This article answers common questions about how the Envato Elements Licence applies in specific situations. It is an excellent starting point if you are wondering whether your intended use of an item is permitted.
While this FAQ provides general guidance, you should always refer to the full Envato Elements Licence Terms to confirm your specific intended use is allowed. For questions about AI-generated content, see the Envato AI Tools FAQs.
Jump to a section:
- General questions
- License application
- Social media
- Merchandise
- Advanced questions
- Trademark and copyright
General questions
What is an Item, End Product and project?
The Item is what you download from Envato Elements.
The End Product is what you build/create with that Item. An Item becomes an End Product when you apply skill and effort to create something that is larger in scope and different in nature than the original Item unless the Item is a template which only requires a customized implementation of the Item.
The project is the intended use of the Item.
What do you mean by 'as-is' use?
‘As-is’ usage means that you cannot simply use an item from Envato Elements as a complete End Product in its original, downloaded form, with no modifications or only superficial modifications. You must use the item to create an End Product that is larger in scope and different in nature than the original item, requiring an application of skill and effort (note: this does not apply to fonts and add-ons).
What does an 'on-demand' application mean?
Items on Envato Elements cannot be offered for “on-demand” services. By “on-demand”, we mean any application which allows its end-users to customize a digital or physical product to their specific needs. For example, a site where a customer can customize a t-shirt to their liking using an Envato Elements image or font, such as being able to change the colour of the t-shirt or add customized text across the image.
Please note, that this does not prevent you from creating and selling a t-shirt using an Envato Elements image or font, provided that you comply with the terms of our license (including creating a license for use of the Item on the t-shirt) and don’t offer it by an “on-demand” service (i.e. the design and/or t-shirt is unable to be customized).
What constitutes 'skill and effort'?
An Item is not permitted to be used as part of an End Product where the primary component or value of the End Product is the Item itself.
When using an Item to create an End Product, a sufficient and meaningful level of skill and effort must be used to incorporate the Item in a manner where it is clear that the primary value of the End Product is based on a combination of audio-visual elements and not just the Item itself.
In short - is the audience accessing the End Product specifically for the Item (eg. for the music, for the specific video etc)? Or is the Item one of many elements that support the End Product as a whole?
While skill and effort may vary on a case-by-case basis (subject to the nature of the End Product), the below examples may be considered when determining if skill and effort is sufficient and meaningful:
- You are not permitted to distribute an Item “as-is”, or otherwise make the Item available in its original form with only superficial changes, or minimal changes.
Scenario A - The Item is a stock video of a moving train
What is acceptable?
If the Item is incorporated as part of a larger End Product (for example it is used as a scene in a short film or music video), then provided that the Item has been combined with other Items and/or materials, it would be evident that the sufficient “skill and effort” was used to create the End Product, as the Item appears as just one of many components of that End Product.
What is not acceptable?
If the Item is simply posted on Youtube with some additional train sound effects and a black and white filter and the video is then labelled “Fast Moving Train”, this would be unlikely to be considered sufficient “skill and effort” for the purposes of using the Item. Adding music, sound effects or filters would not be enough, as the primary component/value of the End Product would still be the Item itself, as a viewer would likely be clicking on the video to watch the moving train.
Note: Even if the video had a different title, the example above would still not be sufficient to claim “skill or effort” if the Item is still the primary component and in its original form or with superficial changes (eg. adding music, adding a filter etc).
Scenario B - The Item is a piece of ambient music
If the Item is a piece of music, the value of the End Product must not be predominantly derived from the music and instead, the value must stem from a combination of the music and other audio-visual elements. If it’s likely that people will click on the video to just listen to the music, it’s likely that the video is in breach of the license terms. On that basis:
What is acceptable?
You would be permitted to use the ambient music as a backing track to underscore your guided meditation voiceover recordings and sell a CD of this to your spa customers. The End Product in this instance is a combination of elements that make up one final product, and the music track is not the primary component, the customer is listening to a combination of the music and voiceover to relax.
What is not acceptable?
You would not be permitted to distribute or broadcast the ambient music as part of a Youtube video where that video is simply a single image or compilation of images with the music overlayed over the visual, with the title “Relaxing Music for Work”. In this instance, the music track would be the primary component as the user is seeking relaxing music to listen to and the video component is secondary.
