TL;DR: Stock footage in the UK costs between £20 and £2,000+ per clip depending on the library, resolution, exclusivity, and commercial usage rights. Subscription plans for high-volume users cost £30–£200/month and offer the best value for teams using 5+ clips regularly. For premium editorial or rights-managed content, single-clip licensing starts at £200 and can exceed £2,000 for broadcast use of iconic footage.
What Is Stock Footage and When Should You Use It?
Stock footage is pre-shot video content licensed from a library for use in productions without the cost of original filming. It covers everything from aerial city shots and B-roll nature sequences to archival historical footage and contemporary lifestyle content. For brand films, documentaries, and corporate video, stock footage fills gaps in production coverage, adds production value where filming isn't possible, and provides establishing shots at a fraction of the cost of a shoot day. A well-chosen stock clip at £150 can substitute for a half-day shoot that might cost £800–£2,000. But selecting the wrong licence type — or using footage outside its permitted scope — carries legal and financial consequences.
What Drives the Price?
- Library tier: Consumer libraries (Pexels, Pixabay, Storyblocks at the free tier) to mid-tier (Artgrid, Adobe Stock, Shutterstock) to premium (Getty Images, Pond5 RM) have very different price structures.
- Resolution: HD (1080p) clips are cheaper than 4K, which are cheaper than 6K or 8K. RAW or log-encoded premium clips command further premiums.
- Rights model: Royalty-free (RF) licences grant broad usage rights for a one-time fee. Rights-managed (RM) licences are priced per specific use — medium, duration, geography, audience size.
- Exclusivity: Non-exclusive (used by many buyers) vs. exclusive (withdrawn from the library and used only by you) pricing differs by 5–20× on rights-managed footage.
- Commercial clearance: Footage containing identifiable people, branded property, or recognisable buildings may require additional model releases or property releases for commercial use.
- Subscription vs. single purchase: Subscription plans offer dramatically lower per-clip costs for regular users.
Stock Library Comparison 2026
| Library | Model | Typical Price Per Clip | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pexels / Pixabay | Free (RF) | £0 | Internal content, non-commercial, social B-roll |
| Storyblocks (subscription) | Subscription £15–£25/mo | £0 per clip on plan | High-volume users, US-focused content |
| Artgrid | Subscription £199–£499/yr | £0 per clip on plan (£16–£40 equiv.) | Cinematic brand/doc content, RAW files included |
| Adobe Stock | Subscription or on-demand | £20–£70/clip (sub); £70–£180/clip (single) | Adobe workflow users, mixed photo/video needs |
| Shutterstock | Subscription or on-demand | £25–£80/clip (sub); £80–£200/clip (single) | Broad library, general brand content |
| Pond5 | RF single / RM available | £20–£500/clip (RF); £200–£2,000+ (RM) | Specialist and archival content, flexible licensing |
| Getty Images | RM and RF | £200–£2,000+/clip | Premium editorial, broadcast, high-value brand |
| BBC Motion Gallery / BFI | RM, negotiated | £400–£5,000+/clip | Archival UK footage, news, documentary |
Artgrid vs. Getty vs. Adobe: Choosing the Right Library
Artgrid (now part of Artlist) is the most compelling option for production companies creating cinematic brand and documentary content. The annual subscription (£199–£499/year depending on tier) provides unlimited 4K and RAW clip downloads with a commercial licence that covers broadcast and digital distribution. The library is curated and cinematographically superior to most mid-tier libraries — if you value visual quality and want RAW files for grading, Artgrid is the strongest value in the market.
Getty Images is the benchmark for premium and editorial content, particularly historical footage, news archive, and culturally significant material. Rights-managed clips are priced by use case — a 30-second TV commercial using a Getty clip can cost £500–£2,000 for a single campaign period. For high-visibility brand work, the Getty library's quality and reliability justify the cost. Always verify commercial clearance on Getty clips before use.
Adobe Stock makes the most sense for teams already using Creative Cloud — clips licence directly from Premiere Pro or After Effects without leaving the editing environment. Subscription pricing of £20–£70 per credit (with credits rolling into your CC plan) is competitive for occasional users. The library quality is mid-tier; it lacks the cinematic depth of Artgrid but has strong breadth across business, lifestyle, and corporate categories.
Understanding Commercial Clearance
Not all stock footage is cleared for all commercial uses. 3 common clearance issues catch buyers out:
- Model release: Footage showing identifiable people used in advertising or promotional content must be covered by a signed model release from each person visible. Reputable libraries specify whether model releases are on file. "Editorial use only" footage means no model releases — never use it in commercial advertising.
- Property release: Footage shot inside private property (offices, venues, branded retail environments) or showing trademarked logos or architecture may require a property release. Getty and other premium libraries indicate this status per clip.
- Music in clip: Stock footage that includes audible background music (a band playing at an event, a recognisable song in a scene) carries embedded music rights issues. If you use that clip in a commercial production, you may be infringing the music copyright independently of your video licence. Always use clean production music or footage with cleared audio.
