AdSense payment policy is essential if you’re up to monetize your YouTube channel.

Since there’re YouTube AdSense requirements, such as audience demographic, niche, or content, learning about which niche is the lucrative one will also help you decide your next move.

Let’s take a look at the following examples for better understanding:

• For example, if arts and entertainment is your niche, you can expect to earn $5.62 after accumulating 1,000 pageviews.
• Creators who create content on vehicles can earn around $9.20 on every 1,000 pageviews.
• If you’re into beauty and fitness, expect to earn up to $13.01 on 1,000 pageviews.
• For real estate, health, home, and garden niches, you can earn $14.50, $17.40, and $23.35 on every 1,000 pageviews.

Remember, people from North America can make the most of these earnings. But worry not if you are based outside North America. Because Google AdSense revenue calculator can help you find the average pageviews on monthly basis.

Part 4: Earnings from AdSense: Factors to Consider

After learning how much you can earn in different niches, it’s equally important to focus on the following factors, so you can qualify and start earning from AdSense with ease.

1) Type of Content

To monetize your videos for AdSense, ensure that you own the rights to use visuals and audio elements of your video. And focus on creating all elements of your video yourself.

For YouTube, you can try creating tutorials, do-it-yourself videos, original short films, original music videos, home videos, travel vlogs, or even daily-life vlogs.

While creating content for YouTube, remember advertisers consider placing ads on more advertiser-friendly content.

As a blogger, you must provide unique but quality content to exceed AdSense’s eligibility criteria. Having unique content helps Google understand what your website is about. It’s even better if your website provides a one-of-its-kind experience and users visit it again.

Be it a vlog or blog, please ensure that it’s original and not a copy from other sources. This way, you can elevate your credibility on the respective platforms. For a great user experience, opt for intuitive navigation.

And to up your content game, you can even use the calculator to determine the value of your content and estimated revenue from AdSense.

2) Keywords

Keywords are phrases and words that describe your service or product. The ones you choose will help show your ads to users.

Therefore, go for the relevant yet high-quality keywords and add them to your ad campaigns. This strategy will put your ad in front of potential buyers.

3) User Location

Remember, AdSense follows geo-targeting strategy, so it can place ads on different pages. These ads are based on a user’s language, region, and IP address.

Put simply, ads serving to a user from Algeria may differ from the ads for a user from Georgia.

4) Time Requires to Get Views

There’s no fixed time frame; however, you can focus on search volume, audience, and competition to start getting the desired number of views.

The first 60 minutes are crucial after you post a video. Then, the next 24 hours and the first 48 hours are equally important because YouTube gives an unnatural boost to it. It helps YouTube observe responses, such as how viewers interacted with the video and what kinds of viewers were interested in it.

Remember, if a video fails to get any views in a couple of days, it won’t likely perform and will consider “dead” on the platform.

More so, if a video performs better slightly, it’ll start to reach its full potential in the next 3 to 6 months, according to the views it receives per day. Oftentimes, videos took up to a year to perform well.

And if your video starts to perform better and faster in those 3-6 months, it’ll likely do better in the longer run.

5) Video Duration

Focus on the length of your video, as it determines how many ads can be shown in it. This part also influences your earning potential. When your video is longer in length, it’ll increase its worth.

However, you must find the right balance between video duration, quality, and the number of videos on your channel, so you can continue to earn without hindrance.

6) Your Niche or Industry

Niche is another essential factor to opt for AdSense earnings. Some of the profitable topics are:

• Business
• Investment
• Health
• Insurance
• Online Marketing

You can choose the area that interest you the most and start people educating about it.

For example, people tend to think about investing their money to multiply it. You can create videos on investment-related topics, tips and tricks to get maximum views.

Part 5: Pros and Cons of Earning Money from Google AdSense

At this point, you’re familiar with almost all aspects of generating money using Google AdSense. And considering the factors, it seems like a task you can perform.

Before you try earning money via AdSense, consider the following pros and cons.

Pros

• Google AdSense doesn’t charge an extra fee. It’s a totally free service that can help you earn dollars.
• Don’t know how to make ads? Don’t worry; Google will do it for you.
• It enables you to use one account to monetize multiple websites.
• As a passive income, it doesn’t require additional effort.

Cons

• Making the first $100 is a must to get paid further.
• With AdSense, you won’t be allowed to use another ad network.
• A policy breach could make you lose your account.
• You need a lot of traffic to make some serious money.
• Adding several ads can annoy your viewers.

Final Words

Monetizing your YouTube channel for AdSense is great for having a steady passive income. But, it’s a time-consuming process and has a set of advantages and disadvantages.

If you already have a YouTube channel and a certain number of views, you can take it further using the provided information. However, focus on factors such as user demographic, content type, and quality to achieve long-term success.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Simplified Path to Mastery in Using CC Licenses

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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