You are editing a video and now there is a scene missing. What do you do? Re-shoot? Nah.
Your team invested time and money into a video shoot, but can’t afford to redo a scene. It’s just not viable in terms of money.
With that said, you need to use the footage in the school assignment, so it would be perfect if you could find a 30-second clip of something.
We don’t mean borrowing someone’s work.
Rather, you can just source a video from a stock video website.
These are some common situations that make people look for free video clips online.
Considering the growing pain of piracy and theft on the internet, many reputable websites and publications avoid including clips that don’t root out to a credible source. That means, you can’t just download someone’s YouTube montage and use it as your own, because the repercussions will appear.
In these situations, your best resort is to look for a stock video website. Just like stock photos, there are many websites out there that hold a database of royalty-free video clips on all topics. It can save you and your project the trouble and keep the credibility of your work intact.
The high quality and easy accessibility of these websites will suit any one looking for good video campaign material. We have a list of the best stock video websites you can visit:
Pixabay:
Pixabay is the go-to video clips website for users around the world. it has more than 1.5 million videos ready for you to download and get go!
The search bar in the website helps you find the relevant video within seconds. You also get access to ultra high definition videos on Pixabay and 4K footages. Moreover, you can catch a glance of each clip if you hover the mouse over the thumbnail.
Videvo:
This website has a large stock footage of hundreds of topics. You can find multiple options of your choice on Videvo. In Videvo, you have to check the license of each video to see if it is okay to use in commercial purposes.
Only the videos which say ‘no standard license’ are good to use in your projects, otherwise you will have to obtain a license. To avoid this confusion, you can choose the ‘license’ in search filters to get the best results.
Filmsupply:
This website appeals to traditional filmmakers who pay attention to detail. You can find videos based on framing, camera angles and camera speed to get precise results. So, this is a great tool for filmmakers who are dreaming of finding an ideal shot.
RocketStock:
This website has been recently acquired by Shutterstock and is the premium hub of video and after effects templates that can take your project to the next level. There are video elements that can further enhance the quality of your stock footage.
Your designers and video editors would love to bookmark this website, and after effects templates are found in plenty on RocketStock.
Pexels:
There are so many beautiful videos on Pexels that you will be spoilt for choice. These videos are available under a Creative Commons license. It means that they are free to use for personal or commercial projects without the need for sourcing or crediting.
There are time-lapse videos, Go-Pro videos, fun clips and great adventure clips from divers and mountain-climbers. You will get the videos in HD in MP4 format.
Stock Footage for Free:
This is a spectacular website for video project managers and students alike! It is a video equivalent of any great stock photo website. You can find many landscape and looping videos on this website and search for hundreds of themes through search feature.
Video clips are free to download and use, unless it is a high budget project. Stock Footage for Free has a license agreement attached to videos that clearly describes all the intellectual property information you need for using their videos.
You have to sign up through email or a Facebook account to download videos.
Clipstill:
Clipstill is a stock video website dedicated to cinemagraphs. Beautiful cinemagraphs of diverse topics are ready for you to use on your next project. Nowadays, cinemagraphs are the choice of users and a requirement of many brands, so you can visit Clipstill for this purpose.
However, a small section of these cinemagraphs is free of cost, but they are high quality and change every month. You can use these free clips in your projects unless it is a commercial use where the clip is the centre of attention.
Videezy:
Videezy contains a wide range of HD clips, and a standout feature is their aerial footage clips. The footage is royalty free for both personal and commercial use, but you are asked to credit Videezy.com in the project.
There is a good variety of both 4K and HD clips if you have to make a choice. You can get resolution information on preview in the download page. All Videezy videos are present in MP4 format. Some videos contain a ‘Pro’ tag, so these are only available for paid downloads. Moreover, first two rows of videos in each search result are videos from Shutterstock.
Pond5:
Pond5 is a popular name in the stock video field. They have millions of videos available, and more get added regularly. To quote some, their clients include NBC, BBC and ABC. You can search through the comprehensive library through the search bar.
Search function lets you navigate through resolution, FPS and even 360 VR video. It’s a great tool to use for both personal and professional projects.
Coverr:
This website is ideal for professionals who are looking to use a template on their website or Facebook. There is a large database of video clips on Coverr and new clips get uploaded every Monday. Its standout features include search feature, preview feature on click, looping clips to support transitions and HD clips.
XStock Video:
XStock video is a website with dynamic video clips suitable for any video making project. 90,000 members have accessed the website and downloaded clips on XStock Video through 9 categories. You can choose two free licenses or file sizes to match your project. It doesn’t have a search function, so categories are your only source of previews. It is a decent resource to bookmark in times of urgency.
Adobe Stock
Adobe is a global leader in editing software, and also has the coolest collection of footages which are created by the most creative minds. Moreover, they give 35 percent of each sale to these creatives!
It’s not exactly stock footage, but a wide collection of 3-D arrays. You must go through the website and see it yourself.
iStock:
iStock is one of the top footage sites in the market. Their main motto is quality above all, and you will find the best quality videos on this website. Instead of paying for these high quality clips, you can buy credits that go towards photos and videos. The search functionality is still in the works on iStock, but seasoned users know how to maneuver around and find what they want.
Distill:
Distill is a popular and favorite of many creative agencies, because there is a focus on modern clips on Distill. You can get high quality videos for free through Distill. Moreover, you can subscribe to Distill’s mailing list and get 10 cool, HD videos mailed to you every week!
Getty Stock:
We don’t have to stress how essential a Getty photo or video is on every news and publication website. They have the most amazing photos and videos on their website. You can search for fashion, entertainment, news and ceremonies on the editorial section. Getty is your best bet at getting HD celebrity content.
Video Blocks:
If you are looking for stock footage websites on the web for daily usage, Video Blocks should be a common place to visit. This website works on the old school method of selling videos individually. Moreover, new videos and audio is added to the website weekly to keep the content fresh. So, if you are a creative agency or brand that needs to churn out videos on a daily basis, Video Blocks should be a place to hunt.
Story & Heart:
This one is for the storytellers, especially bloggers and creative managers. This website has an emphasis on storytelling in footage and its curation. Their search engine works on a mood-based algorithm, churning out videos based on required moods. You will find the videos on Story & Heart having a more cinematic experience, so these footages are perfect to insert in montages or ads.
Final word
We hope you find our list of the best stock video sites helpful. Whether you’re marketing a new business or growing a video channel of an existing one, we’ve listed resources for all kinds of creative projects. If you need more tips on stock footage or have more questions, reach out to us through comments.