Free Image Libraries for Commercial Use: A Beginner’s Guide

Did you know that some of the world’s most iconic advertisements use stock images for commercial use? For example, AlamapBBDO, a Brazilian ad agency, used stock photos from Getty Images to create their Endless Possibilities campaign in 2016. The advertising campaign combined photos of random people’s faces to recreate portraits of famous people such as the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis.

Most creative agencies prefer altering stock images in most of their work. This is because it allows them to create campaigns for different companies much faster at affordable costs. Keep reading to find out how to get free images for commercial use in your next project.

Part 1: Download images in loyalty-free sites

Several sites offer free images for commercial use as part of their services. In addition, you do not need to register an account to download the images. The sites typically rely on user contributions and content teams to ensure their databases are fresh and maintain consistent quality. Furthermore, all creative assets they offer fall under the creative commons zero license or a variation of it. Here are some of the sites that offer you images for commercial use for free.

1. Pexels

Pexels.com is a free-to-use provider of high-resolution photos and videos for aspiring creators. The German-based website was started in 2014 by two brothers and has been under the Canva umbrella since 2018.

Currently, the website hosts over 3.2 million images and videos from over 250,000 active contributors. In addition, all the material you find in its library is under the Pexels license, which slightly varies from the creative commons zero license model. Some of the restrictions it enforces include:

You can only use pexels images for commercial use after making alterations to the original image. For example, you can use part of an image to create a collage for your commercial branding.
Furthermore, you cannot use any of the website’s content to promote political ideologies and explicit content, especially if the images contain identifiable subjects.

Pexels is available through the following channels:

Your web browser by typing the URL pexels.com.
The Android and iOS app.
A plugin for other content creation software such as Google Slides and MS Office.
An extension on your Chrome browser.
You can also access the database using the official Canva app.

2. Unsplash

Another website that offers free images for commercial use is Unsplash, a subsidiary of Getty Images since 2021. The website is a favorite among creators boasting over 16 billion photo impressions monthly. In addition, the database consists of over 3.48 million photos from more than 265,000 unique contributors, all under the Unsplash license.

The Unsplash license restricts the sale of its creative assets without incorporating new creative elements, including using them in print media and physical goods such as mugs and caps.

You can access Unsplash from your web browser or request API integration for your application from the site’s owners. In addition, the site also hosts photo walks across different cities, where Unsplash guides show you the best photo locations around the city and the best camera techniques for your work. Some cities to host the event include Boston, Montreal, Tokyo, and Toronto.

3. Freerange

Freerange Stock is an online resource for photos, illustrations, and textures you can download and use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Since 2007, the site has continued to provide high-quality images to its community of over 800,000 registered users.

Unlike the previous examples, all content on Freerange falls under the website’s Equalicense. It grants you broad commercial rights of its stock images while allowing the contributors to retain control of their copyright, image resale, and distribution. As such, you cannot use the images for bulk distribution or print-on-demand works.

Freerange Stock maintains its steady supply of images for commercial use via the following methods:

It has an in-house team of professional photographers who upload images across the different categories on the website.
Freerange Stock also purchases image rights or directly commissions photos from independent creators.
You can also contribute to the website’s library by voluntarily submitting your work to the platform. Kindly note that you will need a verified account to enable this function.
The website also works directly with photographers through a licensing and distribution model, providing them extra exposure on the site.
Finally, Freerange stock aggregates public domain images from other sources, including similar sites and government institutions. It does so by acknowledging the image owner and sometimes lists the image source when the owner is unknown.

Freerange Stock is accessible through your web browser or as an API integration on your app.

4. Vecteezy

Vecteezy is an extensive online library of free stock images for commercial use. Some of the site’s highlight features include the following:

A best-in-class search engine that incorporates multiple filters to ensure your results are extremely accurate. For example, you can sort images by color, style, number of people, and age of the subjects, something other free stock websites do not provide.
All images, videos, and vector illustrations are free for personal and commercial uses. It does so through a property sign and release model with its extensive network of contributors, which protects users from any legal liabilities.
Finally, it employs a content team that manually reviews each photo submission to ensure consistent quality standards for its offerings.

In addition, you can also purchase design resource bundles by subscribing to its Vecteezy pro for as little as $9 monthly. Some of the resources available include the Ultimate Text Effects Layer Styles Bundle for Photoshop, which costs $39 stand-alone or $4.50 when you subscribe to pro.

Part 2: Buy from stock providers

Another way to get images for commercial use is by buying them from stock providers. Some of the benefits of buying images from stock providers include:

You get a wide selection of unique photos from top-tier photographers. Stock providers always seek collaborations with the industry’s finest to edge out the competition.
You receive exemplary customer service with your purchase. Selecting the right image can be confusing for amateur creators. As such, stock image providers have customer support channels to help you throughout your creative process.
Stock images reduce your delivery times significantly. Buying images from a stock provider eliminates the need to invest in photography equipment and the time you need for post-production. As such, you can deliver projects in a fast and cost-effective way.

