Credit media assets and music
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Learning Objectives
- 1Identify the credit format required for images, audio, music, video clips, and fonts
- 2Apply Creative Commons license rules when using and attributing media assets
- 3Write a correctly formatted attribution line for an in-text credit and a credits page
- 4Distinguish between copyright, fair use, and public domain in your own media projects
Mini Lesson
Every image, sound clip, piece of music, video segment, and font you use in a media project was created by someone. Using these assets without credit is plagiarism — even when you find them online for free. Crediting media means naming the creator, stating the license, and linking the source. This lesson covers how to do that correctly for the most common asset types.
Why Crediting Media Matters
- Copyright law gives creators control over how their work is used and shared.
- Creative Commons licenses let creators share work with specific conditions attached — you must follow those conditions.
- Crediting assets protects you from plagiarism accusations and builds trust with your audience.
- A credits page or in-text attribution shows your audience exactly where every asset came from.
Creative Commons License Types
- CC BY — Attribute the creator. Free to use, adapt, and share commercially as long as you give credit.
- CC BY-SA — Attribute + Share Alike. Your new work must carry the same license as the original.
- CC BY-NC — Attribute + Non-Commercial. You may use and adapt it, but not for profit.
- CC0 — Public Domain Dedication. The creator gives up all rights; no credit is legally required, but good practice is to still acknowledge the source.
Credit Line Anatomy
- Asset type — state what kind of asset it is: Photo, Music, Font, Video clip, etc.
- Creator name — the person or organization who made it.
- License — the specific Creative Commons license or copyright statement.
- Source URL — the direct link to where the asset can be found.
You use a photograph from Unsplash by photographer Marius Tache, licensed CC BY.
How do you write the credit line?
The credit names the asset type (Photo), the title in quotes, the creator, the license abbreviation, and the source URL on one line.
Credit Format by Asset Type
- Image / Photo — Title, Creator, License, Source URL.
- Music / Audio — Track title, Artist, License, Platform URL (e.g. Free Music Archive, ccMixter).
- Video clip — Clip title or description, Creator / Channel, License, Platform URL.
- Font — Font name, Foundry / Designer, License (e.g. SIL OFL, Apache), Source URL (e.g. Google Fonts).
- Icon / Vector graphic — Icon name, Designer / Pack name, License, Source URL (e.g. The Noun Project, Flaticon).
In-Text Attribution vs Credits Page
- In-text attribution — a short credit placed near the asset on the slide or page: e.g. "Photo by Marius Tache / CC BY" as a caption.
- Credits page — a dedicated final slide or section listing every asset used in the project in full credit-line format.
- Both may be required: some projects need in-text captions AND a separate credits page at the end.
- For your media projects, always include a credits page even if in-text captions are also shown.
Tip: bookmark a free-asset source such as Unsplash (photos), Free Music Archive (audio), or Google Fonts (fonts) and always download with a record of the license. Copy the credit information into a running list as you work — it is much harder to find it again after the project is finished.
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