How we check every source

Short answer: we read the license of every source ourselves and turn it into five plain answers: monetized content, commercial use, editing, credit and Content ID claims. Every listing is checked by hand before it goes live, and we check sources again when licenses change. Paid upgrades change where a listing appears, never what its labels say.

Why we exist

Free music, photos and fonts are everywhere, but the rules are hidden in long license texts full of legal words. Creators take risks they do not know about, and makers do not get the credit they deserve. NonCopyrighted puts the rules first: before you click through to a source, you know what you may do.

What we check for every source

• Who is behind it: the maker, label or platform, and if they really own what they offer.
• The license text: we read the full terms, not just the summary on the homepage.
• Monetized content: may you use it in videos that earn ad money?
• Commercial use: ads, client work, products?
• Editing: may you cut, remix or put it under a video?
• Credit: required, appreciated or not needed, and how exactly.
• Content ID: for music, do claims happen, and can you whitelist your channel?

What the labels mean

• Free Allowed without conditions.
• Credit required or Partly Allowed, but with a condition. Read the line under it.
• No Not allowed under the free license. Sometimes possible with a paid license.

Our labels are a summary to help you choose. The license of the source itself is always leading. That is why every source page links to the original terms.

How new listings are reviewed

Makers can list their own work. Before a listing goes live, a person checks it:

1. Is the link real and does it work?
2. Does the maker appear to own the work they offer?
3. Is the license clear and does it match what the maker told us?
4. Is the content something creators can really use, without spam or misleading claims?

We reject listings that do not meet these points, and we remove listings when we find out later that something is wrong.

How we keep it up to date

Licenses change. Big platforms have changed their terms before, and makers change their minds. We check our sources again every month, look for changed terms and dead links, and update the labels when needed. Each guide on this site shows when it was last checked.

How we make money

NonCopyrighted is free for creators. We earn money in three ways:

• Ads on some pages.
• Affiliate links. Some links to sources are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
• Upgrades for makers. Makers can pay to appear first in their category (marked Sponsored) or on the home page (marked Featured).

Paying, or an affiliate deal, never changes the labels, the license summary or our review. A paid listing with strict rules still shows those strict rules.

When something is wrong

Did you find a label that is not right, a license that changed, or work that is offered by someone who does not own it? Please tell us. We look into every report and fix mistakes quickly. Makers who find their work listed without permission can ask us to remove it.