Scenario C - The Item is a presentation template
It is assumed that licensing of a presentation template will be for a customer’s specific purpose (eg. a website, or a business presentation). Therefore, the use of the template would require customisation that includes additional content and information relevant to the specific purpose.
The original template is not permitted to be made available, distributed or presented without any changes. For example, a PowerPoint template may have useful graphics or headings for each page, (eg. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3), but it is expected that the presentation will be customised and not presented as-is.
Scenario D - You have licensed a set of icons
If the Item is a set of graphics or icons, these graphics cannot simply be made available for viewing, it must be used as part of a larger project so that it is different in nature to the Item itself. For example:
- Icons should be used for their specific purpose, as symbols/icons/bullet points to highlight specific sections of content or links. This means they should be incorporated with other content and not be used as a primary, standalone piece of artwork or image.
- Graphics should be used in a similar manner, and incorporated as part of a larger End Product in combination with other content, graphics and materials.
- You are not permitted to distribute merchandise as an End Product where the Item is the primary value of the End Product
This is more clearly addressed in Clause 12 of our License Terms, but to confirm:
- You cannot download an Item (such as a photograph or artwork) and print it out as a standalone image on a poster and sell copies of that poster as the primary value of the poster is the image itself.
- However, you can print out an image as a book cover and sell copies of that book, as the primary value of the book is from the contents of the book, and not the image.
Can I modify or heavily edit Items I download, like stock footage or photos?
Yes. Your license covers modifying Items as part of creating your End Product, including substantial changes such as rotoscoping, animating over stock footage, compositing, color grading, cropping, retouching, or re-editing. In fact, transforming an Item is usually required, since Items can't be used "as-is" or with only minimal or superficial changes (see "What constitutes 'skill and effort'?" above). You don't need any additional permission or license to modify an Item, no matter how extensively you alter it.
A few limits still apply to modified Items:
- You cannot redistribute a modified Item on its own as stock, a template, or a standalone asset - modification doesn't remove the redistribution restriction.
- You cannot modify an image of a person to create a fake identity (see the question on replacing a model's face).
If the Item I have downloaded has been removed, what happens to my license?
Each time you download an Item, you get an ongoing license for a single, specified project even if the Item you have downloaded and licensed has been removed from our library. You can access and download a license certificate for your project at any time on the 'My Downloads' page. If you would like to read more about the removed Items, please navigate here.
In the event the item has been removed, you may continue to use the Item for your existing specified project in accordance with our license terms. It cannot be used for any new projects or other End Products.
Can I continue to use Envato Elements Items in the project they were licensed for after my subscription expires?
Yes. Once an Item is licensed to a project, you can continue to use that Item in the respective End Product, provided that the End Product is completed before your subscription ends.
Once your subscription expires, you will not be able to use that Item in any new projects, or make any changes to the End Product you created - but you are covered for the original project you licensed it for, ongoing.
To avoid doubt, if you subscription expires and you have not completed your End Product, your license for the respective Item also expires and you cannot use the Item further.
Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
When do I need to complete the End Product?
An End Product is completed from the time that you no longer need to apply skill and effort to it; in other words, when it is ‘done’. Your license for Item is only valid if you complete the End Product while your subscription is active.
You may still use the Item in the End Product once your subscription ends, provided that the End Product was completed while your subscription was still active.
Can I use an already downloaded Item in the new project after my subscription expires?
As per our terms, you must use items downloaded before your subscription expires. You cannot use an Item in a new project to create a new End Product after this, even if you have downloaded the Item prior to the cancellation.
Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
License application
Can I use AI to replace a licensed model's face with a different person's face?
Generally, no. Under Clause 19 of our License Terms, an image of a person from a licensed Item can't be used in a way that creates a fake identity — even where the Item has a model release, and even if the resulting character is fictional and anonymous.
This applies regardless of whether the character is named, given qualifications, or presented as endorsing your company. The key issue isn't that the character is fictional or that AI tools are being used to modify the Item — it's that the real model's likeness from the licensed photograph is being used to portray a different, fictional identity. That use falls within the type of restriction set out in Clause 19.
Is a translation or new language of an End Product a new End Product?
This depends on whether the translation is within the ‘single project use’ of the Item you have licensed.
For example, releasing a translated website on a new domain would be a new End Product requiring a separate license (and an active subscription). Providing a new translation within one website and one domain would not be a new End Product requiring a separate license.
