What counts as commercial use of music?

"For personal use only" and "commercial use allowed" appear on almost every music licence, and the gap between them is where most licensing mistakes happen. A track that is fine on your own Reels can be off limits on your employer's account. Here is how licences and platforms actually draw that line.

What does commercial use mean in a music licence?

Commercial use generally means using music to promote or sell something, to serve a paying client or to earn money. But there is no single legal definition that applies to every licence. Each licence or platform defines it for itself, so the definition in the licence you actually hold is the one that decides your case.

Creative Commons gives one example. Its NonCommercial licences define noncommercial as not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation. Other licences set the line elsewhere, which is why the same video can be fine under one licence and outside another.

How do TikTok and Meta treat commercial use?

Both separate it out. TikTok says its Commercial Sounds are the only sounds on TikTok made available for commercial uses, and that it grants no rights for commercial uses outside TikTok. Meta's Music Guidelines say using music for commercial or non-personal purposes is prohibited unless you have the appropriate licences.

That is why business accounts see a smaller music library. The details are in do you need a music licence for TikTok and business music rules on Instagram and Facebook.

Is a monetised video commercial use?

Sometimes. It depends entirely on the licence. Some licences treat any monetised video as commercial, while others cover monetisation on your own channel but exclude advertising or client work. Under a Creative Commons NonCommercial licence, a use primarily directed towards monetary compensation is outside the licence, so check the wording before you switch on ads.

A sync licence for YouTube should say whether monetisation is covered. How YouTube licences work is in do you need a sync licence for YouTube.

Is client work commercial use?

Treat it as commercial. A video made for a business, whether a brand, a cafe, a real estate agency or an agency client, serves that business's commercial purpose, even if the business never runs it as an ad. Licences often treat it differently from your own channel, so the licence should name the client.

TikTok, for example, groups brands, businesses and advertisers as business users, who can post Commercial Sounds only within TikTok. Anything you deliver to a client for use elsewhere needs its own licence.

Are paid ads different from organic posts?

Yes. A paid ad is the clearest commercial use there is, and it is usually licensed and priced separately from an organic post. TikTok notes some Commercial Sounds marked Premium may carry an extra fee for ads. For ads outside a platform library, expect a specific advertising licence with a defined term, territory and media.

How ad licences are scoped is covered in music licensing for ad campaigns in Australia.

Does non-commercial mean you do not need a licence?

No. YouTube's copyright guidance says not making money from a video does not prevent copyright issues, and that labelling content as entertainment or educational does not permit the use on its own. Non-commercial use can make some free licences available to you, but you still need a licence that covers the use.

Other common assumptions, such as giving credit, are covered in can you use a song if you give credit.

How do cadential. licences handle commercial use?

Each cadential. use type is a separate licence. Social covers organic posts, YouTube covers videos including monetised channels, and Brand or ad covers paid advertising and brand content. The licence names the licensee, so for client work you enter the client's business at checkout, because a licence cannot be transferred afterwards.

Prices are set by the artists, shown in AUD before checkout, and 80% of every fee goes to the artist. The full terms for each use type are on the licence terms page, and buying is explained on how it works. cadential. is in early access and onboarding its first artists now.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own project, talk to a lawyer. Licence details on cadential. are set out in the licence terms.