The quick answer
Before publishing someone else's footage, establish permission for the intended use and check any creator or campaign restrictions. Credit and link to the original, preserve context, and check separate rights in music, artwork, or gameplay. Attribution alone does not grant permission.
Establish the allowed use
Start with footage you own, creator-supplied footage, or permission that covers the edit you intend to publish. Check the platform, account, commercial use, territories, and any conditions the creator sets.
This guide is a practical recordkeeping checklist, not a legal determination about a particular clip. Rights and exceptions depend on facts and jurisdiction. If your project relies on a contested exception rather than permission, get advice suited to the actual case.
A public recording or a tool that lets you download it does not, by itself, establish permission to republish. No reply to a permission request should not be treated as an affirmative agreement.
Ask a specific question
An illustrative permission request can be simple:
I would like to make short edited clips from your public video “[title]” for [account and platform]. I plan to include source links and [describe whether monetization or a paid campaign is involved]. May I do this, and are there restrictions on footage, timing, captions, or branding?
Use your own details and the creator’s preferred contact channel. Keep the response with the project. A broad “can I use your content?” can leave important expectations unresolved.
Check material inside the recording
The person who recorded the video may not control every asset in it. Music, artwork, film excerpts, gameplay, a guest’s contribution, and sponsor material can introduce other restrictions.
Make an asset note for material that matters to your edit. If you cannot establish the permitted use, remove or replace it with material you can use, or choose another moment. Be especially careful with music added after the edit; a library available on one platform may not cover publishing the same file elsewhere.
Read creator and agency rules
Some creators and agencies publish detailed clipping guidelines. Check the current official page, not an old community summary. Requirements can differ for public streams, paid content, translations, live broadcasts, titles, and monetization.
Hololive, for example, publishes derivative-work and clipping guidance. That document applies within its stated scope; it is not a blanket rule for all VTubers or all assets visible in a stream. Our VTuber clipping guide explains the practical workflow.
Credit in a way people can use
Name the creator and link to the original recording. Include the relevant timestamp when it helps a viewer find the full context. Credit separately licensed music or artwork according to its terms.
Keep the title and thumbnail accurate. Credit does not fix an edit that changes what a speaker said, and it does not replace permission. It does help viewers reach the original and makes the clip’s relationship to the source clear.
Keep permission separate from monetization
YouTube’s reused-content policy is separate from copyright and can apply even when you have permission. A lightly modified repost with captions may still fail the platform’s standards for meaningful added value.
Campaign approval is another distinct question. A campaign can reject content for not meeting its brief even if you have rights to the underlying footage. Keep records for both the rights and the campaign requirements.
Save a short project record
Store the source URL, creator identity, permission or relevant guideline URL, date checked, intended platforms, commercial-use details, third-party asset notes, and any publication restrictions.
If the creator asks for a change or removal, review the request and the governing permission promptly. A reliable clipping relationship depends on communication as well as editing quality.
Sources & further reading
Official documentation checked on October 6, 2026. Platform features and rules can change.