--- title: 'Canva licensing explained' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=X5aZaGF5DNs' video_id: 'X5aZaGF5DNs' date: 2026-09-18 duration_sec: 721 channel: 'Canva' --- # Canva licensing explained > Source: [Canva licensing explained](https://youtube.com/watch?v=X5aZaGF5DNs) ## Summary This video is a Q&A session hosted by Matthew from the Canberra Design School, addressing common questions about Canva's content licensing. It covers topics such as using pro elements, crediting creators, using stock photos with people, trademarking logos, selling designs, using music, and copying content. The video provides practical guidance while emphasizing that policies change and referring to official documentation for the most current information. ### Key Points - **Using a single pro element** [01:15] — You can license one pro element for $1 for a one-off design, but if you use it in multiple designs, you pay per design (e.g., $5 for four designs). A monthly subscription is better if you use pro elements frequently. - **Crediting creators** [02:11] — Generally, you don't need to credit creators when publishing designs, except for editorial use (e.g., stock photos in articles). In that case, attribute with copyright symbol, contributor name, and Canva website. - **Using stock photos with people** [03:09] — You cannot use stock photos of people to promote goods/services if it's offensive, depicts them in a bad light, implies endorsement without permission, or involves categories like tobacco, adult entertainment, or medical products. - **Portraying brand advocates** [04:33] — You cannot attribute a testimonial to a specific person in a stock photo without their permission. However, if the testimonial is not attributed to a specific person (e.g., using a generic photo), it's allowed. - **Trademarking logos** [05:39] — You cannot trademark a logo made from Canva templates or stock content because they are not exclusive to you. You can use templates for personal projects or inspiration, but not for trademark registration. - **Selling designs** [07:16] — You can sell products (e.g., t-shirts, mugs) featuring your own unique designs, but not stock content alone. Digital templates must be original and, if using pro content, must be shared via Canva link, not as downloadable files. - **Using Canva Music** [09:32] — Canva Music can be used for commercial videos, but pro music is only for online ads (YouTube, social media), not traditional media. You cannot remix or edit pro music. - **Copying content from online** [10:45] — You cannot copy content from online, paste it into Canva, and print it without permission from the rights owner. This breaches Canva's terms and conditions and is considered stealing intellectual property. ### Conclusion Canva's licensing rules are designed to protect creators and ensure fair use. Always refer to the official licensing agreement for the most up-to-date information, and when in doubt, create your own original designs. ## Transcript I'm so sorry, really. I hadn't even looked at the script. What are we doing? I'm just going to ask you a question. Great. Design questions? No, legal questions. Legal questions? Hello. My name is Matthew and I am from the Canberra Design School. And I really do want to answer your questions about advice and things, but you have to understand that making a video like this can be challenging as our terms and policies are continually being updated and different rules apply to different types of users. But I'm going to do my best and try and answer your questions and keep it a little bit simple. Just keep in mind that things change fast around here, so consider everything I'm about to say as general guidance and refer to this document for the most up-to-date information that applies more specifically to you and any commercial project. Before we go any further, make sure you subscribe to our channel where we create all sorts of how-to videos featuring clever tips and tricks and... I'm just putting this off, aren't I? Okay, should we get started? First email. Here we go. I want to include one pro element in my design. do I need to pay for a monthly subscription or is there another way around this? Okay, this is a pretty nice and easy one to get started with. If you need one piece of pro content, you can obtain a license to use it for just a dollar. This is a great option if you're creating a one-off design because you can edit and download it as much as you like. However, if you want to use it in several designs, you're going to need to pay per design. For example, let's say you want to use a pro element to create an Instagram post or story, A YouTube video, a TikTok video, and a thumbnail. And that's going to cost you $5. Now, do this a few times a month, and you're probably better off with a monthly subscription. That way, you get unlimited access to pro content and other amazing tools, like Canva's highly regarded Remove Background Remover, or Magic Resize, which is one of my favorites. Okay, I think that covers it. Next question. When I publish my designs online, do I need to credit anyone? Generally, no, although I'm sure our creators would love it if you did. One exception to this rule is if you're using Canva content for editorial use. For example, if you're featuring one of Canva's stock photos alongside a newspaper article or a website or a blog. In this case, you'll need to attribute the creator like this. Or like this. Start with the copyright symbol, followed by the contributor's name, and then finally the Canva website. And of course, you can't take credit for any elements of the design which you haven't created yourself. Quality content for you great exposure for our creators Everyone a winner These questions aren so bad What are they even worried about Alright next one I may have spoken too soon This one not as straightforward but I going to give it a crack The question is, can I use stock photos featuring people to promote or endorse goods and services? First up, if the design is considered offensive in any way, it's a hard no. For example, nothing pornographic, obscene, immoral, infringing, blanderous, defamatory, libelous, or anything that's reasonably likely to bring any personal property reflected in the photo into disrepute. Those are no-brainers, really, but then there are a few more that you may not be aware of. You can't feature people in stock images that may result in them being depicted in a bad light or they themselves might find offensive. For example, in pornography or the sell tobacco, adult entertainment, escort services, medical products such as pharmaceuticals or supplements, or connections to political endorsements. None of that. You can't imply the person featured engages in any immoral or illegal activity or suffers from a physical or mental infirmity, ailment or condition. If your business does fall under one of these categories, I'd recommend reading Canvas' content licensing agreement for more information. I'm