Guides · 02

How to credit free music in a video, stream or podcast

A good credit takes ten seconds and saves you a headache later. Here’s what it needs and where to put it.

What a CC BY 4.0 credit needs

• Who made it: Purrple Cat.
• What it is: the track title, if you can.
• Where it’s from: purrplecat.com.
• The licence: CC BY 4.0, with a link where links work.
• Changes: if you edited the track beyond trimming or fading, say so (“edited”).

Copy-paste credits

YouTube description

Music: “Track Title” by Purrple Cat
https://purrplecat.com
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Twitch panel or stream description

Music by Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com) · CC BY 4.0

TikTok, Reels and Shorts caption

Music: “Track Title” by Purrple Cat (CC BY 4.0)

Podcast show notes

Music: “Track Title” by Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Slideshow or school project

Music: “Track Title” by Purrple Cat, purrplecat.com
Licence: CC BY 4.0

Used lots of tracks?

Tear a tab for every track you use and open your pocket. It writes one credit block with every title in it, ready to paste.

If a claim shows up anyway

Purrple Cat’s Self Releases aren’t in Content ID, so a claim on this music is a mistake, usually from someone who re-uploaded it. Dispute it, quote the CC BY 4.0 licence and point to your credit line.

Questions

Do I need the track title in the credit?

It’s the nicest way to do it and helps viewers find the song. If space is tight, “Music by Purrple Cat (CC BY 4.0)” still credits the creator and the licence.

Can I put the credit only in the video itself?

Yes, CC BY lets you credit in any reasonable way for the medium. On YouTube, the description is better because people and claim reviewers can read and copy it.

Do I credit every track?

Yes, ideally. Your pocket on this site writes one block for every track you tore off, so it’s quick.