2024 Approved Download Royalty-Free Videos From These Top Websites

2024 Approved Download Royalty-Free Videos From These Top Websites

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Download Royalty-Free Videos From These Top Websites

Best Websites to Download Public Domain Videos

author avatar

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

  • If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
  • In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
  • A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

Public Domain Video Download

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

Public Domain Video Collections

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

National Screening Room Public Domain Video Collection

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Pond 5 Public Domain Video Download

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Pexels Public Domain Video  Collection

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

  • If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
  • In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
  • A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

Public Domain Video Download

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

Public Domain Video Collections

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

National Screening Room Public Domain Video Collection

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Pond 5 Public Domain Video Download

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Pexels Public Domain Video  Collection

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

  • If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
  • In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
  • A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

Public Domain Video Download

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

Public Domain Video Collections

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

National Screening Room Public Domain Video Collection

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Pond 5 Public Domain Video Download

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Pexels Public Domain Video  Collection

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

  • If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
  • In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
  • A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

Public Domain Video Download

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

Public Domain Video Collections

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

National Screening Room Public Domain Video Collection

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Pond 5 Public Domain Video Download

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Pexels Public Domain Video  Collection

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

‘S Top Video Editing Software for 4K Proxy Files: A Comprehensive Guide

Top 8 Video Editing Apps for 4K Proxy Video Editing

author avatar

Max Wales

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Shooting videos in high resolutions can help you create visually impressive content your followers on social media are going to adore. The only trouble is that the size of 4K videos can slow you down during the video editing process if your computer doesn’t have enough RAM memory or processing power. Additionally, quite a few inexpensive or free video editing apps don’t allow their users to create low-resolution proxy files that make the process of editing 4K videos much faster. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through the best 8 video editors you can use for 4K proxy video editing.

The Best Video Editing Apps for Proxy Editing in 2020

Some of the video editing apps we featured in this article can only run on computers that already have the advanced hardware setups. However, even if you have a computer setup that can easily support processing of the 4K video files, proxy editing can still be useful as it can reduce the amount of time you will have to spend on performing complex video editing tasks. Let’s take a look at some of the best video editors that support proxy editing.

1. Filmora

Price: Free version available, subscription plans start at $49.99 per year

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

The wide range of video editing options, support for nearly all popular video file formats or quick and simple exporting process are only a few reasons why Filmora is one of the best video editors you can use this year. Creating proxy files in Filmora is not a difficult task, because the software generates them automatically for you. You just have to choose between the 1280x720p or 1920x1080p resolutions and Filmora will create proxies for all media files that are larger than the resolution you’ve selected. However, the amount of time Filmora is going to need to create proxies depends on your computer’s processing power, but also on the size and the number of the RAW files you imported into a project.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $20,99 per month, different subscription plans available

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

This is probably one of the best, if not the best non-linear video editing software ever created, so it is hardly surprising that you can easily create proxy files for all videos you use in a project you create in Adobe Premiere Pro. So, to create proxy files you just need to open the folder that contains those files from the Media Browser and then click on the Ingest button. You should then click on the wrench tool and pick the Create Proxies option from the drop-down menu located next to the Ingest option. Afterward, you should select one of the available resolution presets and proceed to import the footage into the project. However, before you can start editing with proxies you have to click on the Toggle Proxy button.

3. Final Cut Pro X

Price: Free trial available, $299,99

Compatibility: macOS

Transcoding media with FCPX doesn’t require too much effort, as the software offers a couple of options that make the editing process faster. You can opt to generate optimized media files by transcoding the original video clips into Apple ProRes 422 codec format that shortens the amount of time needed for rendering and provides excellent quality of color that is required for compositing. The proxy media files will also be created by transcoding the videos to Apple ProRes 422 codec format that retains original aspect ratio and frame rate of the video clips you transcoded. It is also worth noting that FCPX transcodes all mp3 files you import into a project to MOV audio files.

4. Vegas Pro

Price: Subscription plans start from $249,00

Compatibility: Windows

This video editor is often overlooked in conversations about the most powerful video editing apps, but the tools it offers are powerful enough to enable you to edit videos at a professional level. Creating proxy files in Vegas Pro is remarkably easy, as you just have to import the files into a new project, select each file you want to transcode and then choose the Create Video Proxy option from the right-click menu. Just keep in mind that you must create proxy files before you do any actual editing because otherwise, the transcoding process is not going work.

5. Blender

Price: Free

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

Blender is a 3D modeling and VFX software that lets you track objects or use 3D painting tools among numerous other options. Even though creating proxies with this app is not a particularly complicated process, you still have to be familiar with Blender in order to make full use of its transcoding options. The software allows you to generate proxy files whose size is only 25% of the video’s original size, although you can also create proxies that have 50% and 75% of the video’s original size. After you’ve adjusted the transcoding settings you should simply click on the Rebuild Proxy and Timecode Indices button.

6. Shotcut

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux

Despite the fact that this cross-platform video editor supports 4K and ProRes files that can cause it to lag at times, creating proxies in Shotcut is a highly technical process. In case you decide to make a proxy file by yourself, you will have to export a version of the file that is two or four times smaller than the original. You must also remember that you have to go through the entire process of creating proxies before you make any edits. The trick to creating proxies in Shotcut is to make a project file with the larger version of the video, then replace the larger version of the file with a smaller version of that same video file, before you actually start editing. Once you’ve completed the editing process, you can then once again add the larger source file to the project and export your video in high resolution.

7. Lightworks

Price: Free trial available, subscription plans start at $24,99 per month

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

The process of creating proxies in Lightworks is rather simple since you just have to import the video files you’d like to edit into the software and make sure they are selected before you right-click on them. Once the right-click menu appears on the screen you should click on the Media submenu and select the Make Proxies option. The amount of time Lightworks is going to need to generate the proxy files depends on the number of the source files and their size. You can then proceed to add the proxies to the timeline, edit them and Lightworks will automatically use the source files instead of proxies during the rendering process.

8. HitFilm Express

Price: Free

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Once you create a new project and import all video clips you want to use in that project into the editor you should just go to the Assets menu that is located in the Media panel and click on the Make Proxy option. You will be able to continue editing while the transcoding process is still in progress, and after the source files are transcoded they will be replaced by proxies. However, making adjustments to a proxy version of a composite shot will invalidate that proxy file, which is why it is important to make all edits on that shot before you create its proxy.