Additional translations of the same video do not require multiple licenses provided that they are for the same client (if applicable).
Can I use the same WordPress theme for multiple client websites?
Yes, but you'll need to create separate licenses for the theme for each client project. For example, if you're building websites for three different clients using the same theme, you'd need to create three separate licenses for the theme three times - one for each client's project. This applies whether the sites are on different domains or subdomains.
Can I edit music Items I download from Envato Elements?
Yes, you can. However, you cannot release music (even edited) as a music track. It must form a part of a larger project that is not merely a music track.
Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
Can I update or make changes to an End Product created with an Item downloaded from Envato Elements after my subscription has expired?
Yes. Only superficial or minor modifications to an End Product are fine to make even after your subscription has expired, as long as the edit stays within the same End Product and doesn't turn it into a new or materially different one.
For example:
- You can update the content on a website built with a theme, template, or plugin from Envato Elements — such as text, images, prices, or contact details — even after your subscription has expired, as long as the site continues to serve the same purpose it was originally built for.
- A minor correction to a voice-over generally won't require a new licence, provided the overall purpose of the video, the music used, and the End Product itself all stay the same.
Note: After your subscription expires, you will no longer have access to updates or downloads for the underlying theme, template, plugin, or other Item. If the changes you make result in a new or materially different End Product, you need to reactivate your subscription and create a new licence for the new End Product.
Are edits or cuts of an existing End Product considered to be a new End Product?
Edits or cuts that are a subset of an existing End Product are not considered separate or End Products, provided they are for the same client (if applicable) and fall within the scope of the same project that the original End Product was created for.
For example, a 30-second cut of a 2-minute video (the End Product) for the same client who wants a shorter video for the same campaign is not a new End Product and does not require an additional license.
Do I need to relicense an Item each time I use it?
Yes, you do. You need a license for each project. This ensures contributors are paid for your usage of each asset & you and your clients have the legal right to use the Item.
For more information, please visit Create a new license.
Can I use an asset from Envato Elements in a logo?
In this instance, the logo itself is considered the End Product. You may use Item/s to create a logo or you may use a logo template provided you comply with our License Terms, including:
- You cannot use the Item (i.e. the asset) for merchandising (although End Products where skill and effort have been applied to incorporate the Item into a larger design are not considered merchandising); and
- You cannot claim trademark or service mark rights over the logo created using the Item/s.
Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
Do I need to relicense Fonts or Add-ons each time I use them in a project?
No, you do not need to relicense fonts or add-ons for each project. You only need to download them once for installation on your device. However, if you want to use the font or add-on to another computer you use, you need to create a new license for that installation onto the new computer.
Can I keep using fonts in my completed projects after my subscription ends?
Yes, absolutely. Any text, designs, or logos you created using Envato fonts during your active subscription keep their commercial license forever. This includes continuing to use a logo you designed, keeping text on a website you built, or using designs in ongoing marketing materials. What you cannot do after subscription cancellation is install the font files again or use them to create brand new projects.
Can I use music Items for TV/Broadcast?
No, your Envato Elements subscription does not allow you to use music Items for Broadcast use. Pursuant to our license terms, ‘Broadcast’ means:
- Traditional television or radio broadcast (e.g. terrestrial, cable or satellite TV, broadcast radio); or
- Mobile or online substitutes for traditional television or radio broadcast (e.g. mobile TV, IPTV streaming TV or video-on-demand, and streaming radio).
Your Envato Elements subscription does allow you to use music Items for "independent" films, being a film not for general theatrical or broadcast use.
If you would like to use a music Item for a broadcast project, you can purchase AudioJungle music Items - with a suitable license for such use. Please see the following Audiojungle table which can help you choose the type of license you need.
Can I use sound effects for TV/Broadcast?
Yes, your Envato Elements subscription does allow you to use sound effects for Broadcast use. Pursuant to our license terms, ‘Broadcast’ means:
1. Traditional television or radio broadcast (e.g. terrestrial, cable or satellite TV, broadcast radio); or
2. Mobile or online substitutes for traditional television or radio broadcast (e.g. mobile TV, IPTV, streaming TV or video-on-demand, and streaming radio).
Your Envato Elements subscription does not allow you to use music Items for Broadcast use. More details here.
Can I use Envato subscription music for background playback in public spaces?
