DISTROBOLT ARTIST GUIDES
Creative Commons music: check the actual licence conditions
Creative Commons is a family of licences with different conditions. Identify the exact licence, version and material before using music commercially, adapting it or presenting it as free of restrictions.
Save the actual source licence
Record the creator, work or recording, source URL, licence name, version and date checked. Keep a copy of the relevant permission evidence. A generic CC icon or a reposted file without provenance is not enough to establish what was licensed or whether the uploader had authority.
Check the conditions for your use
Creative Commons distinguishes attribution, NonCommercial, NoDerivatives and ShareAlike elements. For example, an NC licence does not grant commercial use through that licence, while ND restricts sharing adaptations. Read the specific legal terms and relevant exceptions rather than treating those short labels as a complete legal analysis.
Review rights beyond the label
Establish whether the licence covers the composition, recording or both, and check other material such as samples or a person’s image. A CC licence does not guarantee that every possible right is cleared. Seek appropriate advice where the source authority or proposed use is uncertain.
Prepare delivery and attribution
Keep the required credit, licence link and change indication with the final release materials where applicable. Ask DistroBolt whether the actual destination and claiming route support the material. Do not make exclusive ownership assertions over shared licensed content. This checklist does not certify a particular licence or create permission beyond its scope.
Sources and review
Reviewed 4 November 2026. Platform requirements and plan terms can change. Examples are planning aids, not a promise of account access, release acceptance or earnings.
Continue your release planning
- Declare AI use in a music release: a track-by-track guide
- Check the AI tool licence that applied when you made the song
- Does AI mastering count as AI-generated music?
Ask the DistroBolt team about your release. Send a concise question and release reference; never send account passwords or verification codes.