Conclusion

Reducing the size of video clips you use in your projects is going to save you a lot of time during the video editing process. Each video editing software we featured in this article allows its users to generate proxy files effortlessly. Which video editor are you going to be using for proxy video editing? Leave a comment below and let us know.

author avatar

Max Wales

Max Wales is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Max Wales

Max Wales

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Shooting videos in high resolutions can help you create visually impressive content your followers on social media are going to adore. The only trouble is that the size of 4K videos can slow you down during the video editing process if your computer doesn’t have enough RAM memory or processing power. Additionally, quite a few inexpensive or free video editing apps don’t allow their users to create low-resolution proxy files that make the process of editing 4K videos much faster. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through the best 8 video editors you can use for 4K proxy video editing.

The Best Video Editing Apps for Proxy Editing in 2020

Some of the video editing apps we featured in this article can only run on computers that already have the advanced hardware setups. However, even if you have a computer setup that can easily support processing of the 4K video files, proxy editing can still be useful as it can reduce the amount of time you will have to spend on performing complex video editing tasks. Let’s take a look at some of the best video editors that support proxy editing.

1. Filmora

Price: Free version available, subscription plans start at $49.99 per year

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

The wide range of video editing options, support for nearly all popular video file formats or quick and simple exporting process are only a few reasons why Filmora is one of the best video editors you can use this year. Creating proxy files in Filmora is not a difficult task, because the software generates them automatically for you. You just have to choose between the 1280x720p or 1920x1080p resolutions and Filmora will create proxies for all media files that are larger than the resolution you’ve selected. However, the amount of time Filmora is going to need to create proxies depends on your computer’s processing power, but also on the size and the number of the RAW files you imported into a project.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $20,99 per month, different subscription plans available

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

This is probably one of the best, if not the best non-linear video editing software ever created, so it is hardly surprising that you can easily create proxy files for all videos you use in a project you create in Adobe Premiere Pro. So, to create proxy files you just need to open the folder that contains those files from the Media Browser and then click on the Ingest button. You should then click on the wrench tool and pick the Create Proxies option from the drop-down menu located next to the Ingest option. Afterward, you should select one of the available resolution presets and proceed to import the footage into the project. However, before you can start editing with proxies you have to click on the Toggle Proxy button.

3. Final Cut Pro X

Price: Free trial available, $299,99

Compatibility: macOS

Transcoding media with FCPX doesn’t require too much effort, as the software offers a couple of options that make the editing process faster. You can opt to generate optimized media files by transcoding the original video clips into Apple ProRes 422 codec format that shortens the amount of time needed for rendering and provides excellent quality of color that is required for compositing. The proxy media files will also be created by transcoding the videos to Apple ProRes 422 codec format that retains original aspect ratio and frame rate of the video clips you transcoded. It is also worth noting that FCPX transcodes all mp3 files you import into a project to MOV audio files.

4. Vegas Pro

Price: Subscription plans start from $249,00

Compatibility: Windows

This video editor is often overlooked in conversations about the most powerful video editing apps, but the tools it offers are powerful enough to enable you to edit videos at a professional level. Creating proxy files in Vegas Pro is remarkably easy, as you just have to import the files into a new project, select each file you want to transcode and then choose the Create Video Proxy option from the right-click menu. Just keep in mind that you must create proxy files before you do any actual editing because otherwise, the transcoding process is not going work.

5. Blender

Price: Free

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

Blender is a 3D modeling and VFX software that lets you track objects or use 3D painting tools among numerous other options. Even though creating proxies with this app is not a particularly complicated process, you still have to be familiar with Blender in order to make full use of its transcoding options. The software allows you to generate proxy files whose size is only 25% of the video’s original size, although you can also create proxies that have 50% and 75% of the video’s original size. After you’ve adjusted the transcoding settings you should simply click on the Rebuild Proxy and Timecode Indices button.

6. Shotcut

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux

Despite the fact that this cross-platform video editor supports 4K and ProRes files that can cause it to lag at times, creating proxies in Shotcut is a highly technical process. In case you decide to make a proxy file by yourself, you will have to export a version of the file that is two or four times smaller than the original. You must also remember that you have to go through the entire process of creating proxies before you make any edits. The trick to creating proxies in Shotcut is to make a project file with the larger version of the video, then replace the larger version of the file with a smaller version of that same video file, before you actually start editing. Once you’ve completed the editing process, you can then once again add the larger source file to the project and export your video in high resolution.

7. Lightworks

Price: Free trial available, subscription plans start at $24,99 per month

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

The process of creating proxies in Lightworks is rather simple since you just have to import the video files you’d like to edit into the software and make sure they are selected before you right-click on them. Once the right-click menu appears on the screen you should click on the Media submenu and select the Make Proxies option. The amount of time Lightworks is going to need to generate the proxy files depends on the number of the source files and their size. You can then proceed to add the proxies to the timeline, edit them and Lightworks will automatically use the source files instead of proxies during the rendering process.

8. HitFilm Express

Price: Free

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Once you create a new project and import all video clips you want to use in that project into the editor you should just go to the Assets menu that is located in the Media panel and click on the Make Proxy option. You will be able to continue editing while the transcoding process is still in progress, and after the source files are transcoded they will be replaced by proxies. However, making adjustments to a proxy version of a composite shot will invalidate that proxy file, which is why it is important to make all edits on that shot before you create its proxy.

Conclusion

Reducing the size of video clips you use in your projects is going to save you a lot of time during the video editing process. Each video editing software we featured in this article allows its users to generate proxy files effortlessly. Which video editor are you going to be using for proxy video editing? Leave a comment below and let us know.

author avatar

Max Wales

Max Wales is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Max Wales

Max Wales

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Shooting videos in high resolutions can help you create visually impressive content your followers on social media are going to adore. The only trouble is that the size of 4K videos can slow you down during the video editing process if your computer doesn’t have enough RAM memory or processing power. Additionally, quite a few inexpensive or free video editing apps don’t allow their users to create low-resolution proxy files that make the process of editing 4K videos much faster. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through the best 8 video editors you can use for 4K proxy video editing.