No. Music downloaded through an Envato Elements subscription is intended to be used as part of a larger project, such as a video, advertisement, or presentation. This means the audio must be "synchronized" with other media (without being the primary element of the final project). The license for music on Elements does not grant rights for standalone playback, such as:
- Playing music in a building stairwell or lobby
- Background music in a retail store or restaurant
- Music on hold for telephone systems
For these use cases, please visit AudioJungle to purchase a license for individual tracks. Make sure to select a license that specifically includes public performance or background music rights for commercial spaces.
Are streaming platforms considered TV/Broadcast?
Streaming TV and video-on-demand (e.g. YouTube Live or video available on a streaming platform such as Netflix) are considered broadcast use. Therefore, it is not allowed to use music Items under your Envato Elements subscription on those platforms. However, simply uploading a video to YouTube or an Instagram account is not broadcast and is allowed under your subscription, provided that it is not being streamed live or is available on-demand and behind a paywall, and otherwise complies with the terms of your Envato Elements license.
Can I use Envato Elements Items in a SaaS product?
If your use does not fall under our Prohibited Usage of Items, and so long as the Item is only hosted in or on one software product and you are not giving users access to the underlying Item (i.e. the Item is fully integrated into the End Product), then a single license would be all that is needed to use the Item within a software or SaaS End Product. If you want to use the Item in multiple End Products, you will need to license it separately for each software or application the Item is used within.
Can I use Envato Elements Items for online video streaming?
Envato Elements Items, other than music Items, are eligible for use in online video streaming.
Music Items are eligible for online video streaming, except where it’s a Broadcast context. This means that music Items are eligible for use on YouTube. They are not eligible for use on Twitch.tv, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Amazon Prime, Hulu or Netflix.
Can I use Envato Elements Items in the online courses that I create?
Yes, Envato Elements Items can be used in online courses.
Don’t forget to ensure that the Items are not able to be extracted from the course materials. They cannot be separated from the course materials and distributed to users.
Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
Can I create an End Product that is a music track from songs on Envato Elements?
No, you cannot create an End Product that is a music track with songs from Envato Elements.
Social Media
Can I use Items downloaded from the Envato Elements library on social media posts (Instagram, Facebook etc.)?
Yes, you can. For example, you can use an Item that is an image as part of social media posts because the image is being used as part of a larger End Product - the post as a whole. The core value is in the post as a whole including the words used, not just the image that goes along with it.
Can I use music Items downloaded from the Envato Elements library in YouTube videos?
This depends on how the music is used in the YouTube video. The value of the End Product (i.e. the video) must not be predominantly derived from the music; instead, the value of the End Product must stem from the combination of the music and the visual (as well as any other elements). If it’s likely that people will be clicking on the video mainly to listen to the music, it is likely that this video is in breach of the license.
Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
Do I need to relicense Envato Elements assets for each episode when creating an intro/outro for YT videos?
No, provided the intro/outro is one End Product and you have a license to use the Item for this End Product, you can use the same intro/outro for all episodes you create while your subscription is active and after your subscription ends without the need to relicense.
This is only applicable if your intro/outro remains unchanged. If you want to make any project changes, you will need to relicense the Items with an active subscription.
Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
Can I use music on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok Reel or YouTube Shorts?
Yes! Just remember to disable remixing/stitching on each of the videos you create on your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube accounts, so others can’t simply reuse the music in their own reels and shorts.
Merchandise
Can I sell something I have created using Envato Elements Items as merchandise? (eg: a t-shirt)
Allowed with conditions: You must add value to the Item (by customizing it or incorporating it into a larger design). Please check our Correct Usage of Items and Prohibited Usage of Items for more details.
Can I use add-ons and other materials to create unique designs and sell them on t-shirts, mugs, cushions, etc?
Yes, you can, as long as skill and effort have been applied to incorporate the Items into a larger design and where the primary value of the product itself doesn’t lie in the Item itself (for example, you can’t print an image out as a poster, as the primary value of the poster is from the image itself).
When I use a font in merchandising, must I combine it with another asset?
No, you do not need to. Fonts can be used on their own, so long as you do not redistribute the font itself to any other person.
For fonts and add-ons, the license applies for an installation of the Item on one device. The license starts when you download and install the font or add-on, and you can then use the font or add-on to create as many projects as you like, for as long as your Envato Elements subscription remains active.
If you want to install the font or add-on on another device, you will need another license to do so.
