0copyright

0copyright / No copyright music for YouTube

No copyright music for YouTube, done properly

You want music that won't get your video blocked or demonetized. Here's what “no copyright music” really means on YouTube, and a five-minute routine that covers everything the license asks.

The short answer

Every track in the 0copyright catalog is licensed under CC BY 4.0. You can use it in YouTube videos, including monetized ones, as long as you credit it in the description. There's no fee and no sign-up.

When creators search for "no copyright music", they usually mean music that won't cause a copyright strike (a legal takedown that counts against your channel) or a Content ID claim (an automated match that can send your ad revenue to someone else). Almost all of that music is still copyrighted. What makes it safe is a license: permission from the owner, in writing, to everyone.

So the question to ask about any track isn't "is it copyright-free?" but "what license is it under, and what does it ask of me?" For Purrple Cat's Self Releases, the answer is CC BY 4.0, and the only ask is credit. The license explainer goes through it in detail.

The five-minute routine

  1. Pick a track from the catalog. Filter by mood (calm, night, rain, upbeat and so on) and press play for a 30-second preview.
  2. Get the full file from one of the official free download pages linked under the catalog, so you have a clean, full-length copy.
  3. Edit freely. Trim, loop, fade or duck it under your voice. The license allows adaptations.
  4. Copy the credit line with the button on the track's row and paste it into your description. If you edited the track, add "(edited)".
  5. Keep a note of where you got the track and when. One line in a spreadsheet is enough, and it makes any dispute quick.

What to put in your description

Here's the YouTube format from the clearance slip on the home page:

Music: "Up All Night" by Purrple Cat
purrplecat.com
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Using several tracks? List each title on its own line, then add the artist and license once at the end. More formats are in how to credit CC BY music.

Monetization

CC BY 4.0 allows commercial use, so the license doesn't stand between you and ad revenue, channel memberships or sponsored segments. What it can't do is make a video eligible on its own. YouTube's monetization policies also cover things like reused content and advertiser-friendliness. A video that is just a song over a still image, for example, may not qualify for ads no matter what the music license says. Add your own value: commentary, footage, an edit, a story.

Content ID: Purrple Cat never claims your video

Content ID is YouTube's automated matching system. Rights holders upload reference files, and YouTube compares every new upload against them (How Content ID works). Purrple Cat Self Releases are not registered in Content ID, and never will be, so Purrple Cat won't claim your video or take its revenue. Once in a while a third party falsely claims a track, for example by registering a re-upload they don't own. Those false claims are dealt with promptly once they're discovered.

If a third party ever claims a 0copyright track on your video:

  1. Open the claim in YouTube Studio and check which track and which claimant it names.
  2. Choose to dispute a Content ID claim, select that you have a license, and paste your credit line plus the license link.
  3. Mention the official source you downloaded from and when.

A claim is not a strike. Your channel isn't penalized while a claim is open, though revenue from the video may be held until the dispute is resolved.

The one rule: no re-uploads, remixes or covers on streaming services

Please don't re-upload or release the music on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music or Deezer, through DistroKid, TuneCore or any other distributor, whether as-is, sped up, slowed, in a compilation, or as a remix, a track that samples it, or a cover. Those releases are what cause false Content ID claims on other creators' videos. Posting your own videos with the music on YouTube is fine. YouTube Music is different: tracks get there through distributors, and many distributors register their releases in Content ID.

Shorts, livestreams, VODs and other social media

The same license covers every format, on every social media platform: TikTok, Instagram and Reels, Facebook, X, Twitch and Snapchat as well as YouTube. For Shorts, the caption is the natural place for credit. If a full link doesn't fit, put the complete credit in a pinned comment. For livestreams, a line in the stream description works, and you can add the music to an on-screen "now playing" panel too.

Why Purrple Cat?

Purrple Cat is a solo lofi project that began in 2018, with more than 450 songs and over 400 million Spotify streams. Lofi is a natural fit for videos. It's instrumental, steady and warm, and it sits under a voice without fighting it. The catalog here covers 62 tracks across Purrple Cat's Self Release albums, from the 2018 debut Up All Night to 2026's City Nights 3. For whole albums and video-specific tips, see musicforyoutube.com.

Questions

Will Purrple Cat claim my video?

No. Purrple Cat Self Releases are not registered in Content ID, and never will be. If a third party falsely claims a track, dispute it in YouTube Studio with the CC BY 4.0 license and your credit. False claims are dealt with promptly once they're reported.

Will using this music get my channel a strike?

A strike is a legal takedown request. The license gives you permission, so there's no basis for one when you follow it. If you ever received one in error, you could file a counter-notification citing the license.

Can I upload a track, or a remix or cover of it, to Spotify or YouTube Music?

Please don't. Purrple Cat's one rule is no re-uploads to streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music or Deezer, through any distributor, and that includes remixes, tracks that sample the music, and covers. Those releases are what cause false Content ID claims. Using the music in your own YouTube videos and Shorts is fine.

Do I have to credit in every video?

Yes. Each video that uses a track needs its own credit, usually in the description.

Can I use the music in a video intro or channel trailer?

Yes. Credit it in that video's description like any other.

Is YouTube's Audio Library the same thing?

No. YouTube's Audio Library is a separate collection with its own terms. Tracks here are licensed directly by Purrple Cat under CC BY 4.0.

Keep reading

62 tracks, previewable, each with its credit line ready to copy.

Open the catalog