The Best Video Editing Apps for Proxy Editing in 2020

Some of the video editing apps we featured in this article can only run on computers that already have the advanced hardware setups. However, even if you have a computer setup that can easily support processing of the 4K video files, proxy editing can still be useful as it can reduce the amount of time you will have to spend on performing complex video editing tasks. Let’s take a look at some of the best video editors that support proxy editing.

1. Filmora

Price: Free version available, subscription plans start at $49.99 per year

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

The wide range of video editing options, support for nearly all popular video file formats or quick and simple exporting process are only a few reasons why Filmora is one of the best video editors you can use this year. Creating proxy files in Filmora is not a difficult task, because the software generates them automatically for you. You just have to choose between the 1280x720p or 1920x1080p resolutions and Filmora will create proxies for all media files that are larger than the resolution you’ve selected. However, the amount of time Filmora is going to need to create proxies depends on your computer’s processing power, but also on the size and the number of the RAW files you imported into a project.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $20,99 per month, different subscription plans available

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

This is probably one of the best, if not the best non-linear video editing software ever created, so it is hardly surprising that you can easily create proxy files for all videos you use in a project you create in Adobe Premiere Pro. So, to create proxy files you just need to open the folder that contains those files from the Media Browser and then click on the Ingest button. You should then click on the wrench tool and pick the Create Proxies option from the drop-down menu located next to the Ingest option. Afterward, you should select one of the available resolution presets and proceed to import the footage into the project. However, before you can start editing with proxies you have to click on the Toggle Proxy button.

3. Final Cut Pro X

Price: Free trial available, $299,99

Compatibility: macOS

Transcoding media with FCPX doesn’t require too much effort, as the software offers a couple of options that make the editing process faster. You can opt to generate optimized media files by transcoding the original video clips into Apple ProRes 422 codec format that shortens the amount of time needed for rendering and provides excellent quality of color that is required for compositing. The proxy media files will also be created by transcoding the videos to Apple ProRes 422 codec format that retains original aspect ratio and frame rate of the video clips you transcoded. It is also worth noting that FCPX transcodes all mp3 files you import into a project to MOV audio files.

4. Vegas Pro

Price: Subscription plans start from $249,00

Compatibility: Windows

This video editor is often overlooked in conversations about the most powerful video editing apps, but the tools it offers are powerful enough to enable you to edit videos at a professional level. Creating proxy files in Vegas Pro is remarkably easy, as you just have to import the files into a new project, select each file you want to transcode and then choose the Create Video Proxy option from the right-click menu. Just keep in mind that you must create proxy files before you do any actual editing because otherwise, the transcoding process is not going work.

5. Blender

Price: Free

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

Blender is a 3D modeling and VFX software that lets you track objects or use 3D painting tools among numerous other options. Even though creating proxies with this app is not a particularly complicated process, you still have to be familiar with Blender in order to make full use of its transcoding options. The software allows you to generate proxy files whose size is only 25% of the video’s original size, although you can also create proxies that have 50% and 75% of the video’s original size. After you’ve adjusted the transcoding settings you should simply click on the Rebuild Proxy and Timecode Indices button.

6. Shotcut

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux

Despite the fact that this cross-platform video editor supports 4K and ProRes files that can cause it to lag at times, creating proxies in Shotcut is a highly technical process. In case you decide to make a proxy file by yourself, you will have to export a version of the file that is two or four times smaller than the original. You must also remember that you have to go through the entire process of creating proxies before you make any edits. The trick to creating proxies in Shotcut is to make a project file with the larger version of the video, then replace the larger version of the file with a smaller version of that same video file, before you actually start editing. Once you’ve completed the editing process, you can then once again add the larger source file to the project and export your video in high resolution.

7. Lightworks

Price: Free trial available, subscription plans start at $24,99 per month

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

The process of creating proxies in Lightworks is rather simple since you just have to import the video files you’d like to edit into the software and make sure they are selected before you right-click on them. Once the right-click menu appears on the screen you should click on the Media submenu and select the Make Proxies option. The amount of time Lightworks is going to need to generate the proxy files depends on the number of the source files and their size. You can then proceed to add the proxies to the timeline, edit them and Lightworks will automatically use the source files instead of proxies during the rendering process.

8. HitFilm Express

Price: Free

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Once you create a new project and import all video clips you want to use in that project into the editor you should just go to the Assets menu that is located in the Media panel and click on the Make Proxy option. You will be able to continue editing while the transcoding process is still in progress, and after the source files are transcoded they will be replaced by proxies. However, making adjustments to a proxy version of a composite shot will invalidate that proxy file, which is why it is important to make all edits on that shot before you create its proxy.

Conclusion

Reducing the size of video clips you use in your projects is going to save you a lot of time during the video editing process. Each video editing software we featured in this article allows its users to generate proxy files effortlessly. Which video editor are you going to be using for proxy video editing? Leave a comment below and let us know.

author avatar

Max Wales

Max Wales is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Max Wales

Max Wales

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Shooting videos in high resolutions can help you create visually impressive content your followers on social media are going to adore. The only trouble is that the size of 4K videos can slow you down during the video editing process if your computer doesn’t have enough RAM memory or processing power. Additionally, quite a few inexpensive or free video editing apps don’t allow their users to create low-resolution proxy files that make the process of editing 4K videos much faster. That’s why in this article we are going to take you through the best 8 video editors you can use for 4K proxy video editing.

The Best Video Editing Apps for Proxy Editing in 2020

Some of the video editing apps we featured in this article can only run on computers that already have the advanced hardware setups. However, even if you have a computer setup that can easily support processing of the 4K video files, proxy editing can still be useful as it can reduce the amount of time you will have to spend on performing complex video editing tasks. Let’s take a look at some of the best video editors that support proxy editing.

