Stock Footage Sources

Where to get b-roll that is genuinely cleared for monetized use, free and paid.

Last checked 2026-09-05

How to read this

The licence matters more than the library. Free sources are fine for most faceless b-roll — the real cost of using them is that everyone else uses them too, so the same clips recur across channels. Search past the first page.

Pexels

Free stock video and photos under a licence that permits monetized use.

Pricing: Free
Free tier: Everything
Best for: Most faceless b-roll, most of the time
Watch out: Widely used, so popular clips appear across many channels. Search deeper than page one.

Visit Pexels

Pixabay

Another large free library with a permissive licence.

Pricing: Free
Free tier: Everything
Best for: Filling gaps when the first library comes up short
Watch out: Quality is more variable than paid libraries. Check resolution before downloading.

Visit Pixabay

Storyblocks

Paid subscription library with unlimited downloads and a clearer licence trail.

Pricing: Subscription, from roughly $15/mo annually
Free tier: None
Best for: Channels publishing often enough that footage sameness becomes a problem
Watch out: Annual billing is where the advertised price comes from — monthly costs more.

Visit Storyblocks

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