Music License Tag Builder – Give Credit in Video Descriptions

A music license tag is a short credit statement placed in your video description (on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) that acknowledges the original creator of the music and specifies the license under which you’re using it. It’s essential because many royalty-free and Creative Commons tracks require attribution as a condition of use. Failing to credit properly can lead to copyright claims, video takedowns, or even legal issues. Using a clear, standardized tag shows respect for artists and keeps your content compliant.

Creative Commons offers 6 main license types plus CC0 (Public Domain dedication):

• CC BY — Requires attribution only; most permissive.
• CC BY-SA — Attribution + ShareAlike (derivative works must use same license).
• CC BY-NC — Attribution + NonCommercial use only.
• CC BY-ND — Attribution + NoDerivatives (no remixing).
• CC BY-NC-SA — Attribution + NonCommercial + ShareAlike.
• CC BY-NC-ND — Attribution + NonCommercial + NoDerivs; most restrictive.
• CC0 — No rights reserved; no attribution required (but still appreciated).

Always check the specific version (e.g., 4.0) and include a link to the license text when possible.

YouTube recommends placing music credits in the description box, ideally near the top so they’re visible before the "Show More" fold. A good credit includes: the track title, artist name, source/platform, and license type with a link. Our YouTube format template generates exactly this structure. Additionally, if you’re monetizing your channel, proper attribution helps demonstrate to YouTube that you have the rights to use the music, reducing Content ID disputes.

No. Simply giving credit does not grant you legal permission to use copyrighted music. Attribution only satisfies the requirements of licenses that already allow use (such as Creative Commons or royalty-free licenses). For commercially released, fully copyrighted songs (e.g., popular radio hits), you need explicit permission or a synchronization license from the rights holder. Using unlicensed copyrighted music can result in your video being muted, demonetized, or taken down — even if you credit the artist.

Royalty-free music means you pay a one-time fee (or subscription) and can use the track without ongoing royalty payments — but the music is still copyrighted. Copyright-free (or more accurately, public domain / CC0) music has been voluntarily relinquished by the creator or has expired copyright, meaning no permission or payment is needed. Many platforms like Epidemic Sound and Artlist offer royalty-free music, while Pixabay Music and certain CC0 collections offer truly copyright-free tracks. Always verify the specific license terms.

TikTok and Instagram have built-in music libraries that automatically attach credit when you use their licensed tracks — no additional tagging is required for in-app sounds. However, if you upload original or third-party royalty-free music as part of your video, it’s good practice to credit it in your caption or comments. For short-form content, our TikTok / Shorts format provides a concise, hashtag-friendly credit style that won’t eat up your limited caption space.

While Epidemic Sound and Artlist don’t strictly require attribution for paid subscribers, crediting is appreciated and can prevent mistaken copyright claims. For Epidemic Sound, you can write: "Music from Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)". For Artlist: "Music from Artlist.io — [Track Name] by [Artist]". Our tool’s source selector includes these platforms and auto-generates the appropriate phrasing when selected.