How to Write a CC BY Attribution That Holds Up

Creative Commons asks for very little in return for the music you borrow, and the main thing is credit. Yet attribution is where many people slip. They write a vague thank-you, forget the license, or bury the line where nobody can see it. A good credit takes thirty seconds to write and protects you from a lot of trouble.

The TASL pattern

Creative Commons itself recommends remembering four elements, often abbreviated TASL:

• Title of the work
• Author, meaning the artist's name
• Source, a link to where the track lives
• License, with a link to the license text

Here is a complete example:

"Morning Tide" by Ines Calloway, from the Open Tracks archive (link), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (link).

That single sentence covers everything. If the license version is shown on the source page, copy it exactly. Writing "CC BY" when the track is actually CC BY-SA changes the obligations.

Mention changes you made

If you trimmed the track, faded it out, or mixed it under a voiceover, the license generally expects you to indicate that you modified it. A short phrase is enough:

"Morning Tide" by Ines Calloway (link), CC BY 4.0 (link). Shortened and faded out.

Some licenses forbid modification altogether. With a CC BY-ND track, do not edit it. Playing it unchanged is fine, but trimming is not.

Where to put the credit

The rule of thumb is to place it where a reasonable person looking for it would find it, in a way suited to the medium:

1. YouTube video. Put it in the description, near the top if you can, and mention it on screen if the track is prominent.
2. Podcast. Add it to the show notes of the episode and, for important music, say it aloud at the end.
3. Website or blog post. Place it in a caption under the media player or in a footer credits list.
4. Presentation. Use a final slide titled Credits.
5. Printed material. A small line on the back or inside cover works.

Three ready-made templates

For a video description:

Music: "Harbor Lights" by Tomas Reyes (link) is licensed under CC BY 4.0 (link).

For podcast show notes:

Intro music: "Paper Planes" by The Quiet Orchard. Source: (link). License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (link). Our edit shortens the track by 20 seconds.

For a school project:

Audio: "Rain on Tin" by Lila Okafor, CC BY 4.0, retrieved from the Open Tracks archive on 12 April 2026.

Include the retrieval date if the source might change. It helps if the page disappears later.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crediting only the website, not the artist.
• Leaving out the license, so readers cannot tell what applies.
• Hiding the credit in a place that loads only after several clicks.
• Suggesting the artist endorses your project. The credit must not imply that.
• Forgetting that ShareAlike tracks pass the same license on to your remix.

Keep a credits log

When you reuse music regularly, keep a small spreadsheet with columns for title, artist, link, license, date retrieved and where you used it. After a year of publishing, you will be grateful for it, especially when a platform flags a track and you need to show proof within minutes.

If you save a CC track through the converter, name the file with the license too. Remember the converter handles videos up to 15 minutes and 10 conversions per IP per hour, and files vanish after one hour. For more on finding suitable tracks, browse the blog.

Rights note

Only convert and reuse material when you hold the rights, or when it is Creative Commons licensed or royalty-free and you follow its conditions. This text is general information, not legal advice. See the terms of use for what you agree to on this site.