The NonCommercial (NC) restriction prohibits fundraising, advertising, and product promotion — even for non-profits

A common misconception is that ‘non-commercial’ means ‘free for non-profits’ or ‘free for small creators.’ The CC license definition of commercial use is ‘primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation.’ This explicitly includes fundraising, advertising, and promoting a product or service without further permission — even by non-profit organizations. A non-profit using CC BY-NC music in a fundraising video violates the license. The test is the purpose of the use, not the legal status of the user. When in doubt about whether a use is commercial, contact the artist for written permission.

Examples

A non-profit uses a CC BY-NC track in a donation campaign video → this is a commercial use (fundraising) and violates the license. A student uses the same track in a school assignment with no public distribution → likely non-commercial, but university context may vary.

Assessment

A podcast with no ads uses a CC BY-NC track in an episode. Is this commercial use? A crowdfunded documentary uses CC BY-NC music — does the crowdfunding campaign constitute commercial use? Explain your reasoning for each.