You can read more on this here (clause 13 a-e).
Advanced questions
Can I create projects for my clients using Items from Envato Elements? How do I transfer a sublicense to my client?
Yes, you can. As long as you have followed the requirements set out in the Envato Elements License (you must not permit a client to extract an Item from the End Product and use it separately from the End Product created using that Item) and your subscription remains active, you can transfer a license to your client under a Limited Sublicense set out in clause 10.
You must inform your client of their obligations under the Limited Sublicense. Once the asset is licensed for the client's End Product, you can download the license under “My Downloads’ in your account and pass the license to the client so they are fully covered.
You don't need to change the licensee name to deliver your finished End Product to your client. Under clause 10 of the Envato Elements License, your existing license already covers passing it on to your client as a Limited Sublicense.
We suggest that for your and your client’s future records, you capture information relating to the Item you licensed from Envato Elements and used to create an End Product for your client.
Can I convert HTML templates to WordPress for my clients?
Yes, it is permissible to modify Items you download on Envato Elements in order to present them to your clients as a completed End Product. You can modify a theme in order to then use that theme to deliver your client a complete website. However, you cannot modify a template and then sell the template itself as its own product. You are allowed to sub-license the customised implementation to your client under clause 10 of the Envato Elements License.
Is it ok to download and customise website templates for my customers?
Yes, you can, as long as your End Product is a customised implementation of the website template. Provided you have created a specific license for your project, you are allowed to sub-license the customised implementation to your client under clause 10 of the Envato Elements License. Please note that you are not allowed to re-distribute the template on its own to your clients, and you can’t use the Item in an application that would allow an end user to customise the product to their needs (i.e. an “on demand”, “made to order” or “build it yourself” application).
Do I need to credit the author of the Item?
No, it is not mandatory to give the author credit. But we do encourage that if your End Product has credits as part of its design (such as a film or TV show), please credit the author and Envato. Also, as the author retains ownership of the Item, you should not claim copyright.
Can I use Envato Elements Items in projects I complete for an end-client?
Yes, you can. Many of our customers are professionals using their subscriptions for client projects.
Where you have created an End Product for a client, you are permitted to transfer the entire End Product to the client (with a limited sublicense of the Item rights as part of this process). When you do this, you must have an active subscription at the point of transfer. You must ensure the Item cannot be extracted from the End Product and you must inform the client of their obligations.
Please check clause 10 in our License terms for more details.
Can I mix two Envato Elements website templates together?
Yes, you can modify the Items you download on Elements to create a customised implementation of the Item. The license is created when you download the Item and the license is only valid if you complete the End Product while your subscription is active. Then, the license continues for the life of the End Product (even if your subscription ends).
Can I use an Envato Elements Item in an End Product where a customer can manipulate that End Product directly? (eg: A customer can add their name to a t-shirt that features a graphic made using an Envato Elements Item)?
This is not allowed. In this scenario, the end customer is creating a new end product with the Item which is not allowed.
Can I resell an asset on a digital Marketplace (like GraphicRiver) if it was made using an Envato Elements Item/s?
This is not allowed. Items on Envato Elements must not be redistributed (whether for free or paid) as stock, in tools or templates or with source files. You can't redistribute the Item on its own or bundled with other Items, even with superficial modifications. You cannot make derivatives of fonts or add-ons.
Please check clause 12 in our License terms for more details.
Can I share my Envato Elements account or assets with others (for example, within my company) for the purposes of completing an End Product?
This is not allowed. Items downloaded on Envato Elements must be used by the subscriber only. We do however offer a Team plan account that allows up to five individuals to share one Envato Elements account and Items. To find out more about Teams on Envato Elements, click here.
Trademark and copyright
Can I trademark something I have created using an Envato Elements Item? (eg: a Logo)
This is not allowed. Your license for Envato Elements Items is non-exclusive, meaning you cannot trademark an asset (including any End Product) created using an Item.
Can I claim complete ownership and authorship of something I have created using an Envato Elements Item?
You cannot claim ownership or authorship for any Item included in the End Product that uses those Items.
You are not permitted to claim any trademark or service mark rights for the End Product.
Can I use Envato Elements Items in NFTs?
The Envato Elements license does not currently allow for the production of NFTs. Customers interested in minting NFTs from Envato Elements Items are only able to do so with an Enterprise plan license.