Images, video and music you find on the internet are protected by copyright and your reuse of them is limited by each website's terms of use. If you fail to read the terms of use and reuse the content incorrectly, you could face a copyright infringement claim from the owner.
This guide will help you find content that you can easily retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute. Content that is openly licensed with a Creative Commons License, does not require acknowledgement, or is offered copyright free.
How to find openly licensed content?
Use the following methods to find openly licensed content:
- Browse the websites listed below
- Search for Creative Commons and public domain content using Openverse
- Use search filters on popular websites such as Google and YouTube
Websites
| Name | Licence information | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial College London Asset Library | To support staff and students in their work | Usage rights filter in Advanced search |
| Nappy | CC0 licence Free to use, modify and share. Although there is no need to acknowledge the photographer, we recommend that you check the licence terms of the chosen image. |
Hosts diverse images |
| Pexels | Pexels licence Free to use, modify and share. Although there is no need to acknowledge the photographer, we recommend that you check the licence terms of the chosen image. |
Check the photo is free to use and avoid commercial stock photographs |
| Unsplash | Unsplash licence Free to use, modify and share. Although there is no need to acknowledge the photographer, we recommend that you check the licence terms of the chosen image. |
Avoid the sponsored stock photographs |
| Noun project | Noun project terms of use Check each icon. Many icons are licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons License if you acknowledge the graphic artist. |
Microsoft Office 365 also provides some reusable icons that you can use for work or educational purposes |
| Reshot | Reshot licence Colour icons licensed for use in social media posts and educational projects. |
Acknowedgement is not required under the licence but is seen as polite |
| Name | Licence information | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| CCMixter | Creative Commons or royalty free with a charge | Allows you to 'dig' for music for a film, video, game or podcast. Use tags to select different music genres. |
| Free Music Archive | Free Music Archive License Guide Creative Commons or royalty free with a small charge. |
Use the License filter on the search page to find Creative Commons Licensed tracks. |
| Jamendo | Creative Commons or royalty free with a charge | Check your use matches the terms of the Creative Commons Licence displayed. It is likely that you will need to pay a fee for commercial use. |
| BBC Rewind - Sound Effects | BBC Rewind Sound Effects Licensing Use only for non-commercial purposes. |
Videos available for download
| Name | Licence information | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| Pixabay | Simplified Pixabay License that permits commercial and non-commercial use of video content | Download and modification permitted. Avoid iStock videos and read the Model- and Property release statement |
| Videvo |
Reusable video content under a range of licences including Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC-BY). License Types and Usage: Full Guide |
Download permitted. Use filters to limit your search to free clips. Avoid iStock videos |
| MixKit | MixKit Licence A easy read licence is displayed for each clip |
Download permitted. Designed for social media projects. Video, music and sound effects. |
| Vidsplay | Vidsplay terms of use Stock video footage can be used free of charge for both personal and commercial projects. |
Download and editing permitted. Acknowledgement required. Avoid Shutterstock videos. |
Videos available for embedding only
| Name | Licence information | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| TED Talks | Unless otherwise indicated, TED content is licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial, NoDerivatives license | Embed only. You may use TED talk in class discussion but may not build an online course based on their content. Some TED content is available on YouTube. TED Talks Usage Policy |
| Vimeo | Vimeo includes Creative Commons licensed videos |
Search and then filter the results by licence, or browse Vimeo’s Creative Commons section. While a video creator can permit download, most switch off this functionality and no download button is displayed. Vimeo does not disrupt video viewing with advertising. |
Science, engineering and medicine
| Name | Licence information | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| CSIRO Science Image Images of industry, landscapes, agriculture and nature |
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) | CSIRO are an Australian research organisation |
| CERN Media resources Images of particle physics and computing |
Terms of Use for CERN Audiovisual Media |
Reproduce the displayed copyright statement in your image credits |
| NASA Images of space and space travel |
Media Usage Guidelines |
Check image metadata as there is also some copyright content on the site |
| Servier Medical Art Medical diagrams |
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License | Diagrams can be downloaded and inserted into documents and slides |
| The Cell Image Library Cells and cellular processes |
Images, animations and videos are licensed under a range of licences, including Creative Commons Licenses. Check image metadata. |
Interactive cells provide a novel way of finding an image. No license filter available. The website would like to be notified when you use one of their images |
|
US Government websites National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
US Government images and videos are in the public domain and therefore free from copyright restrictions. |
US government websites are suggested because UK government departments do not offer images for reuse. Even though UK Government images are generally licensed under the Open Government Licence, a licence similar to a Creative Commons Attribution License, see Image copyright standards for GOV.UK |
| Wellcome Collections | Images are licensed under a range of licences including public domain and Creative Commons. | Use post-search image filters to filter for images in the public domain or licensed with a Creative Commons License. |
Arts and culture
| Name | Licence information | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| Europeana European cultural heritage |
Licence is displayed as a digital badge or on the Museum’s website. |
Many cultural heritage organisations release images of their collections under a Creative Commons License. How to Search Europeana will help you find relevant content. Use the search filter ‘Can I use this?’ to find easy to reuse images. |
| Metropolitan Museum Large art gallery in New York |
Read Image and Data Resources and look for an OA label under the image as this indicates the work is in the public domain. |
The museum provides some pre-curated collections e.g. Impressionist and winter wonderland to get you started. |
| VADS A national collection of over 140,000 images from over 300 art and design collections across the UK |
VADS Terms of use Educational and research use only. |
Do not redistribute images on the web or via social media. See VADS About for help with searching. |
| Wikimedia Commons Media file repository of available public domain and freely licensed educational media content (images, sound, and video clips). |
Media files are licensed with a range of open licences. Check the description of each one. |
Advanced search option and search filters, including licence. Guidance on searching in Help |
Find out more
Creative Commons
The anatomy of a Creative Commons License
Creative Commons: About the Licenses
Searching for Creative Commons materials
How to find Creative Commons materials using Google