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For composers · CC 4.0 overview

Can Creative Commons music be used commercially?

It depends on the exact licence. CC BY, CC BY-SA and CC BY-ND do not have the NonCommercial condition. CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA and CC BY-NC-ND do. The other conditions still matter, including attribution, ShareAlike and NoDerivatives.

Commercial-use permission by licence

“Permitted” means the licence includes permission for commercial use when its conditions are followed. It does not clear rights that the licensor does not control or replace checking the full terms.

  • CC BY 4.0

    No NC condition

    Commercial use: Permitted under the licence terms

    Credit the creator and link to the licence. Adaptations are allowed; note changes.

    Official deedLegal code

  • CC BY-SA 4.0

    No NC condition

    Commercial use: Permitted under the licence terms

    Credit the creator. If you adapt the work, share your contributions under the same or a compatible licence.

    Official deedLegal code

  • CC BY-ND 4.0

    No NC condition

    Commercial use: Permitted for the unadapted work

    Credit the creator. You may not distribute material adapted from the work under this licence.

    Official deedLegal code

  • CC BY-NC 4.0

    Includes NC

    Commercial use: Not granted by this licence

    Noncommercial sharing and adaptations are allowed with credit. Separate permission is needed for commercial purposes.

    Official deedLegal code

  • CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

    Includes NC

    Commercial use: Not granted by this licence

    Noncommercial sharing and adaptations are allowed with credit. Adaptations must use the same or a compatible licence.

    Official deedLegal code

  • CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

    Includes NC

    Commercial use: Not granted by this licence

    Only noncommercial sharing of unadapted copies is allowed, with credit. The licence does not permit distributing adaptations.

    Official deedLegal code

CC0 is a separate tool

CC0 is a public-domain dedication tool, not one of the six CC licences. It is designed to let creators waive copyright and related rights to the extent possible, so reuse has no CC licence conditions. Read the official CC0 deed and check whether other rights or terms affect the work.

Check the exact licence on the specific work

  1. Open the page or file where that recording is offered. Do not assume another track by the same artist has the same terms.
  2. Record the full licence name and version displayed for that work, such as CC BY-NC 4.0 International.
  3. Follow its deed to the legal code. Older or jurisdiction-specific versions can have differences, so use the terms actually attached to the work.
  4. Check that the licence notice covers the recording you are reviewing and the rights it contains.

Creative Commons describes NC as a use “not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation.” The user’s organisation type alone does not decide that question; the purpose and context of the use matter. See the Creative Commons NC FAQ. This is a summary of CC’s guidance, not an assessment of any individual use.

Related composer resources

General educational information only, not legal advice. No case-specific legal conclusion is made here. For advice about a particular work or use, consult a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.