Short answer: it depends entirely on the license. CC0 and public-domain sounds need no credit. Creative Commons (CC BY) sounds legally require it. Most paid royalty-free licenses do not. Here is exactly when attribution is required and how to do it right.
The answer
Attribution is a function of the license, not the platform. Match your sound to one of these four cases.
Step 01
When a sound is released under CC0 or placed in the public domain, the creator has permanently waived all rights. You can use it commercially, modify it, and republish it with no attribution whatsoever. This is the only license category where you are guaranteed to never owe a credit. If staying credit-free matters to you, look specifically for the words "CC0" or "public domain".
CC0 is the only always-credit-free licenseStep 02
CC BY sounds are free to use, including commercially, but the license legally requires you to credit the original creator. Skipping the credit technically puts you in violation, even though the sound was free. The credit usually needs the creator name and, where practical, a link to the source. A single line in your video description satisfies this for almost every platform.
Free does not mean credit-free under CC BYStep 03
Most paid royalty-free libraries do not require attribution as part of the license you purchase, but a minority do for their free tiers. Never assume. Read the specific terms on the page you downloaded from. If it does not explicitly say attribution is required, you generally do not need to credit, but keeping a record of the license protects you.
Read the exact license, not the site nameStep 04
When a credit is required, the safe format is: sound name, creator name, source, and a link, placed in the video description. For example: "Whoosh by VideoEditingSFX, sourced from videoeditingsfx.com." This satisfies CC BY and is more than enough for any platform. When in doubt, adding a credit costs nothing and removes all risk.
Name + source + link, in the descriptionGood to know
Tip 01
If attribution is a hassle you would rather avoid entirely, build your sound library from CC0 sources. Every sound on VideoEditingSFX is CC0, so you can use all of them in monetized videos, client work, and ads with no credit required and no license to track.
Tip 02
For the rare CC BY sound, you do not need an on-screen credit. A single line in the video description naming the creator and source is accepted by YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and the Creative Commons license itself. Keep it simple and consistent.
Tip 03
Even when no credit is required, jot down where each sound came from and its license. If a video is ever questioned months later, a two-minute note saves you from re-checking every sound or disputing a claim without evidence.
FAQ
No. CC0 means the creator has waived all rights, so no credit is ever required, even for commercial use. You can use, modify, and republish CC0 sounds freely.
CC BY lets you use a sound for free, including commercially, but you must credit the original creator. A line in the video description naming the creator and linking the source satisfies the license on every major platform.
In the video description. An on-screen credit is not required by any standard sound effect license. Listing the sound name, creator, and source link in the description is sufficient for CC BY and for any platform.
Only if the license requires it. The platform does not impose its own attribution rule for sound effects; the license does. CC0 sounds never need credit on any platform. CC BY sounds need a description credit everywhere.
You are technically in violation of the license. In practice this can lead to a takedown request or a Content ID-style claim from the creator. Adding the credit, or switching to a CC0 sound, removes the risk entirely.
Yes. Every sound on VideoEditingSFX is CC0 licensed, so no credit is required for any use, including monetized YouTube videos, client work, and paid advertising.
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Last updated June 2026