Creative Commons licenses let you use someone else's creative work — photos, music, writing, video — under conditions they set, usually for free

A Creative Commons (CC) license is a legal agreement that sits between full copyright (where the creator controls everything) and the public domain (where anyone can do anything). The creator keeps ownership but grants you specific permissions in advance. Instead of asking permission for each use, you follow the license terms they've published.

There are six main CC licenses, each combining different rules. Some let you share and remix freely as long as you credit the creator. Others restrict commercial use or require you to share your own work under the same license if you modify theirs. Understanding which license applies to a work tells you exactly what you can and cannot do without asking first.

Key Takeaways

  • Creative Commons licenses are legal tools creators use to share their work with built-in permissions — you don't need to ask permission for each use if you follow the license terms.
  • The six main licenses combine four rules: attribution (credit the creator), non-commercial (no money-making use), no derivatives (don't modify it), and share-alike (share your modified version under the same license).
  • You must check the specific license on each work because permissions vary — CC0 is the most open, while CC BY-NC-ND is the most restrictive.
  • Using a work under a Creative Commons license still requires you to follow the terms; ignoring them is copyright infringement just like using unlicensed work.

The six Creative Commons licenses and what each one allows

CC0 (Public Domain Dedication) means the creator has given up all rights. You can use the work for any purpose, modify it, sell it, and claim it as your own — no credit required. This is the most open license.

CC BY (Attribution) lets you share and modify the work freely, including for commercial purposes, as long as you credit the creator. This is the most permissive license that still requires attribution.

CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike) lets you share and modify freely, but if you modify it, you must release your version under the same CC BY-SA license. This creates a chain where derivative works stay open. Wikipedia content uses this license.

CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial) lets you share and modify, but only for non-commercial purposes. You cannot sell the work or use it to make money. You must credit the creator.

CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike) combines the restrictions: non-commercial use only, you must credit the creator, and any modified version must use the same license.

CC BY-ND (Attribution-NoDerivatives) lets you share the work as-is for any purpose, including commercial, but you cannot modify it. You must credit the creator. This is useful for protecting the integrity of a work while allowing redistribution.

CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives) is the most restrictive. You can only share the work unchanged and only for non-commercial purposes. You must credit the creator.

How to find the Creative Commons license for a work

Look for a CC license notice on the page or file where you found the work. It usually appears as a logo (the CC symbol with letters like BY or NC) and a link to the full license text. Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, and other platforms let you filter search results by license type.

If you cannot find a license notice, the work is not under a Creative Commons license — it is under standard copyright, and you need permission from the creator to use it. Do not assume a work is CC-licensed just because it is online and free to view.

Some creators publish their work with a CC license on their own website or in the file metadata. If you download an image or document, check the file properties or the creator's stated terms. When in doubt, contact the creator and ask.

What you must do to use a Creative Commons work legally

First, identify the specific license. Read the actual license terms, not just the logo — the difference between CC BY and CC BY-NC is critical, and you need to know which one applies.

Second, follow the attribution requirement if the license includes BY (which most do). This means crediting the creator by name, providing a link to the original work, and stating which license it uses. The exact format varies by medium — for a photo in a blog post, a caption with the creator's name and a link works. For a video, include credits in the description. For a document, add a line citing the source.

Third, respect the other restrictions. If the license says NC (non-commercial), you cannot use the work in a project you sell or use to generate income. If it says ND (no derivatives), you cannot modify, remix, or adapt it. If it says SA (share-alike), any work you create from it must use the same license.

Violating the license terms is copyright infringement. The creator can pursue legal action just as they could if you used their work without permission. The license is a legal agreement, not a suggestion.

Common situations and what the licenses allow

You want to use a photo in a blog post you do not sell. CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-ND, and CC BY-NC-ND all allow this. You must credit the creator. If the license is SA, any modified version of the photo must also be CC BY-SA.

You want to use a song in a YouTube video that earns ad revenue. Only CC0 and CC BY allow commercial use. CC BY-NC and CC BY-NC-SA prohibit this. You cannot use the song unless the license explicitly permits commercial use.

You want to remix a piece of music and release your own version. CC0, CC BY, and CC BY-SA allow this. CC BY-NC and CC BY-NC-SA allow it only if you do not sell the remix. CC BY-ND and CC BY-NC-ND prohibit remixing entirely.

You want to include a CC-licensed image in a book you sell. CC0 and CC BY allow this. CC BY-SA allows it if you release the book under CC BY-SA (which is usually impractical). CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-ND, and CC BY-NC-ND do not allow commercial use.

Where to find Creative Commons licensed work

Wikimedia Commons hosts millions of images, audio, and video files, most under CC licenses. Flickr lets you search by license type. Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay offer free photos, though their terms vary — check each site's license policy.

Open educational resources like MIT OpenCourseWare and Khan Academy use CC licenses. Project Gutenberg offers public domain books. Internet Archive has millions of texts, audio, and video under various CC licenses.

Music platforms like Free Music Archive and ccMixter host CC-licensed music. YouTube's Audio Library includes CC-licensed tracks. Always verify the specific license before using any work, because different files on the same platform may have different licenses.

The difference between Creative Commons and public domain

Public domain works have no copyright protection — the copyright has expired, been forfeited, or never existed. You can use them for any purpose with no restrictions and no credit required. Most books published before 1928 in the United States are in the public domain.

Creative Commons licenses are chosen by the creator while they still hold copyright. The creator is actively granting permissions. CC0 is the closest CC license to public domain status, but even CC0 is a legal choice the creator made, not an automatic expiration of rights.

The practical difference: public domain works need no license notice or attribution. CC-licensed works require you to follow the specific license terms, usually including credit to the creator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Creative Commons image in a commercial project if I credit the creator?

Only if the license allows commercial use. CC BY and CC BY-SA permit commercial use with credit. CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-ND, and CC BY-NC-ND do not allow any commercial use, even with credit. Check the specific license on the image before using it in a paid project.

What happens if I use a Creative Commons work without following the license terms?

You are committing copyright infringement. The creator can send a takedown notice, demand you remove the work, or pursue legal action for damages. The license is a legal agreement, and violating it has the same consequences as using copyrighted work without permission.

Do I have to credit the creator if the license says CC0?

No. CC0 is a public domain dedication — the creator has waived all rights, including the right to be credited. You can use CC0 work for any purpose without attribution. However, crediting the creator is still good practice and builds trust.

Can I modify a Creative Commons work and sell the modified version?

It depends on the license. CC0 and CC BY allow modification and commercial use. CC BY-SA allows it if you release your version under CC BY-SA. CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-ND, and CC BY-NC-ND do not allow commercial use or modification, or both. Check the license before modifying and selling.

If I use a CC-licensed work, do I need to include the full license text?

No. You need to credit the creator, link to the original work, and state which license it uses. A caption like "Photo by Jane Smith, used under CC BY 2.0" is sufficient. You do not need to paste the entire license text unless the creator requests it.