Despite the above positive, here are some challenges that buying stock images may present:

Not all stock image providers will have the creative assets you need.
Image overuse is likely since every creator will rush for the most popular contributor.

Below are some of the stock image providers you should consider.

1. iStock

iStockphoto.com is an online database of creative resources, including royalty-free photos, videos, audio, illustrations, and clip art you can use in your creations. The website is a Getty Images subsidiary based in Calgary, Canada. In addition, contributors earn royalties depending on how often users download their content.

2. Alamy.com

Alamy.com is a British-owned stock image provider with contributions from photographers and agencies in 173 countries. It compensates its contributors by offering higher than average payouts every time users download their creations. Some popular brands to use Alamy’s services include M&C Saatchi, Microsoft, and The Economist.

Part 3: Shot a Photo by yourself or create one with editing tools

Alternatively, you can get images for commercial use by shooting them yourself or creating them with editing tools such as Figma and Wondershare’s Filmstock. Here are some benefits of using this method:

You get exactly what you want, provided you have the required skills and equipment. Sometimes, getting the right image for your commercial purpose can be challenging. As such, shooting an original photo may be the only option.
You have full ownership of the image.

Unlike obtaining images from stock photography websites, you are free to use the image in whatever capacity you please without any restrictions. For example, sites such as Unsplash do not allow you to use their images in political statements, a restriction you can bypass when using your own creations.

However, you should also consider the following factors when using this method.

It requires a substantial investment

Getting high-quality images for commercial purposes requires specialist equipment. For example, the Panasonic LUMIX GH6 camera, which has 4K resolution capability, costs $2,197 on Amazon. This makes it extremely expensive for amateur creators.

There is a steep learning curve

Becoming a professional photographer takes time and effort. Unless you are creating as a hobby, it will be a while before you can start generating income from your creations.

Part 4: FAQs

1. Do you need a contributor account to get images for commercial use?

Not necessarily. Stock image sites like pexels.com allow you to download images from their website without creating an account. You will only need one if you want to showcase your work on the platform.

2. Can you use your smartphone to get images for commercial use?

Yes. Most stock image providers have device-specific apps that allow you to access their databases from your mobile device. For example, UnsplashPhotoPicker allows you access to the Unsplash library from your Android device.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Best Video Tagging Software for MP4 Files

MP4 Video Tag Editors are used to alter or add general information to a video. These video tag editor software allow you to edit common metadata, including album, artist, title, comments, language, track information, copyright, genre, etc. Besides this, you can also sum up movie credits to your videos, such as information about composer, producer, writer, editor, director, or cinematographer. Not only this, some advanced software lets you edit information like internet URL, digitization, location, source form, dimensions, and many more. So, are you in search of such an mp4 metadata editor? In this article, we will share the top best MP4 Video Tag Editors for Windows and Mac.

Part 1: Top 10 Best MP4 Video Tag Editors for Windows and Mac

To help you find the best video tag editor, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best MP4 tag editors for Windows and Mac. Let’s have a look at them!

1. VLC Media Player

Supported OS: VLC Media Player software is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Price: It is free of cost.

VLC is a versatile mp4 metadata editor that supports a huge range of video formats. The software lets you alter the general metadata, including artist, album, copyright, title, track number, publisher, date, etc. All you’ve to do is to open a video, then move to Tools > Media Information, and you can edit the tags you want.

VLC offers a handy audio fingerprint feature that checks an online database to recognize tags for an audio file. Moreover, you can also sum up an album cover image to an audio or video file.

2. MP4 Video and Audio Tag Editor

Supported OS: The software is compatible with Windows.

Price: The price starts from $14.49.

The MP4 Video and Audio Tag Editor is used for editing both audio and video file tags. The software enables you to edit the music arts, cover arts, and apply effects. Further, it can help you to get the tags from movie videos and post them.

You can edit the MP4 tags in 3GP, MP4, M4B, M4V files and rename them by the tags. It can also help you to edit all metadata, atoms, and more.

3. Amvidia Tag Editor

Supported OS: Amvidia Tag Editor is compatible with Mac.

Price: You can download the software free of cost.

The Amvidia software is a simple, flexible, and fast spreadsheet application for editing video tags. It enables you to download metadata and album covers from the load tags such as iTunes and other networks and paths. The software supports batch tagging, and it allows you to rename multiple files as well. It also enables you to fix encoding, find and replace texts, and manage artworks.

The Amvidia is a reliable music tag editor and supports numerous audio and video formats including, MP4, AIFF, MP3, WAV, M4A, and FLAC files. You can customize your columns and rearrange them to see desired tags during MP4 tag editing.