going to put that in the video description. Alright, this next detail applies to all businesses, so you're going to want to listen up. When it comes to using stock images to promote everyday goods and services, You cannot portray someone as a brand advocate or as a general customer endorsing your business, like this for example. While this may be a real testimonial, you can't pretend it was said by the person featured in the photo, unless you've got their permission. However, this is where it gets a little bit confusing. You could switch out the photo for another stock image, like this one, and while it still features people, the testimonial is no longer attributed to a specific person and therefore it's allowed. Okay, let's look at a few more examples just to be clear. This would be a breach of canvas terms and conditions, but this one would be okay. You can't do something like this, but this would be fine. Get the picture? If in doubt, I recommend uploading your own photos. That way you have the opportunity to gain written permission and ensure that you have the rights to use it. Alright, moving on. Can I use Canva content to create a logo I want to register as a trademark? The short answer is no, but let me explain why. A trademark gives the owner exclusive rights in that logo. And because our content and logo templates can be used by all Canva users, one person cannot claim to own them exclusively simply it can be said or look similar to the logo of another business Even if you made some modifications to a template like this one it still based on a pre design and therefore you would not be able to claim exclusive rights. So you may be wondering, why does Canva even have logo templates? Well firstly, you can use them for personal projects and hobbies like labelling home-brewed beer or adding them to the back of a personalized card or any use where you don't care about having exclusive rights like a logo doesn't always need to be a trademark secondly you can use them for inspiration to create your own unique designs using basic lines or shapes or fonts from our free library but remember that you cannot ever use stock content for example photos or graphics as part of your trademark. Want more info about trademark logos? Well, there's a handy article that explains this in much more detail. I've added it into the description as well, in case you want to find it later. Before we go any further, I'm curious though whether you're finding this helpful. Am I kicking off some of the concerns, or your list of questions maybe growing? Let me know in the comments if you need anything clarified, and I'll do my best to respond. Okay, I think I've got time for a few more. Can I sell the designs I produce on Canva? This is a great question and a bit of a hot topic at the moment, so I'm not surprised it's come up. Let's go through a few of the categories and examples. So, say I want to sell my design by adding it to a t-shirt or a mug or other merchandise. Is this allowed? Well, you can sell products which feature your designs, but they must be YOUR designs. Let me explain what I mean by this. See this image here? On its own, I can't claim that I designed it. It was produced by one of Canva's amazing creators. But if I incorporate elements like this, then it becomes a unique composition that I can print on t-shirts, mugs or tote bags and sell to the public. And what about if I create a design on Canva that I think others would like and maybe want to sell it as a template? There are unique restrictions on selling Canva designs digitally, particularly if the designs use pro content from Canva's media library. And this includes things like printable art, ebooks, digital templates, like this one. Existing templates on Canva cannot be resold as is. You have to create your own unique template designs by adding your own text, fonts, colours and layouts. If your template design includes pro content, you must make sure the template is kept in Canva. That is, the template is a Canva template share link that directs users back to Canva, not as a separate downloadable digital file. This is to ensure that the royalties are paid to our photographers and our artists and our illustrators who contribute to Canvas Pro Library On websites and ebooks there is a pixel limit for unedited media in your design For example, a large photo being included on a web page. This limit is placed to protect our pro content from being downloaded from the website for use outside of Canvas. I think that answers that. How am I doing? Is this making sense? If you have any follow-up questions, please, you know, the drill, just let me know. Alright, let's see if I can smash out a few more questions. Oh, this one's got two questions. Firstly, can Canvas Music be used for commercial videos, and can I download and remix the music? The answer to the first question is yes, you can use music from Canvas Library to create commercial videos, videos, but pro music can only be used for online advertisers like YouTube videos or social media. Traditional media or commercials in paid channels are unfortunately a no-go. So stick with YouTube, Instagram and TikTok and everything's going to be A-OK. And now for that second question about remixing. You can't make remixes, samples or derivative works of pro music. you can't edit pro music in any way that would alter the fundamental character of any portion of the music or that would give you any copyright or other rights to the edited music piece and with such a huge music library there's really no need to mix your own anyway like keep it simple and save yourself time I say and And speaking of time, can I ask you one more? Yes, of course. Okay, final question. Drum roll, please. Am I allowed to use Canva to copy something online, paste it into Canva, then print it onto a canvas or a T-shirt? I wanted to end on a yes, but once again, the answer is no. Unfortunately, you know, unless you've got permission from the artist or the rights owner, like, without it, you're basically stealing their intellectual property, which is not cool. and it breaches Canva's terms and conditions. But on the upside, it means you'll just have to create your own design and luckily you have Canva to help you do so, so spectacularly. Oh, I think we've run out of time and you've probably still got a bunch of questions left. If you found this useful and would like us to make another video answering more of the licensing questions, just type more in the comments and we'll try and make it happen. And if I didn't get around to answering one of your burning questions, pop it in the comments and we'll get to it ASAP. Great, you're still here! If you found this video useful, why not share it with one of your colleagues and while you're at it, please give us a thumbs up so others can see it too. Before you run off, remember to subscribe to our channel if you haven't already and check out some of our other videos if you've got the time. Catch you later.