Free Stock License Cheat Sheet (2026)
"Free" on an asset site means nothing until you read the license. This cheat sheet covers the licenses you'll actually meet across the 1,228 free stock sites in our directory — and the traps that get creators claimed, muted or sued.
The three questions that decide if an asset is usable
1. Can I use it in commercial work — client videos, monetized YouTube, ads? 2. Do I have to credit anyone — and where does the credit go? 3. Can I modify it — and can I even put it in a video at all?
Quick comparison
| License | Commercial use | Attribution | Modify / remix | Resell or redistribute the file | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC0 / Public Domain | Yes | Not required | Yes | No — can't resell the asset itself as stock | Some "CC0" sites add their own extra terms; trademarks and people are never covered |
| CC BY | Yes | Required (title, author, source, license) | Yes | No | Credit must be visible — a link in the video description is usually enough |
| CC BY-SA | Yes | Required | Yes, but derivatives must carry the same license | No | For client work, assume your whole video may need CC BY-SA — a dealbreaker |
| CC BY-ND | Yes | Required | No derivatives | No | Syncing music to video counts as a derivative — ND music is often unusable |
| CC BY-NC | No — non-commercial only | Required | Yes | No | Ad-supported or monetized uploads count as commercial. Assume you can't use it |
| CC BY-NC-ND | No | Required | No | No | The most restrictive license — treat it as review-only |
| Pexels License | Yes | Not required | Yes | No — unaltered resale and competing services banned | People, brands and logos in the shot still need common sense |
| Unsplash License | Yes | Not required (appreciated) | Yes | No — can't compile into a competing library | Unsplash+ content is paid; filter it out before you download |
| Pixabay Content License | Yes | Not required | Yes | No — no standalone redistribution | The license changed in 2019; old "CC0" articles are outdated |
| Mixkit Free License | Yes | Not required | Yes | No — no resale, no aggregation, no competing service | A small subset uses a Restricted License — personal use only. Check the badge |
| Bensound (free tier) | Yes, with credit | Required | Yes | No | TV, radio and broadcast use need a paid license |
| Uppbeat (free tier) | Yes, with credit | Required — per-video credit code | Yes | No | Only 3 downloads per month; every video needs its own code |
| FMA (Free Music Archive) | Per track | Per track | Per track | No | Mixed CC licenses — NC and ND tracks are the traps |
| "Royalty-free" (paid libraries) | Yes | Usually not required | Yes | No | Royalty-free ≠ free. It means no royalties per use — you still pay the subscription |
How to credit correctly (TASL)
Every CC license with "BY" requires Title, Author, Source and License. A correct credit looks like:
> Music: "Track Title" by Artist Name (https://source-link) — CC BY 4.0
For video, put it in the description or end credits; for podcasts, read it out or put it in the show notes. "Credit appreciated" on a site's license page means it's optional — "attribution required" does not.
The five traps that catch creators
1. ND music in a video. Syncing audio to video is a derivative work — CC BY-ND music usually can't be used at all. 2. NC tracks in monetized uploads. "Non-commercial" excludes ad-supported and client work. 3. CC BY-SA in client projects. The share-alike term can force your deliverable under the same license. 4. "CC0" sites with extra terms. A site can call its library CC0 and still ban redistribution or AI training in its own terms. 5. Royalty-free ≠ free. Royalty-free libraries still require a subscription or purchase.
Before you publish — 30-second checklist
- [ ] Which license is on the asset page (not the homepage)?
- [ ] Commercial use allowed?
- [ ] Attribution needed — and is it in the right place?
- [ ] Any people, logos or trademarks in the shot?
- [ ] For music: does the site require per-video credits or have download limits?
- [ ] Saved a screenshot of the license page (proof if a claim appears later)?
*Last reviewed: October 2026. Licenses change — always confirm on the source site before publishing.*