4. Openshot Video Editor

Supported OS: The software is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Price: Free.

Openshot software offers you much more productive work than just the ability to edit metadata tags. It comes with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to find your way around, especially while using it to alter video tags. It supports the editing of many audios, video, and image format files, plus it is used for real-time previews and video transitions.

Openshot gives outstanding films, videos, and animation editing with its rich set of features. It can import media files, add music to the timeline, arrange videos with photos, preview the project and export your content as well.

5. MyMeta video Editor

Supported OS: The software is compatible with Windows.

Price: You can download the software at a $3.49 rate.

MyMeta video tag editor software enables you to connect to different databases and automatically tag your files. It can connect with TheTVDB.com, TheMovieDB.org, and tagChimp to find the tags for your audio and video files. It integrates with metadata providers and works with M4V, MP4, and MOV.

The software offers comprehensive editing of MP4 video files and permits you a quick view of media files before tagging. Further, it gives the AutoTag feature to tag your media collection quickly with the least effort.

6. tinyMediaManager video Editor

Supported OS: The tinyMediaManager is compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, and many other operating systems.

Price: It is available free of cost

The software comes with an automatic updating system and is set up to alter the video metadata for online media centers. It organizes data and works as a movie metadata editor, plus it can support command-line arguments. It gets all the important metadata for your TV shows from Imdb.com, TheTVDB.com, and TheMovieDB.org.

TinyMediaManager works as an MP4 tag editor that lets you generate video file metadata and supports you in organizing your files. Also, you can rename your folders according to your needs. Further, if you’re not contented with the results, you can manually edit all metadata or artwork.

7. Subler

Supported OS: It is compatible with all versions of the MAC system and other Apple devices such as iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, QuickTime, etc.

Price: The availability of this software is free.

Subler is MP4 tag editor video software that is free, and you can download it from the official website. It enables you to edit subtitles for both the audio and video files without using any other program. It also helps you to update Meta for all popular video and image files format.

It can create WebVTT subtitles tracks and TX3G files plus supports all metadata MP4 editing. It allows you to add, remove, or save MP4 media tracks and is dedicated to generating MPEG4 files for iDevices.

8. Avidemux

Supported OS: The Avidemux software is compatible with Microsoft Windows, Linux, BSD, and Mac.

Price: No charges

The Avidemux video tag editor enables you to perform simple video editing tasks such as editing video and audio metadata. It is open-source software having powerful automation functionality and helps you to perform scripting tasks.

It fulfills the basic editing requirements, including cutting, encoding, and lets you compress videos through VirtualDub. The software is known for its professional video production in MP4 tag editing as it can also help you embed permanent subtitles in your videos. Further, it can accept some other video file formats, including MPG, MPEG, and AVI.

9. ExifTool

Supported OS: The ExifTool is compatible with Mac, Windows, and even least-used operating systems.

Price: It is free of cost.

The software is best for users who want large metadata editing within highly particular digital files to achieve their targets. It can handle basic and complex tasks, making it perfect for newbies as well. The software can also work for users to open un-clear digital files and folders for viewing and reading. It also lets users manipulate images, videos audios, and PDF metadata.

Exiftool software works well with MP4 and allows you to edit Meta information of audios, videos, and images at once. It also enables you to write, edit, or delete video metadata one at a time or in group form.

10. Vidmore Video Converter

Supported OS: It is compatible with both Windows and Mac computers.

Price: The software charges you $19.95 for one month.

The software allows you to update the metadata of video or audio files, including album, artist, title, composer, genre, etc. Moreover, it enables you to set your picture or thumbnail for different video tracks and formats. It works with M4A, MP4, MOV, M4V, and many other input formats.

Vidmore video converter supports MP4 tag editing for both audio and video files. You can also customize your metadata tags and rename them according to your choice.

Part 2: What is Video Tag, and why should you use it?

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Do you know why to use these tags? The video tags are illustrative keywords that can add to the video to help viewers search the content. Further, video tags are contemplated as an important ranking factor in algorithm and YouTube’s search. Most importantly, video tags give information about your video to Google search and YouTube, such as your video’s category, topic, note boundaries, and more. Further, video tags allow you to arrange and manage files easily, plus sort and search the target video file promptly.

Conclusion:

To ensure safety and security, we need some special tools to edit audio or video metadata. For this purpose, video tag editors are used for editing all common format audio and video files. The MP4 video tag editors enable you to manage and alter the music arts plus sort out the multimedia files. So, if you want to edit video metadata tags on your Mac or Windows, you need specific software. For your convenience, here we’ve listed the top 10 best mp4 metadata editors.

02 What is Video Tag, and why should you use it?

Part 1: Top 10 Best MP4 Video Tag Editors for Windows and Mac

To help you find the best video tag editor, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best MP4 tag editors for Windows and Mac. Let’s have a look at them!