Keep A Licence Log For Every Video Asset

Key Facts

• Identify the exact file, not just the library name.
• Match permission to the actual use and account.
• Keep licence terms alongside transaction evidence.
• Treat missing information as an unresolved decision.

What Question Should Each Row Answer?

Each row should explain why you can use this file in this video. A folder called “royalty-free” does not provide that evidence.

Use an author-created fictional project about designing a reading nook. It contains a creator-shot room clip, a licensed paper texture, commissioned narration and a background track. Those assets enter the project through different routes, so they need different evidence.

YouTube lists permission, appropriate licences and other possible bases for using material, while warning that these options do not guarantee avoiding copyright issues.

Source: YouTube Help. Accessed 2026-10-03. https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797466?hl=en

The ledger is a practical production tool. A disputed or unclear legal question still needs a suitable answer before the asset is approved.

What Does A Filled Ledger Look Like?

All third-party assets and permissions below are fictional. The examples show how to connect a decision to evidence. They do not grant permission to any real material.

Bring the actual project files, source records and intended distribution. Record your assessment beside each file, attach the supporting evidence and list unresolved questions. The ledger organises your record. It does not make the permission decision, and an empty field remains unresolved.

Scroll this table sideways to see every column.

For a real web asset, add its full source URL and the access date to the row's evidence. A library homepage is too broad when hundreds of similarly named assets exist.

The missing licence in the last row must be resolved before the track is approved. The editor can work with temporary music, provided its status is clear.

Which Licence Details Belong In The Record?

Capture the licence name and version, who obtained it, the permitted project or channel, required credit and any restrictions relevant to your plan. If subscription timing or client use matters under the actual terms, record that too.

Do not copy a generic checklist into the “approved” column. Write the specific conclusion supported by the terms: for example, “This named channel and this finished video are covered under the saved licence.” If the wording does not support that conclusion, leave the question open.

Read stock terms before depending on an asset: https://dreamwild.ai/guides/stock-licence-checklist/

How Do You Update The Log After An Edit?

Tie each row to the filename used in the project. When a replacement arrives, update the asset identity rather than leaving the old permission record attached to a new file.

A different recording of the same song is a different asset for this purpose. A new narrator take may contain a changed script. A texture downloaded from a different uploader may have different provenance even if it looks identical.

Keep rejected candidates outside the approved list. That prevents a later editor from choosing an attractive file whose unresolved status was forgotten.

What Should An Editor Receive?

Provide the approved asset list, any required public credits and the unresolved items that must remain excluded. Give access to the supporting evidence through an appropriate private project location.

Keep sensitive performer details and agreements out of public descriptions. The viewer-facing credit and the internal evidence serve different purposes.

For music-specific evidence, use a track record: https://dreamwild.ai/guides/music-licence-evidence/

Before the final handoff, compare the export's asset list with the ledger. The test is concrete: can every third-party element in the finished video be connected to the evidence for that exact use? If not, resolve or replace the unmatched element before it becomes someone else's publishing problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need A Row For My Own Footage?

Include it when it helps establish which file you created and what other material appears in it. Ownership of the recording does not answer every question about its contents.

Is A Purchase Receipt Enough?

A receipt helps establish a transaction. Pair it with the asset identifier and applicable licence terms so you can connect the purchase to the intended use.

Should I Store Private Agreements In The Public Description?

Keep private evidence in your project records. Publish the credits or notices required for viewers without exposing unnecessary personal information.

What If A File Has No Clear Source?

Mark it as unresolved and keep it out of the approved edit until you identify the source and a suitable basis for use.