For broadcast TV advertising, always obtain written confirmation from the library that the specific clip is cleared for broadcast commercial use. This takes 1–3 working days and may cost an additional clearance fee of £50–£200.
Subscription vs. Single Purchase: When Each Makes Sense
If your production team uses 5 or more stock clips per month, a subscription is almost certainly cheaper than single-clip purchases. Artgrid's annual plan at £199 breaks down to £16.60/month — competitive with a single mid-tier clip from Shutterstock. Adobe Stock's subscription plans at £29–£79/month include 10–750 assets per month depending on tier. For agencies or production companies with steady output, the subscription model is standard practice.
Single clip purchases make sense for one-off projects, specific archival content that's only available on rights-managed terms, or premium exclusive licensing. Never sign up for a subscription plan you won't fully use — most have strict download roll-over policies and unused credits expire.
When to Pay More
- Your footage must be broadcast-cleared with full documentation — premium libraries provide this; free libraries rarely do.
- You need archival or historically specific footage — BFI, BBC Motion Gallery, and specialist archival libraries are the only sources for pre-1980s UK footage.
- Your client is a major brand and clip association matters — a cheap stock clip used by 10,000 other productions will eventually appear in a competitor's ad. Premium RM footage or an exclusive licence protects brand differentiation.
- You are working in 6K or 8K with a RAW pipeline — only Artgrid and a handful of premium libraries offer RAW files.
- You need a clip that is not replicable by current production — aerial footage of a restricted area, historical event footage, rare wildlife.
Red Flags When Licensing Stock
- "Editorial use only" for a commercial project: This is the most common licensing mistake. Editorial footage cannot be used in advertisements, promotional materials, or products for sale. If you see "editorial" on a clip, it is not cleared for commercial use.
- No model or property release status shown: If the library does not disclose release status, assume the clip is not cleared for advertising use and request written confirmation before downloading.
- Background music in the clip: Check the audio track of every stock clip before using it in a production. Embedded music carries separate copyright — strip or mute it and replace with cleared production audio.
- Downloading at low resolution "for preview" then using in delivery: Watermarked preview downloads are not licenced for any use. Downloading and using a preview file instead of purchasing the licence is copyright infringement, regardless of resolution.
- No documentation of the licence: Always retain the download receipt and licence confirmation email for every clip used in a commercial production. Disputes can arise years after delivery and documentation is your only proof of legitimate use.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What does "royalty-free" actually mean for stock footage?
Royalty-free means you pay a one-time licence fee and can use the clip repeatedly within the licence scope without paying additional royalties. It does not mean free — it means no ongoing royalty payments. The licence still specifies permitted uses (commercial, editorial, broadcast) and may exclude certain platforms or distribution sizes. -
What is the difference between royalty-free and rights-managed?
Royalty-free grants broad usage rights for a one-time fee. Rights-managed (RM) licences price the clip for a specific use — a TV advertisement in the UK for 13 weeks at a national reach of 5 million people, for example. RM content is more expensive per use but gives you control over exclusivity and prevents your competitors from using the same clip. -
Can I use Pexels or Pixabay footage in a commercial brand video?
Yes — both platforms offer content under the Creative Commons CC0 licence, which permits commercial use without attribution. However, model and property release status varies by clip, and neither platform provides broadcast-clearance documentation. Use with caution for high-visibility commercial work. -
Is Artgrid really unlimited downloads?
Yes, for the subscriber's own commercial productions. The unlimited licence covers digital, social, broadcast, and streaming use. The RAW tier (higher subscription) adds access to uncompressed LOG footage. Review the Artgrid licence document for any platform-specific restrictions before using for theatrical or VOD distribution. -
How do I licence stock footage for a TV advertisement?
You need a broadcast licence, not a standard web licence. For royalty-free libraries, check the licence terms state "broadcast" as a permitted use. For rights-managed footage, contact the library directly and specify the broadcast medium, territory, reach, and duration — you will receive a custom quote. Expect to pay £200–£2,000 per clip for broadcast TV use. -
What is the best free option for UK-specific stock footage?
Pexels and Pixabay have reasonable UK location content, though depth is limited. For authentic UK-specific content — British streets, architecture, landmarks — commercial libraries like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock have much stronger UK-specific catalogues. British Pathé also offers historical footage at free preview resolution for educational purposes. -
What resolution should I download?
Download the highest resolution available for your project's delivery format. If you're delivering 4K, download 4K. Upscaling SD or HD footage to 4K produces visible quality loss. If RAW or log files are available (Artgrid premium tier), download RAW for maximum grading flexibility. -
Can the same stock clip appear in my competitor's video?
Yes, for royalty-free non-exclusive licences. This is a known limitation of stock footage and occasionally causes brand embarrassment. If clip exclusivity matters to your client, purchase a rights-managed exclusive licence or brief an original shoot to create proprietary footage.