1. Filmora

Price: Free version available, subscription plans start at $49.99 per year

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

The wide range of video editing options, support for nearly all popular video file formats or quick and simple exporting process are only a few reasons why Filmora is one of the best video editors you can use this year. Creating proxy files in Filmora is not a difficult task, because the software generates them automatically for you. You just have to choose between the 1280x720p or 1920x1080p resolutions and Filmora will create proxies for all media files that are larger than the resolution you’ve selected. However, the amount of time Filmora is going to need to create proxies depends on your computer’s processing power, but also on the size and the number of the RAW files you imported into a project.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Price: $20,99 per month, different subscription plans available

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

This is probably one of the best, if not the best non-linear video editing software ever created, so it is hardly surprising that you can easily create proxy files for all videos you use in a project you create in Adobe Premiere Pro. So, to create proxy files you just need to open the folder that contains those files from the Media Browser and then click on the Ingest button. You should then click on the wrench tool and pick the Create Proxies option from the drop-down menu located next to the Ingest option. Afterward, you should select one of the available resolution presets and proceed to import the footage into the project. However, before you can start editing with proxies you have to click on the Toggle Proxy button.

3. Final Cut Pro X

Price: Free trial available, $299,99

Compatibility: macOS

Transcoding media with FCPX doesn’t require too much effort, as the software offers a couple of options that make the editing process faster. You can opt to generate optimized media files by transcoding the original video clips into Apple ProRes 422 codec format that shortens the amount of time needed for rendering and provides excellent quality of color that is required for compositing. The proxy media files will also be created by transcoding the videos to Apple ProRes 422 codec format that retains original aspect ratio and frame rate of the video clips you transcoded. It is also worth noting that FCPX transcodes all mp3 files you import into a project to MOV audio files.

4. Vegas Pro

Price: Subscription plans start from $249,00

Compatibility: Windows

This video editor is often overlooked in conversations about the most powerful video editing apps, but the tools it offers are powerful enough to enable you to edit videos at a professional level. Creating proxy files in Vegas Pro is remarkably easy, as you just have to import the files into a new project, select each file you want to transcode and then choose the Create Video Proxy option from the right-click menu. Just keep in mind that you must create proxy files before you do any actual editing because otherwise, the transcoding process is not going work.

5. Blender

Price: Free

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

Blender is a 3D modeling and VFX software that lets you track objects or use 3D painting tools among numerous other options. Even though creating proxies with this app is not a particularly complicated process, you still have to be familiar with Blender in order to make full use of its transcoding options. The software allows you to generate proxy files whose size is only 25% of the video’s original size, although you can also create proxies that have 50% and 75% of the video’s original size. After you’ve adjusted the transcoding settings you should simply click on the Rebuild Proxy and Timecode Indices button.

6. Shotcut

Price: Free

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux

Despite the fact that this cross-platform video editor supports 4K and ProRes files that can cause it to lag at times, creating proxies in Shotcut is a highly technical process. In case you decide to make a proxy file by yourself, you will have to export a version of the file that is two or four times smaller than the original. You must also remember that you have to go through the entire process of creating proxies before you make any edits. The trick to creating proxies in Shotcut is to make a project file with the larger version of the video, then replace the larger version of the file with a smaller version of that same video file, before you actually start editing. Once you’ve completed the editing process, you can then once again add the larger source file to the project and export your video in high resolution.

7. Lightworks

Price: Free trial available, subscription plans start at $24,99 per month

Compatibility: Linux, macOS, Windows

The process of creating proxies in Lightworks is rather simple since you just have to import the video files you’d like to edit into the software and make sure they are selected before you right-click on them. Once the right-click menu appears on the screen you should click on the Media submenu and select the Make Proxies option. The amount of time Lightworks is going to need to generate the proxy files depends on the number of the source files and their size. You can then proceed to add the proxies to the timeline, edit them and Lightworks will automatically use the source files instead of proxies during the rendering process.

8. HitFilm Express

Price: Free

Compatibility: macOS, Windows

Once you create a new project and import all video clips you want to use in that project into the editor you should just go to the Assets menu that is located in the Media panel and click on the Make Proxy option. You will be able to continue editing while the transcoding process is still in progress, and after the source files are transcoded they will be replaced by proxies. However, making adjustments to a proxy version of a composite shot will invalidate that proxy file, which is why it is important to make all edits on that shot before you create its proxy.

Conclusion

Reducing the size of video clips you use in your projects is going to save you a lot of time during the video editing process. Each video editing software we featured in this article allows its users to generate proxy files effortlessly. Which video editor are you going to be using for proxy video editing? Leave a comment below and let us know.

author avatar

Max Wales

Max Wales is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Max Wales

Movie Magic Made Easy: Upgrade Your Home Videos to Hollywood Quality

Quality Movie Maker: Turn Everyday Video Clips into a High Quality Movie

author avatar

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people would like to know how to make a quality movie to share with family and friends. Actually, making a stunning home movie from your rough clips is not that difficult. In fact, if you get a quality movie maker, it can be easy to create an awesome movie that surprises anyone.

Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor), designed for both pros and casual users, is a quality movie maker for everyone to use easily. It features a stylish and intuitive interface and timeline-based video editing that lets you control over every element precisely. It also provides comprehensive sources in texts, effects, intro/credits, transitions, and sounds which will take your video to the next level. In all, it’s a great helper to turn your everyday videos into high quality video, perfect for sharing. Follow easy steps below to create your masterpiece now.

In addition, you can learn how to turn low quality video to 4K easily in Filmora. Watch this video!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

After you downloaded and install this program, run it. Get used to its primary window very soon, and start to create a movie in high quality.

1Import your media files

This quality video editor provides two flexible ways to import videos. You can choose either of them below:

  1. Click “Import” to browse your file folder on computer, and select the files you need in batch.
  2. Drag and drop your video files directly into the Media Library.

When you smoothly load all of them, double click a video clip to preview it in the right previewing window. You can also take snapshots of your favorite scenes freely by clicking the camera icon.

Learn more about Importing

movie maker quality

2Edit video accurately and fast

With precise timeline-based editing and convenient editing panel offered, creating quality movies can be easy and quick. Right click a video clip in the Timeline to pop up a menu, and then choose all basic video tools like crop, split, cut, paste, remove audio, and more.

Learn more about basic vdieo editing tips

Tips: You can use the Timeline zoomer to zoom in/out the Timeline, so that you’re able to quickly locate the place you want.

low quality video to high quality video

3Enhance video with transitions and effects

This quality movie maker also takes your video to the next level with beautiful transitions and effects. Above the Timeline, there are hundreds of free templates included in the “Titles”, “Intro/Credits”, “Transitions”, “Effects”, “Sounds” tab. Select an ideal one to apply to the place you want with one click. When it come in place, you can further customize its duration and animation. There are more than 300+ effects, including fashion, beauty, Japanese set. Check it now.

movie maker high quality

Additionally, this quality movie editor provides some cool video effects like Tilt-shift, Jump Cut, Close-up, Mosaic, Face-off, etc. to make your video even more artful. And it also supports adding a logo to all your created videos to build your own branding.

