Best iPhone & Android Photo & Video Capture Applications Reviewed

Best Camera Apps to Shoot and Record Videos on iPhone and Andriod Phones

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Smartphone cameras, especially the newest models, are capable of recording great videos. Depending on what kind of videos you make, you might not actually need a separate camera.

The majority of phone cameras record in full HD now, and some can even manage 4K. Where things get tricky is shooting in less than ideal conditions, i.e low light. You cannot make the same adjustments and customizations to your settings with a smartphone camera as you can with a DSLR.

You don’t have the same level of control.

But don’t worry – there are 5 camera apps that will allow you to record videos and get even more creative with how you use your phone’s camera.

• Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora
• Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is an amazing video editor for both professional staff and beginners. Its intuitive interface, fast timeline rendering, advanced color tuning, and surprising video effects, etc will make your video stand out! Just download it and edit your smartphone videos with Wondershare Filmora

Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Let’s dive!

• 1. Open Camera
• 2. ProShot
• 3. ProCamera
• 4. Sun Seeker
• 5. FiLMiC Pro

1. Open Camera – Free, Android Only

This camera app gives you control over your exposure, flash, focus, ISO, shutter speed, torch, and white balance. How much control you have is up to you. If managing all these things manually is a hassle for you, you can use its automatic or semi-manual modes instead of manual mode.

This is a great camera app to record time-lapses. It is simplistic compared to some of the other apps on this list, but it is also extremely easy to use.

2. ProShot - $4, iOS or Android

ProShot lets you adjust your frame rate, which is important if you want to shoot slow motion or time-lapse videos. You can also adjust your brightness while filming. One of the most useful features of this camera app is that it provides a real-time audio level meter, so you won’t be surprised by a poor sound recording when you watch your videos back.

3. ProCamera - $5, iOS Only

This is one of the most frequently recommended camera apps for iPhones. It makes it easy for you to adjust your focus, iOS, and exposure. You can also play with different filters and effects right in the app. One of the only downsides of this app is that some of its most useful features, like Lowlight Plus, are in-app purchases.

4. Sun Seeker - $10, iOS or Android

A lot of the time when you’re shooting with your phone, you’re shooting outside. When you’re shooting outside, the most important thing you need to keep track of is the sun. Sun Seeker is the perfect app for figuring out where the sun will be in the sky at any given time, which will tell you the best time to go out and make your video.

For more information on making videos with natural light, check out Indoor Natural Lighting Tips .

Besides just keeping track of the sun, Sun Seeker provides an augmented reality view of its path and how it will affect specific locations.

5. FiLMiC Pro - $10, iOS or Android

This is probably the best all-purpose camera app available. It gives you exactly the same kind of control over your smartphone camera as you would have over a DSLR. You can manually adjust your focus, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, tint, and color temperature. There are even voice processing audio filters, so you can capture better audio while you’re shooting and have less to fix in post.

Final Words

Because mobile cameras already perform so well, it can be easy to think to have more to adjust would only make things more complicated. However, there are occasions where you need to be able to make these adjustments. Are the videos you take inside at night at a lower quality than the ones you record during the day, for example? If you could set a higher ISO, you would be able to fix that.

Another example: just the other day, there was a question here about shooting green screen videos on a mobile device. One of our community members, Vivekpanwar, was having an issue with motion blur. Motion blur isn’t always distracting in normal videos, but it becomes a huge issue when you apply a Chroma key effect. The best way to avoid motion blur is to set a high shutter speed, which you can do if you download a quality camera app.

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

Smartphone cameras, especially the newest models, are capable of recording great videos. Depending on what kind of videos you make, you might not actually need a separate camera.

The majority of phone cameras record in full HD now, and some can even manage 4K. Where things get tricky is shooting in less than ideal conditions, i.e low light. You cannot make the same adjustments and customizations to your settings with a smartphone camera as you can with a DSLR.

You don’t have the same level of control.

But don’t worry – there are 5 camera apps that will allow you to record videos and get even more creative with how you use your phone’s camera.

• Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora
• Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is an amazing video editor for both professional staff and beginners. Its intuitive interface, fast timeline rendering, advanced color tuning, and surprising video effects, etc will make your video stand out! Just download it and edit your smartphone videos with Wondershare Filmora

Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Let’s dive!

• 1. Open Camera
• 2. ProShot
• 3. ProCamera
• 4. Sun Seeker
• 5. FiLMiC Pro

1. Open Camera – Free, Android Only

This camera app gives you control over your exposure, flash, focus, ISO, shutter speed, torch, and white balance. How much control you have is up to you. If managing all these things manually is a hassle for you, you can use its automatic or semi-manual modes instead of manual mode.

