Is CC BY-NC OK for YouTube?

Short answer: Monetized or sponsored video: No. Non-commercial video, adapted, with credit: Yes.

CC BY-NC 4.0 allows sharing and adapting with credit, for non-commercial purposes only. A monetized channel or sponsored video is a commercial use.

Monetized or sponsored video: No

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-4.0, curated)

• CC BY-NC 4.0 prohibits commercial_use.

Duties: attribution, license_notice, state_changes, no_additional_restrictions

Non-commercial video, adapted, with credit: Yes

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-4.0, curated)

• Every use you described is granted by CC BY-NC 4.0, and nothing you described is prohibited.

Duties: attribution, license_notice, state_changes, no_additional_restrictions

Context

• Whether a particular channel is "non-commercial" can be a judgment call; when in doubt, ask the rights holder for permission.

Sources

• CC BY-NC 4.0 deed

Check it yourself (free, no key)

{
  "tool": "check_license",
  "arguments": {
    "license": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
    "intended_use": {
      "commercial_use": true,
      "redistribution": true
    }
  }
}

Computed from Rightshold's license profiles; not legal advice. Updated 2026-10-19. JSON · Markdown