Learn more about Advanced Video Editing Tips

low quality video to high quality video

4Produce your video in high quality

When satisfied with the result in the previewing window, simply click “Export” to export your video in a various options. It can be published to YouTube and placed on your Facebook, Twitter, burned to DVD, ISO image file, saved on your computer in various formats, or transferred to a specific device for enjoying on the go.

high quality video maker output

Note: This high quality movie maker also features an auto scene detection function, which helps to split your whole movie into different scenes during scene changes. In this way, you can quickly locate and focus the scenes you want.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people would like to know how to make a quality movie to share with family and friends. Actually, making a stunning home movie from your rough clips is not that difficult. In fact, if you get a quality movie maker, it can be easy to create an awesome movie that surprises anyone.

Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor), designed for both pros and casual users, is a quality movie maker for everyone to use easily. It features a stylish and intuitive interface and timeline-based video editing that lets you control over every element precisely. It also provides comprehensive sources in texts, effects, intro/credits, transitions, and sounds which will take your video to the next level. In all, it’s a great helper to turn your everyday videos into high quality video, perfect for sharing. Follow easy steps below to create your masterpiece now.

In addition, you can learn how to turn low quality video to 4K easily in Filmora. Watch this video!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

After you downloaded and install this program, run it. Get used to its primary window very soon, and start to create a movie in high quality.

1Import your media files

This quality video editor provides two flexible ways to import videos. You can choose either of them below:

  1. Click “Import” to browse your file folder on computer, and select the files you need in batch.
  2. Drag and drop your video files directly into the Media Library.

When you smoothly load all of them, double click a video clip to preview it in the right previewing window. You can also take snapshots of your favorite scenes freely by clicking the camera icon.

Learn more about Importing

movie maker quality

2Edit video accurately and fast

With precise timeline-based editing and convenient editing panel offered, creating quality movies can be easy and quick. Right click a video clip in the Timeline to pop up a menu, and then choose all basic video tools like crop, split, cut, paste, remove audio, and more.

Learn more about basic vdieo editing tips

Tips: You can use the Timeline zoomer to zoom in/out the Timeline, so that you’re able to quickly locate the place you want.

low quality video to high quality video

3Enhance video with transitions and effects

This quality movie maker also takes your video to the next level with beautiful transitions and effects. Above the Timeline, there are hundreds of free templates included in the “Titles”, “Intro/Credits”, “Transitions”, “Effects”, “Sounds” tab. Select an ideal one to apply to the place you want with one click. When it come in place, you can further customize its duration and animation. There are more than 300+ effects, including fashion, beauty, Japanese set. Check it now.

movie maker high quality

Additionally, this quality movie editor provides some cool video effects like Tilt-shift, Jump Cut, Close-up, Mosaic, Face-off, etc. to make your video even more artful. And it also supports adding a logo to all your created videos to build your own branding.

Learn more about Advanced Video Editing Tips

low quality video to high quality video

4Produce your video in high quality

When satisfied with the result in the previewing window, simply click “Export” to export your video in a various options. It can be published to YouTube and placed on your Facebook, Twitter, burned to DVD, ISO image file, saved on your computer in various formats, or transferred to a specific device for enjoying on the go.

high quality video maker output

Note: This high quality movie maker also features an auto scene detection function, which helps to split your whole movie into different scenes during scene changes. In this way, you can quickly locate and focus the scenes you want.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people would like to know how to make a quality movie to share with family and friends. Actually, making a stunning home movie from your rough clips is not that difficult. In fact, if you get a quality movie maker, it can be easy to create an awesome movie that surprises anyone.

Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor), designed for both pros and casual users, is a quality movie maker for everyone to use easily. It features a stylish and intuitive interface and timeline-based video editing that lets you control over every element precisely. It also provides comprehensive sources in texts, effects, intro/credits, transitions, and sounds which will take your video to the next level. In all, it’s a great helper to turn your everyday videos into high quality video, perfect for sharing. Follow easy steps below to create your masterpiece now.

In addition, you can learn how to turn low quality video to 4K easily in Filmora. Watch this video!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

After you downloaded and install this program, run it. Get used to its primary window very soon, and start to create a movie in high quality.

1Import your media files

This quality video editor provides two flexible ways to import videos. You can choose either of them below:

  1. Click “Import” to browse your file folder on computer, and select the files you need in batch.
  2. Drag and drop your video files directly into the Media Library.

When you smoothly load all of them, double click a video clip to preview it in the right previewing window. You can also take snapshots of your favorite scenes freely by clicking the camera icon.

Learn more about Importing

movie maker quality

2Edit video accurately and fast

With precise timeline-based editing and convenient editing panel offered, creating quality movies can be easy and quick. Right click a video clip in the Timeline to pop up a menu, and then choose all basic video tools like crop, split, cut, paste, remove audio, and more.

Learn more about basic vdieo editing tips

Tips: You can use the Timeline zoomer to zoom in/out the Timeline, so that you’re able to quickly locate the place you want.

low quality video to high quality video

3Enhance video with transitions and effects

This quality movie maker also takes your video to the next level with beautiful transitions and effects. Above the Timeline, there are hundreds of free templates included in the “Titles”, “Intro/Credits”, “Transitions”, “Effects”, “Sounds” tab. Select an ideal one to apply to the place you want with one click. When it come in place, you can further customize its duration and animation. There are more than 300+ effects, including fashion, beauty, Japanese set. Check it now.

movie maker high quality

Additionally, this quality movie editor provides some cool video effects like Tilt-shift, Jump Cut, Close-up, Mosaic, Face-off, etc. to make your video even more artful. And it also supports adding a logo to all your created videos to build your own branding.

