CapCut, once a seamless and free editing tool, has evolved, and if you’re a creator, small business, or marketing manager, you should be paying attention. Like any good thing, I guess change is inevitable. CapCut is now drawing a line in the proverbial digital sand. The platform, owned by ByteDance (the parent company behind TikTok), has introduced a series of new restrictions and pricing models that are alarming for everyone across its global user base. This means for many, the days of relying on CapCut’s full suite of tools at zero cost are over.
They are shifting toward a freemium model with clearer boundaries. While basic editing remains available, the most desirable features that made the app desirable are now locked behind a paywall. That means the AI tools, premium templates, and some export options are no longer at your disposal. This change isn’t just a small tweak; it’s a reevaluation of CapCut’s value proposition.
Creators who’ve come to depend on CapCut’s advanced features are already feeling the pinch. This position change by CapCut is closer to platforms like Adobe Premiere Rush or Canva Pro, making it less of a free-for-all playground and more of a professional tool for those willing to pay. That’s a significant change from an app that was a lifeline for small businesses and creators with a tight budget.
As much as the above changes bring a bit of a headache, what is alarming is what’s in the fine print of the T&C’s. CapCut now claims a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use any content uploaded to its platform, including your videos, voiceovers, likeness, and even branded client work, for any purpose, including commercial use. According to their updated Terms of Service, these are some of their changes to their User-Generated Content.
“All User Content will be considered non-confidential. You must not upload or make available any User Content on or through the Services or make available to us any User Content that you consider to be confidential or proprietary to any other person. When you upload or make available User Content through the Services, you agree, represent and warrant that you own such User Content, or you have received all necessary permissions (including any necessary licenses), clearances from, or are authorised by, the owner of any part of the content to submit such User Content to the Services, and/or to otherwise make any use of such User Content on or through the Services.
You must own your User Content or have obtained all necessary rights, licenses, and clearances of any and all elements of your User Content. For example, if you only own the rights in and to a sound recording, but not to the underlying musical works embodied in such sound recordings, then you must not upload or otherwise make available such sound recordings on or through the Services unless you have all permissions (including any necessary licenses), clearances from, or are authorised by, the owner of any part of the musical work to upload or otherwise make available it on or through the Services.
You or the owner of your User Content still own the copyright and any other intellectual property rights in User Content submitted to us, but by submitting User Content via the Services, you acknowledge and agree that you allow us to upload such content to our server and hereby grant us and our affiliates, agents, services providers, partners and other connected third parties an unconditional, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully transferable (including sub-licensable), perpetual, worldwide license to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, make derivative works of, display, publish, transmit, distribute and/or store your User Content for providing the Services for you.
You further grant us and our affiliates, agents, service providers, partners and other connected third parties a royalty-free fully transferable (including sub-licensable), worldwide license to use your username, image and likeness to identify you as the source of any of your User Content, including for use in sponsored content.”
If your brand or agency relies on CapCut to create TikTok content, it’s time to pause and reevaluate whether using the app is still feasible. Though there are parameters set for the US on their Supplemental Terms – Jurisdiction Specific section, it is very important to use with caution.
Many brands and content creators use CapCut to streamline TikTok content creation. However, under these new terms, your marketing assets, even internal or client-specific content, could be repurposed without your consent. This raises serious concerns around:
- Brand safety: Your logo or campaign could appear in unrelated contexts.
- Client confidentiality: Agencies editing client footage on CapCut may unknowingly expose proprietary material.
- Legal liability: If your video includes third-party music or visuals, you — not CapCut — are responsible for any copyright claims.
There’s no denying CapCut still delivers an impressive experience, even in its free tier. Its interface remains the same, intuitive and easy to use, syncing seamlessly with TikTok. Continuing to offer more creative flexibility than many other mobile-first editors. But make no mistake, this is no longer the same tool you were using for edits.
For businesses and content creators, this is a moment to reassess your toolkit. Don’t wait until a deadline hits and you discover a core feature is now locked. If CapCut is central to your workflow, consider whether a subscription fits your strategy or explore alternatives before you’re cornered.
If you think this will not affect me, think again, especially if you work with clients whose campaigns are proprietary to them or high-value campaigns. This is not just a term of service update that you can ignore its a reminder of what you will possibly have to contend with if you are.
As the creative ecosystem is constantly evolving, so should we as consumers. CapCut’s recent changes are a reminder that even free tools have an expiration date on generosity. This is a wake-up call to all businesses and creators to treat editing platforms with the same scrutiny as social media channels. Your content is your asset, don’t give it away without knowing the cost. As we enter a new era where creative tools aren’t just free applications, they’re content owners. Consider the following steps to curtail these major platforms from owning your work:
- Audit your editing tools. Who really owns your exports?
- Switch to platforms that protect your IP
- Educate your team and clients — before content leaks become PR crises
- Reframe editing platforms as extensions of brand governance
It is important to be alert at all times, just as marketers have learned to scrutinize data policies, social reach, and ad metrics. We need to start examining the tools we use to create this content.
Because in 2025, the biggest threat to your content might not be copycats. It might be the platform you trusted to help you make it.
