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Stock video footage is a great substitute for an expensive shot you don’t have the budget for or to find an effective background for your video. You can use them in social media posts, when creating a website for your business, or to pick up a custom effect for editing. We’ve compiled a list of popular stock video sites, including fee-based sites; these latter provide more high-quality videos, as the clips are mostly provided by professional cinematographers. Nearly all of these stock sites also offer still photos, and some even include stock audio and vector graphics.
Remember that, even though permission is not required for commercial use of royalty-free footage from stock libraries, it is sometimes required that you credit a creator or stock source when you use their resources. Read the terms of use carefully – usually, the type of license is shown on the page containing the clip.
Pixabay offers more than a million photos and HD videos that you can search by category and keywords – you don’t need an account to download clips.
They also have still photos, illustrations, and vector graphics.
A million and a half clips in high definition – everything from landscapes and time-lapses to stop-motion and food videos.
They also have still photos.
Another great video archive with clips in Full HD from loops and backgrounds to special effects and business graphics. You need to register but once you have done so, you can download as many clips as you want. New clips are added every week.
They also have motion graphics, music, and sound effects.
Although the videos are organized into 11 topics, there are no filters to help with your search –you have to look through everything to make your selections. But there’s a plus on this site: there is a whole section devoted to cinemagraphs – static gifs with one element animated.
They also have gifs.
This site is operated by the Canadian ad agency Leeroy. As well as uploading new videos every week, the site includes a collection of stock photos. Videos can be downloaded via Vimeo in Ultra HD. You can download as many clips as you want, but redistribution to other sites is limited to 10 videos.
They also have still photos.
A massive collection of visual effects from explosions to transitions. You need to create an account to get access to all the free content.
They also have motion graphics, music, and sound effects.
This is a stock aggregator, which means that the site collects videos from other stock video sites in one place. Just choose a website, enter a keyword, and you will see all the free clips that meet your search criteria.
They also have still photos.
This website is a perfect match for anyone who’s always looking for new videos. It’s a subscription-based model, and you can download as many clips as you want for $19 a month. You can get started with a seven-day trial period during which you can download five clips for free.
They also have still photos, illustrations, vector graphics, music, and sound effects.
Adobe offers premium-quality stock featuring hand-picked content and is constantly improving its search algorithms. All new users are offered a free trial month, during which ten clips can be downloaded.
They also have still photos, vector graphics, and templates for Adobe products.
This site contains more than two million clips, and clients include the world’s leading television networks including ABC, NBC, and the BBC. The handy search filters will help you find the right material for any budget.
They also have still photos, vector graphics, motion graphics, and music.
Considered to be one of the best stock footage sites, iStock offers images, vector graphics, video footage, and audio. Once a month, one HD clip is available for free download. You need to earn credits to pay for video and music – the price depends on file resolution.
They also have still photos, illustrations, and music.
This library stands out among other premium stocks in that the team behind the website is focused on high-quality content and carefully handpicks artists, photos, and videos. Another distinctive feature is the ability to search by color; the website automatically shows images and clips from your selected color palette.
They also have still photos.
This is probably the best-known stock library. Shutterstock offers over 14 million clips organized into 70 themed sections, and you’ll find promos and sales, free accounts, and a wide range of prices that depends on image resolution.
They also offer still photos, illustrations, vector graphics, and music.
