We all know where to find Creative Commons images, and we’ve covered that before here at Make Tech Easier. But where do you go to find Creative Commons videos? Just like with images, there’s a need to find videos that we can share legally. After all, not all videos can be shared with just a simple copy and paste. Some are protected with a copyright. The following are five websites where you can find Creative Commons videos to be sure you’re sharing legally.
1. Vimeo
One of our favorite places to view videos, Vimeo, also offers Creative Commons-licensed videos. The site offers different types of licenses – Attribution, Attribution Share Alike, Attribution No Derivatives, Attribution Non-Commercial, Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike, and Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives. If you’re unsure which license fits your need, there’s a handy explanation on the right side of the main page. Underneath each of the different licenses is a link to browse through all the videos of that type. Alternatively, you can perform an Advanced Search and indicate within the options which license you are searching for.
2. YouTube
Again, just like with Vimeo, YouTube, another of our favorite sites for videos also offers Creative Commons-licensed videos. Unlike Vimeo, there is no easy link for you to access the list of creative commons videos, but you can append the word “, creativecommons” (including the comma) to the end of your search term.
It will then show you the list of videos that you can use legally. If you see the option “Remix this video!” you will know that this video can be used.
3. Archive
While Archive is mostly a storage site for archived media, it also features content with Creative Commons licenses, including videos. There is no special section for the content. Simply do a search for it, and once you click on the video of your choice, it will say in the identifying information towards the bottom if it is Creative Commons-licensed. If it says nothing regarding this, consider it not licensed.
4. SpinXpress
SpinXpress will allow you to perform a search using your search term, the type of media you’re looking for, and the type of Creative Commons license you’re looking for. You can also specify which media source you want it to search in, as long as it’s one of the sources they use, such as The Internet Archive, blip.tv, RSS feeds, etc. Their symbols can be difficult to figure out as far as which license the videos have, so it might be easier just to search for the exact type of license, one at a time, just so you know what type are showing up in your search results.
5. Flickr
While we tend to only connect Flickr with images, they actually have some videos on the site as well. Additionally, they have a page reserved just for searching for Creative Commons works, both images and video. Selecting a video, then “Additional info,” will show you what type of Creative Commons license it is reserved for.
Conclusion
Anyone who has searched for Creative Commons-licensed images can verify that it can take awhile to find just that right one for your project. This makes searching for licensed videos a nightmare, as not only are you looking for just the right one, you’re trying to find a site that will give you options in the first place. These are five great places to get Creative Commons videos. Now you just have to find the right one.