Learn more about Advanced Video Editing Tips

low quality video to high quality video

4Produce your video in high quality

When satisfied with the result in the previewing window, simply click “Export” to export your video in a various options. It can be published to YouTube and placed on your Facebook, Twitter, burned to DVD, ISO image file, saved on your computer in various formats, or transferred to a specific device for enjoying on the go.

high quality video maker output

Note: This high quality movie maker also features an auto scene detection function, which helps to split your whole movie into different scenes during scene changes. In this way, you can quickly locate and focus the scenes you want.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Many people would like to know how to make a quality movie to share with family and friends. Actually, making a stunning home movie from your rough clips is not that difficult. In fact, if you get a quality movie maker, it can be easy to create an awesome movie that surprises anyone.

Wondershare Filmora (originally Wondershare Video Editor), designed for both pros and casual users, is a quality movie maker for everyone to use easily. It features a stylish and intuitive interface and timeline-based video editing that lets you control over every element precisely. It also provides comprehensive sources in texts, effects, intro/credits, transitions, and sounds which will take your video to the next level. In all, it’s a great helper to turn your everyday videos into high quality video, perfect for sharing. Follow easy steps below to create your masterpiece now.

In addition, you can learn how to turn low quality video to 4K easily in Filmora. Watch this video!

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

After you downloaded and install this program, run it. Get used to its primary window very soon, and start to create a movie in high quality.

1Import your media files

This quality video editor provides two flexible ways to import videos. You can choose either of them below:

  1. Click “Import” to browse your file folder on computer, and select the files you need in batch.
  2. Drag and drop your video files directly into the Media Library.

When you smoothly load all of them, double click a video clip to preview it in the right previewing window. You can also take snapshots of your favorite scenes freely by clicking the camera icon.

Learn more about Importing

movie maker quality

2Edit video accurately and fast

With precise timeline-based editing and convenient editing panel offered, creating quality movies can be easy and quick. Right click a video clip in the Timeline to pop up a menu, and then choose all basic video tools like crop, split, cut, paste, remove audio, and more.

Learn more about basic vdieo editing tips

Tips: You can use the Timeline zoomer to zoom in/out the Timeline, so that you’re able to quickly locate the place you want.

low quality video to high quality video

3Enhance video with transitions and effects

This quality movie maker also takes your video to the next level with beautiful transitions and effects. Above the Timeline, there are hundreds of free templates included in the “Titles”, “Intro/Credits”, “Transitions”, “Effects”, “Sounds” tab. Select an ideal one to apply to the place you want with one click. When it come in place, you can further customize its duration and animation. There are more than 300+ effects, including fashion, beauty, Japanese set. Check it now.

movie maker high quality

Additionally, this quality movie editor provides some cool video effects like Tilt-shift, Jump Cut, Close-up, Mosaic, Face-off, etc. to make your video even more artful. And it also supports adding a logo to all your created videos to build your own branding.

Learn more about Advanced Video Editing Tips

low quality video to high quality video

4Produce your video in high quality

When satisfied with the result in the previewing window, simply click “Export” to export your video in a various options. It can be published to YouTube and placed on your Facebook, Twitter, burned to DVD, ISO image file, saved on your computer in various formats, or transferred to a specific device for enjoying on the go.

high quality video maker output

Note: This high quality movie maker also features an auto scene detection function, which helps to split your whole movie into different scenes during scene changes. In this way, you can quickly locate and focus the scenes you want.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Best Free and Paid Windows Movie Maker Alternatives for Mac

Windows Movie Maker has been an all-time favorite video editing tool for Windows PC users owing to its supported features and ease of use. So, now if you are transitioning from Windows to a Mac system, you would need to say goodbye to your long-trusted Windows Movie Maker as the tool is not compatible with the Mac systems.

But no need to worry as there are several alternative Mac tools available for you to creatively make and edit your videos. If you too have been looking for a such Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalent, this article will be an excellent read.

  1. iMovie
  2. Wondershare Filmora
  3. Avidemux
  4. Lightworks
  5. WeVideo

Part 1: Complete Overview for Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalents

Multiple tools that work as Windows Movie Maker equivalent for Mac are available. We have shortlisted the best ones and the table below compares them on several parameters.

Tool/Features Supported OS Price Ease of Use (0-10 Ratings )
iMovie Mac, iPad, iOS Free 8.3
Wondershare Filmora Windows and Mac Annual- $49.99Perpetual- $79.99 8.5
Avidemux Windows, Mac, and Linux Free 8.4
LightWorks Windows, Mac, and Linux. Available in different monthly and yearly plans. 8.0
WeVideo Online Free version as well as paid starting from $4.99 USD. 8.4

Part 2: What Can I Use in Place of Windows Movie Maker? [Free & Paid]

The above-listed table will give you a basic idea about the tools that can be used in place of Windows Movie Maker on your Mac systems. In this part of the topic, we will discuss in detail these programs and their features. We will also list the pros and cons so that you can choose the best Windows Movie Maker alternatives for Mac.

1. iMovie

When it comes to Mac systems, iMovie is the default editing tool that is considered by the users as it is freely available for Mac and other iOS devices. Just like its Windows counterpart- Windows Movie Maker, iMovie is a great software for beginners who wish to start with video editing. The features of the tool are user-friendly and its layout is logical which makes it an apt choice for Mac users.

imovie

Key features:

  • Beginner-friendly Mac tool for video editing requirements.
  • A simple and logical layout makes file processing easy.
  • Support to a wide range of video formats and quality including 4K videos.
  • Option for video editing across Apple devices.
  • Option for separate video and audio tracks for better organization.

Pros

  • Free tool for Mac and iOS users
  • Simple and easy to use
  • Comes with multiple preset effects
  • Audio processing capabilities are robust
  • Allows sharing the processed videos in multiple ways- online, on iTunes, by Email, and more

Cons

  • Lack of advanced editing features and special effects
  • Since the software requires a lot of your storage space, crashing issues might be there
  • Videos are exported at a fixed export ratio-16:9

Price: Free for Mac and other iOS devices

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Best For: Editing videos and audio using simple features on Mac.

Supported File Export Options: MOV, MP4, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and more.

Recent User Review:

Summary:

iMovie is an apt entry-level video editing solution for macOS that lets you get the work done in a simple yet effective manner. You can interestingly play with the features and the settings of the software. The exporting process can seem to be a little complicated at the start.

