---
title: 'Authorised Source in Clipping - OpenClip'
description: 'An authorised source is the exact content a campaign licenses you to clip. Why the scope is narrow and what happens when you go outside it.'
canonical: 'https://openclip.app/learn/authorised-source'
markdown: 'https://openclip.app/learn/authorised-source.md'
---

Rights and Rules

# Authorised Source

Permission attaches to specific content, not to a person or a channel. Clipping something adjacent is the most common way a good clip becomes unpayable.

## Definition

An authorised source is the specific content a campaign grants you permission to clip from, usually named down to a channel, a show, a date range or an explicit asset list rather than granted as blanket access to everything a creator has ever published. The scope is narrow because the sponsor can only license what it actually controls, and long-form content routinely contains material it does not, including guest appearances, licensed music, third-party footage and co-produced segments. Clipping outside the authorised scope creates two distinct exposures that do not cancel out: the campaign rejects the submission as non-compliant, and the underlying rights holder retains a claim against the post itself, which can outlive the campaign. Authorisation also carries conditions beyond which content is eligible, commonly covering permitted platforms, required disclosure, prohibited edits and whether the sponsor's branding or watermark must be preserved. When scope is ambiguous, the reliable move is to ask before producing rather than after submitting, since production time spent on unauthorised material is unrecoverable.

## Related Terms

[Clipping rights](/learn/clipping%20rights) [Campaign rules](/learn/campaign%20rules) [Whitelisted audio](/learn/whitelisted%20audio) [Clip submission](/learn/clip%20submission) [Licensing](/learn/licensing)

## Features

### Named, Not Implied

Permission attaches to listed content. A creator being in a campaign does not authorise their whole back catalogue or their guest spots elsewhere.

### Sponsors Cannot License Everything

Guest segments, third-party footage and music inside a long video often belong to someone else, which is why scopes exclude them.

### Two Exposures, Not One

Going outside scope voids the submission and leaves a rights claim on the live post. Deleting the post fixes only the second one.

### Ask Before You Cut

Clarifying scope takes minutes. Producing a batch from unauthorised content wastes the whole session and cannot be salvaged.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is an authorised source in a clipping campaign?

It is the specific content the campaign licenses you to clip from, usually named as a channel, show, date range or asset list. Anything outside that scope is unauthorised even if it is from the same creator.

### Can I clip anything from a creator in a campaign?

No. Sponsors can only license what they control, so scopes commonly exclude guest appearances, co-produced content and segments containing third-party footage or music. Treat the listed scope as the whole permission.

### What happens if I clip outside the authorised source?

The campaign can reject the submission as non-compliant, and the actual rights holder still has a claim against the live post. Those consequences are separate, so removing the post does not undo the wasted production time.

### How do I check what content a campaign authorises?

The campaign rules page lists eligible sources and conditions, including platforms, disclosure and edit restrictions. When the scope is ambiguous, ask before producing rather than after submitting.

## Mine the Content You Are Cleared For

Staying in scope means getting more out of fewer sources. OpenClip scores every viral moment in an authorised video and exports them captioned in 9:16, 1:1 and 16:9.

[Get Started Free](https://openclip.app/register)

## Related Pages

### Clipping Economy

[Music & Copyright Rules for Clippers](/clipping/music-and-copyright-for-clippers) [Do You Need Permission to Clip? Rights Explained](/clipping/clipping-rights-and-permission) [How to Read a Clipping Campaign Rules Page](/clipping/clipping-campaign-rules)

### Glossary

[Clip Farming: Meaning, Payouts & Rules](/learn/clip-farming) [Clip Submission: What It Means](/learn/clip-submission) [Whitelisted Audio: What It Means](/learn/whitelisted-audio) [Clipping Campaign: Definition](/learn/clipping-campaign)

### Guides

[Whop Clipping: $0.20 to $6 per 1,000 Views (2026)](/guides/whop-clipping-guide)