It’s no secret that video is one of the most effective ways to grab attention online. Social distancing has created all sorts of new opportunities but also challenges for content makers, and when times are uncertain budgets are often slashed. That’s where our skills in hunting down the best and affordable resources come in – and it’s how we’ve come to narrow down the contenders in the field to our top 5 favourite free stock footage sites.

It is possible, however, to make effective video with zero budget. If you don’t have subscriptions to the big name stock footage libraries, you might think this is a big expense.

There are lots of free, or freemium sites out there with high quality stock footage to bring your messaging to life. As with any free services, there are the good, the bad and the ugly. Here are our top 5 favourite free stock footage sites:

https://www.pexels.com/

Pexels is a great site for a wide range of free stock footage. Easy to navigate and search for clips, fast downloads; it’s a winner in our book.

https://pixabay.com/

If you’re looking for a good variety of footage (with the occasional 4K gem!), Pixabay should be able to provide you with everything you need.

https://www.videvo.net/

Videvo has a huge range of footage which can sometimes make it a bit hard to sort out the best clips, but with 4K offerings and a lot of options, it’s worth taking a look.

https://www.dareful.com/

If your project needs gorgeous 4K landscape and time lapse shots, Dareful is for you. The range is limited, but the quality of the clips make up for it!

https://www.videezy.com/

This site has a large vault of HD and 4K clips to browse. The only difference with Videezy is that it usually needs attribution, but this is easily added on the clip itself or in the credits. Just remember to check the requirements of each clip you download!

Here’s an example of a short film we made using these sites in an afternoon. (Thank you Hannah Evans)

Cloud9Media specialise in creating authentic, engaging and beautifully-crafted video campaigns that drive change. If you’ve found this article interesting, please like and share.