2. Wondershare Filmora

If you are looking for a tool that offers advanced features for creating professional-looking videos and that too in a simple quick manner, Wondershare Filmora will work as the best choice. This Windows and Mac-based video editing tool is available for both monthly and annual subscriptions with an option for a free trial version.

wondershare filmora

Key Features:

  • Allows quick editing of videos using basic and advanced tool features.
  • Comes packed with multiple animations, and effects for creating amazing videos.
  • Support to almost all key video formats and quality including 4K.
  • Support for SRT files.
  • Allows aligning the audio and video automatically using Auto Synchronization.

Pros

  • Simple to use tool with support for a wide range of features
  • All key formats and video quality are supported
  • Allows creating as well as sharing the videos quickly
  • Allows high-quality video export
  • Comes with tutorials and guides to help you process videos and use the features

Cons

  • Paid software
  • Videos processed through the free trial version have a watermark
  • Might look complicated initially

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Price: Annual- $49.99, Perpetual- $79.99

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Supported Platform: Windows and Mac

Best For: Creating professional-looking videos in high quality on your Windows as well as Mac systems.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats and types including MO4, MOV, AVI, and many more.

Recent User Review:

  • The software is the one-stop solution for all media enhancing needs. This is a simple and multi-functional tool.
  • It is the best video editing software for beginners. – Shivam Sharma, Video Editor.

Summary:

Whether you are looking for simple video cutting or advanced features like motion tracking, transition, and effects, Wondershare Filmora is one of the best in the category. Available with multiple subscription plans, the tool will let you create and edit videos in no time.

3. Avidemux

This is a simple free video editing tool available for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems that support all key features like cutting, encoding, filtering, and more. All key file formats are supported by the software and an option for automating the tasks is also available.

avidemux

Key Features:

  • Free and open-source video editing tool for Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD.
  • Support to all key file types and formats including AVI, ASF, MPEG, and more.
  • Allows file processing without any need for downloading third-party codecs, and drivers.
  • Editing can be done without recompression with the files having the same output A/V format.

Pros

  • Free and open-source tool
  • Cross-platform support
  • Support to all basic video editing features
  • All key file formats and types are supported
  • The interface is beginner and user-friendly
  • Native language support for global users

Cons

  • The design is outdated in comparison to the latest tools
  • The features are limited in comparison to other professional software
  • One-frame precision cutting is not supported

Price: Free

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Basic video editing on multiple platforms.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats including MP4, ASF, AVI, DVD, MPEG, and more.

Recent User Review:

Summary:

For performing the most basic needed video editing tasks this is one of the best entry-level tools. Free to use, the software can work on multiple OS and platforms and also support multiple file formats.

4. Lightworks

If you have decent video editing experience and looking for an advanced and professional tool, Lightworks will work as a great choice. With support for Windows, Mac, and Linux, the software comes with multiple editing tools, effects, and other features.

lightworks

Key features:

  • Windows, Mac, and Linux-based tool.
  • Comes with support for basic as well as advanced features.
  • Support for all popular video formats and types including 4K.
  • Multiple files exporting options are supported.

Pros

  • Cross-platform support
  • Apt for professional and advanced users
  • Comes with a collection of features and effects
  • Multiple plans along with a free version with limited features are available

Cons

  • Not apt for beginners
  • Steep learning curve
  • The Pro version of the software will be heavy on pockets

Price: Available in multiple plan options (based on supported features). Check out plans at

the link: https://lwks.com/lightworks/

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Best For: Professional video editing on multiple platforms and OS.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats and file types including 4K, , MP4,

Recent User Review:

Summary:

If you have earlier worked with iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, and other editing tools, Lightworks will be a good next-level program for advanced and professional editing. Though for beginners, the software is complicated and difficult to use.

5. WeVideo

If you are not very keen to download software on your system, online tools are a good alternative and one such feature-packed program is WeVideo. This cloud-based tool works straight from your browser and is available in a free as well as paid version. There are multiple formats available with the tool that can let you create videos like a pro.

wevideo

Key features:

  • A browser-based online tool that works on all platforms including Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and mobile.
  • Support all key functions needed for creating and editing a video.
  • Comes with a huge collection of stock media including videos, images as well as music.
  • Allows creating and editing videos for YouTube, Facebook, and other social media sites.

Pros

  • An online tool that needs no software download
  • Compatible with all system platforms as well as mobile devices
  • Huge collection of stock media
  • A free version is available for basic editing requirements
  • Simple and quick to use
  • Allows publishing content to social media sites

Cons

  • Advanced features need to upgrade for a paid plan
  • Dependent on internet connectivity

Price: Available in free as well as paid versions (for the creator, business, and enterprise). Checkout plans at the link: https://www.wevideo.com/plans

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Online video editing.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats are supported including 4K.

Recent User Review:

Summary:

For cloud-based video editing on multiple platforms, WeVideo is just an apt tool that supports all basic as well as advanced features for creating videos of your choice. The created videos can also be published directly on social media sites using the tool.

Part 3: Hot FAQs About Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalent

Above we have talked about several Mac equivalents to Windows Movie Maker in detail. So, now let’s get into some related commonly asked questions and their answers.

1. Is Windows Movie Maker like iMovie?

Yes, broadly Windows Movie Maker can be considered like iMovie as both of these are video creating and editing tools. The major difference between the two lies in the supported platform, Windows Movie Maker is for the Windows system while iMovie comes pre-installed with the Mac systems.

2. Is Video editor better than Movie Maker?

Both Windows Movie Maker and Video Editor can be used for editing videos, images as well as sounds but the major difference between the two lies in their main purpose of use. While the Windows Movie Maker is mainly used for creating new movies, the Windows Video Editor is majorly used for editing and customizing the existing files.

3. Does Windows Movie Maker have a watermark?

No, Windows Movie Maker does not have a watermark.

Final Words

For Windows system users, Windows Movie Maker is the first and default choice when it comes to video editing. So, now if you have switched to a Mac system there are alternatives in fact even better tools available to customize your files. You can make a choice between the above-listed Mac alternatives based on your requirements.

Part 1: Complete Overview for Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalents

Multiple tools that work as Windows Movie Maker equivalent for Mac are available. We have shortlisted the best ones and the table below compares them on several parameters.