This is a great camera app to record time-lapses. It is simplistic compared to some of the other apps on this list, but it is also extremely easy to use.

2. ProShot - $4, iOS or Android

ProShot lets you adjust your frame rate, which is important if you want to shoot slow motion or time-lapse videos. You can also adjust your brightness while filming. One of the most useful features of this camera app is that it provides a real-time audio level meter, so you won’t be surprised by a poor sound recording when you watch your videos back.

3. ProCamera - $5, iOS Only

This is one of the most frequently recommended camera apps for iPhones. It makes it easy for you to adjust your focus, iOS, and exposure. You can also play with different filters and effects right in the app. One of the only downsides of this app is that some of its most useful features, like Lowlight Plus, are in-app purchases.

4. Sun Seeker - $10, iOS or Android

A lot of the time when you’re shooting with your phone, you’re shooting outside. When you’re shooting outside, the most important thing you need to keep track of is the sun. Sun Seeker is the perfect app for figuring out where the sun will be in the sky at any given time, which will tell you the best time to go out and make your video.

For more information on making videos with natural light, check out Indoor Natural Lighting Tips .

Besides just keeping track of the sun, Sun Seeker provides an augmented reality view of its path and how it will affect specific locations.

5. FiLMiC Pro - $10, iOS or Android

This is probably the best all-purpose camera app available. It gives you exactly the same kind of control over your smartphone camera as you would have over a DSLR. You can manually adjust your focus, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, tint, and color temperature. There are even voice processing audio filters, so you can capture better audio while you’re shooting and have less to fix in post.

Final Words

Because mobile cameras already perform so well, it can be easy to think to have more to adjust would only make things more complicated. However, there are occasions where you need to be able to make these adjustments. Are the videos you take inside at night at a lower quality than the ones you record during the day, for example? If you could set a higher ISO, you would be able to fix that.

Another example: just the other day, there was a question here about shooting green screen videos on a mobile device. One of our community members, Vivekpanwar, was having an issue with motion blur. Motion blur isn’t always distracting in normal videos, but it becomes a huge issue when you apply a Chroma key effect. The best way to avoid motion blur is to set a high shutter speed, which you can do if you download a quality camera app.

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

Smartphone cameras, especially the newest models, are capable of recording great videos. Depending on what kind of videos you make, you might not actually need a separate camera.

The majority of phone cameras record in full HD now, and some can even manage 4K. Where things get tricky is shooting in less than ideal conditions, i.e low light. You cannot make the same adjustments and customizations to your settings with a smartphone camera as you can with a DSLR.

You don’t have the same level of control.

But don’t worry – there are 5 camera apps that will allow you to record videos and get even more creative with how you use your phone’s camera.

• Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora
• Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is an amazing video editor for both professional staff and beginners. Its intuitive interface, fast timeline rendering, advanced color tuning, and surprising video effects, etc will make your video stand out! Just download it and edit your smartphone videos with Wondershare Filmora

Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Let’s dive!

• 1. Open Camera
• 2. ProShot
• 3. ProCamera
• 4. Sun Seeker
• 5. FiLMiC Pro

1. Open Camera – Free, Android Only

This camera app gives you control over your exposure, flash, focus, ISO, shutter speed, torch, and white balance. How much control you have is up to you. If managing all these things manually is a hassle for you, you can use its automatic or semi-manual modes instead of manual mode.

This is a great camera app to record time-lapses. It is simplistic compared to some of the other apps on this list, but it is also extremely easy to use.

2. ProShot - $4, iOS or Android

ProShot lets you adjust your frame rate, which is important if you want to shoot slow motion or time-lapse videos. You can also adjust your brightness while filming. One of the most useful features of this camera app is that it provides a real-time audio level meter, so you won’t be surprised by a poor sound recording when you watch your videos back.

3. ProCamera - $5, iOS Only

This is one of the most frequently recommended camera apps for iPhones. It makes it easy for you to adjust your focus, iOS, and exposure. You can also play with different filters and effects right in the app. One of the only downsides of this app is that some of its most useful features, like Lowlight Plus, are in-app purchases.

4. Sun Seeker - $10, iOS or Android

A lot of the time when you’re shooting with your phone, you’re shooting outside. When you’re shooting outside, the most important thing you need to keep track of is the sun. Sun Seeker is the perfect app for figuring out where the sun will be in the sky at any given time, which will tell you the best time to go out and make your video.

For more information on making videos with natural light, check out Indoor Natural Lighting Tips .

