Music attribution generator

Free music for videos and podcasts is often released under Creative Commons, and the licence asks you to credit the track in a way that suits the medium. For a video that usually means the description; for a podcast, the show notes.

Your credit

    Credits list

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      Enter the track title, the artist, a link to the track and the licence, and AttributionMaker writes the credit. Non-commercial tracks are flagged, which matters if your channel is monetised.

      Title, Author, Source, Licence

      Creative Commons licences ask you to give appropriate credit, and the practical way to do that is TASL. The title is the name of the work, if it has one. The author is the creator, credited the way they ask to be credited, which can be a real name, a username or an organisation. The source is a link to where you found the work, so others can find it too. The licence is the exact licence name with a link to its deed, such as CC BY 4.0. AttributionMaker builds the credit in that order and adds links wherever you have supplied a URL.

      If you changed the work, the licences ask you to say so. Tick the box, describe the change in a few words, and the credit becomes “Adapted from…”, followed by what you did. Under ShareAlike licences your adaptation must be released under the same licence, and under NoDerivatives you may not share an adapted version at all; both are flagged automatically.

      Stock photo sites

      Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay use their own licences that do not require credit, but each suggests a short line such as “Photo by Name on Unsplash”. Pick the site’s licence and AttributionMaker switches to that style, linking the photographer’s profile and the site or photo page. These credits are courteous rather than mandatory, and they help photographers get seen.

      Choosing a format

      Plain text suits captions, slides, printed work and places without links; it adds the URLs at the end. HTML is for websites and blogs, with links opening safely. Markdown works in READMEs, documentation, many CMS editors and note apps. The credits list combines everything for a project in your chosen format with a heading, ready for a credits page or a video description. Credits are saved only in this browser. This tool formats credits; it is not legal advice, so check the licence on the original before you use a work.

      Frequently asked questions

      Can I use CC BY-NC music on a monetised channel?

      Usually not without permission, because monetisation is commercial use. Ask the artist or choose a CC BY track.

      Where do I credit music in a YouTube video?

      In the video description is standard. You can also add an on-screen credit.

      What if I edited or looped the track?

      Tick “I changed it” and describe the edit, for example “trimmed and looped”.

      Is AttributionMaker free?

      Yes. Make as many credits and lists as you like with no account.

      Is this legal advice?

      No. It formats credits according to each licence’s published guidance. Always read the licence on the original work.

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