What a good credit contains
CC BY 4.0 asks you to identify the creator, give a license notice with a link where practical, and say if you changed the work. Creative Commons' recommended attribution practices sum this up as TASL:
| Letter | Means | For Purrple Cat music |
|---|---|---|
| T | Title | "Up All Night" (recommended) |
| A | Author | Purrple Cat |
| S | Source | purrplecat.com |
| L | License | CC BY 4.0, linked to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
The catalog's Copy credit button gives you all four in one line:
Music: "Up All Night" by Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Copy-paste examples by platform
YouTube description
Music: "Up All Night" by Purrple Cat purrplecat.com Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Several tracks in one video
Music by Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com): "Aether", "Time to Think", "Golden Hour" Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Twitch panel or chat command
Music: Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For a !music command, many streamers also add the title of the song that's playing if their overlay supports it.
TikTok, Shorts, Reels and other social posts
Music: "Up All Night" by Purrple Cat · CC BY 4.0 · purrplecat.com
The same caption works on every social media platform, including Facebook, X and Snapchat. Captions often strip links. If yours does, put the full credit with the license URL in your bio or a pinned comment, so the link is reachable from the video.
Podcast show notes
Intro and outro music: "Up All Night" by Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Game or app credits
MUSIC "Up All Night" by Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com) Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Put it in the in-game credits, and also on your store page or in a readme. Players who never open the credits menu can then still find it.
If you changed the track
CC BY asks you to indicate modifications. Keep it simple:
Music: "Up All Night" by Purrple Cat (purrplecat.com), edited. Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
"Edited", "remixed", "shortened" or "slowed" are all fine. You don't need to list every change.
Common mistakes
- "No copyright music" as the credit. That's not a credit. Name the artist and the license.
- "Music: Purrple Cat" with no license. Close, but CC BY asks for the license notice too.
- The wrong license name. Purrple Cat Self Releases here are CC BY 4.0, not CC0 and not "royalty-free".
- Credit only on your website. Put it where the work appears: the video, the stream, the episode, the game.
- Re-uploading the track, or releasing a remix or cover. Credit doesn't make it OK to put the music, or a remix, a track that samples it, or a cover, on Spotify, Apple Music or other streaming services. Use it inside your videos and posts on any social media platform instead.
- Implying endorsement. "Music by Purrple Cat" is fine. "Official Purrple Cat partner" is not, unless it's true.
Forgot to credit an old video?
Add it now. Under Section 6 of CC BY 4.0, your rights are reinstated automatically if you fix a breach within 30 days of discovering it. Editing the description is all it takes.
Questions
Do I need to include the track title?
CC BY 4.0 doesn't strictly require it, but it's recommended and it helps viewers find the song.
Can I shorten the license URL?
Yes. A shortened link that points to the license is fine, though the full URL is clearer and won't break.
Where exactly should the credit go in a video?
In the description is standard. An on-screen credit at the end is a nice extra, but not a substitute if viewers can't see a license link.
Do I credit 0copyright?
No need. Credit Purrple Cat, the creator. A link to this site is welcome but optional.
Keep reading
62 tracks, previewable, each with its credit line ready to copy.
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