Besides just keeping track of the sun, Sun Seeker provides an augmented reality view of its path and how it will affect specific locations.

5. FiLMiC Pro - $10, iOS or Android

This is probably the best all-purpose camera app available. It gives you exactly the same kind of control over your smartphone camera as you would have over a DSLR. You can manually adjust your focus, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, tint, and color temperature. There are even voice processing audio filters, so you can capture better audio while you’re shooting and have less to fix in post.

Final Words

Because mobile cameras already perform so well, it can be easy to think to have more to adjust would only make things more complicated. However, there are occasions where you need to be able to make these adjustments. Are the videos you take inside at night at a lower quality than the ones you record during the day, for example? If you could set a higher ISO, you would be able to fix that.

Another example: just the other day, there was a question here about shooting green screen videos on a mobile device. One of our community members, Vivekpanwar, was having an issue with motion blur. Motion blur isn’t always distracting in normal videos, but it becomes a huge issue when you apply a Chroma key effect. The best way to avoid motion blur is to set a high shutter speed, which you can do if you download a quality camera app.

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

Smartphone cameras, especially the newest models, are capable of recording great videos. Depending on what kind of videos you make, you might not actually need a separate camera.

The majority of phone cameras record in full HD now, and some can even manage 4K. Where things get tricky is shooting in less than ideal conditions, i.e low light. You cannot make the same adjustments and customizations to your settings with a smartphone camera as you can with a DSLR.

You don’t have the same level of control.

But don’t worry – there are 5 camera apps that will allow you to record videos and get even more creative with how you use your phone’s camera.

• Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora
• Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Part 1: Bonus Tip-Make Your Own Video with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is an amazing video editor for both professional staff and beginners. Its intuitive interface, fast timeline rendering, advanced color tuning, and surprising video effects, etc will make your video stand out! Just download it and edit your smartphone videos with Wondershare Filmora

Part 2: Best 5 Camera Apps to Record Videos on iPhone and Android

Let’s dive!

• 1. Open Camera
• 2. ProShot
• 3. ProCamera
• 4. Sun Seeker
• 5. FiLMiC Pro

1. Open Camera – Free, Android Only

This camera app gives you control over your exposure, flash, focus, ISO, shutter speed, torch, and white balance. How much control you have is up to you. If managing all these things manually is a hassle for you, you can use its automatic or semi-manual modes instead of manual mode.

This is a great camera app to record time-lapses. It is simplistic compared to some of the other apps on this list, but it is also extremely easy to use.

2. ProShot - $4, iOS or Android

ProShot lets you adjust your frame rate, which is important if you want to shoot slow motion or time-lapse videos. You can also adjust your brightness while filming. One of the most useful features of this camera app is that it provides a real-time audio level meter, so you won’t be surprised by a poor sound recording when you watch your videos back.

3. ProCamera - $5, iOS Only

This is one of the most frequently recommended camera apps for iPhones. It makes it easy for you to adjust your focus, iOS, and exposure. You can also play with different filters and effects right in the app. One of the only downsides of this app is that some of its most useful features, like Lowlight Plus, are in-app purchases.

4. Sun Seeker - $10, iOS or Android

A lot of the time when you’re shooting with your phone, you’re shooting outside. When you’re shooting outside, the most important thing you need to keep track of is the sun. Sun Seeker is the perfect app for figuring out where the sun will be in the sky at any given time, which will tell you the best time to go out and make your video.

For more information on making videos with natural light, check out Indoor Natural Lighting Tips .

Besides just keeping track of the sun, Sun Seeker provides an augmented reality view of its path and how it will affect specific locations.

5. FiLMiC Pro - $10, iOS or Android

This is probably the best all-purpose camera app available. It gives you exactly the same kind of control over your smartphone camera as you would have over a DSLR. You can manually adjust your focus, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, tint, and color temperature. There are even voice processing audio filters, so you can capture better audio while you’re shooting and have less to fix in post.

Final Words

Because mobile cameras already perform so well, it can be easy to think to have more to adjust would only make things more complicated. However, there are occasions where you need to be able to make these adjustments. Are the videos you take inside at night at a lower quality than the ones you record during the day, for example? If you could set a higher ISO, you would be able to fix that.

Another example: just the other day, there was a question here about shooting green screen videos on a mobile device. One of our community members, Vivekpanwar, was having an issue with motion blur. Motion blur isn’t always distracting in normal videos, but it becomes a huge issue when you apply a Chroma key effect. The best way to avoid motion blur is to set a high shutter speed, which you can do if you download a quality camera app.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

A Step-by-Step Guide on Applying CC Rights Effectively

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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