Tool/Features Supported OS Price Ease of Use (0-10 Ratings )
iMovie Mac, iPad, iOS Free 8.3
Wondershare Filmora Windows and Mac Annual- $49.99Perpetual- $79.99 8.5
Avidemux Windows, Mac, and Linux Free 8.4
LightWorks Windows, Mac, and Linux. Available in different monthly and yearly plans. 8.0
WeVideo Online Free version as well as paid starting from $4.99 USD. 8.4

Part 2: What Can I Use in Place of Windows Movie Maker? [Free & Paid]

The above-listed table will give you a basic idea about the tools that can be used in place of Windows Movie Maker on your Mac systems. In this part of the topic, we will discuss in detail these programs and their features. We will also list the pros and cons so that you can choose the best Windows Movie Maker alternatives for Mac.

1. iMovie

When it comes to Mac systems, iMovie is the default editing tool that is considered by the users as it is freely available for Mac and other iOS devices. Just like its Windows counterpart- Windows Movie Maker, iMovie is a great software for beginners who wish to start with video editing. The features of the tool are user-friendly and its layout is logical which makes it an apt choice for Mac users.

imovie

Key features:

  • Beginner-friendly Mac tool for video editing requirements.
  • A simple and logical layout makes file processing easy.
  • Support to a wide range of video formats and quality including 4K videos.
  • Option for video editing across Apple devices.
  • Option for separate video and audio tracks for better organization.

Pros

  • Free tool for Mac and iOS users
  • Simple and easy to use
  • Comes with multiple preset effects
  • Audio processing capabilities are robust
  • Allows sharing the processed videos in multiple ways- online, on iTunes, by Email, and more

Cons

  • Lack of advanced editing features and special effects
  • Since the software requires a lot of your storage space, crashing issues might be there
  • Videos are exported at a fixed export ratio-16:9

Price: Free for Mac and other iOS devices

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Best For: Editing videos and audio using simple features on Mac.

Supported File Export Options: MOV, MP4, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and more.

Recent User Review:

Summary:

iMovie is an apt entry-level video editing solution for macOS that lets you get the work done in a simple yet effective manner. You can interestingly play with the features and the settings of the software. The exporting process can seem to be a little complicated at the start.

2. Wondershare Filmora

If you are looking for a tool that offers advanced features for creating professional-looking videos and that too in a simple quick manner, Wondershare Filmora will work as the best choice. This Windows and Mac-based video editing tool is available for both monthly and annual subscriptions with an option for a free trial version.

wondershare filmora

Key Features:

  • Allows quick editing of videos using basic and advanced tool features.
  • Comes packed with multiple animations, and effects for creating amazing videos.
  • Support to almost all key video formats and quality including 4K.
  • Support for SRT files.
  • Allows aligning the audio and video automatically using Auto Synchronization.

Pros

  • Simple to use tool with support for a wide range of features
  • All key formats and video quality are supported
  • Allows creating as well as sharing the videos quickly
  • Allows high-quality video export
  • Comes with tutorials and guides to help you process videos and use the features

Cons

  • Paid software
  • Videos processed through the free trial version have a watermark
  • Might look complicated initially

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Download Filmora9 Mac Version

Price: Annual- $49.99, Perpetual- $79.99

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Supported Platform: Windows and Mac

Best For: Creating professional-looking videos in high quality on your Windows as well as Mac systems.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats and types including MO4, MOV, AVI, and many more.

Recent User Review:

  • The software is the one-stop solution for all media enhancing needs. This is a simple and multi-functional tool.
  • It is the best video editing software for beginners. – Shivam Sharma, Video Editor.

Summary:

Whether you are looking for simple video cutting or advanced features like motion tracking, transition, and effects, Wondershare Filmora is one of the best in the category. Available with multiple subscription plans, the tool will let you create and edit videos in no time.

3. Avidemux

This is a simple free video editing tool available for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems that support all key features like cutting, encoding, filtering, and more. All key file formats are supported by the software and an option for automating the tasks is also available.

avidemux

Key Features:

  • Free and open-source video editing tool for Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD.
  • Support to all key file types and formats including AVI, ASF, MPEG, and more.
  • Allows file processing without any need for downloading third-party codecs, and drivers.
  • Editing can be done without recompression with the files having the same output A/V format.

Pros

  • Free and open-source tool
  • Cross-platform support
  • Support to all basic video editing features
  • All key file formats and types are supported
  • The interface is beginner and user-friendly
  • Native language support for global users

Cons

  • The design is outdated in comparison to the latest tools
  • The features are limited in comparison to other professional software
  • One-frame precision cutting is not supported

Price: Free

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Basic video editing on multiple platforms.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats including MP4, ASF, AVI, DVD, MPEG, and more.

Recent User Review:

Summary:

For performing the most basic needed video editing tasks this is one of the best entry-level tools. Free to use, the software can work on multiple OS and platforms and also support multiple file formats.

4. Lightworks

If you have decent video editing experience and looking for an advanced and professional tool, Lightworks will work as a great choice. With support for Windows, Mac, and Linux, the software comes with multiple editing tools, effects, and other features.

lightworks

Key features:

  • Windows, Mac, and Linux-based tool.
  • Comes with support for basic as well as advanced features.
  • Support for all popular video formats and types including 4K.
  • Multiple files exporting options are supported.

Pros

  • Cross-platform support
  • Apt for professional and advanced users
  • Comes with a collection of features and effects
  • Multiple plans along with a free version with limited features are available

Cons

  • Not apt for beginners
  • Steep learning curve
  • The Pro version of the software will be heavy on pockets

Price: Available in multiple plan options (based on supported features). Check out plans at

the link: https://lwks.com/lightworks/

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Best For: Professional video editing on multiple platforms and OS.

Supported File Export Options: Key formats and file types including 4K, , MP4,

Recent User Review:

Summary:

If you have earlier worked with iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, and other editing tools, Lightworks will be a good next-level program for advanced and professional editing. Though for beginners, the software is complicated and difficult to use.

5. WeVideo

If you are not very keen to download software on your system, online tools are a good alternative and one such feature-packed program is WeVideo. This cloud-based tool works straight from your browser and is available in a free as well as paid version. There are multiple formats available with the tool that can let you create videos like a pro.

wevideo

Key features:

  • A browser-based online tool that works on all platforms including Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and mobile.
  • Support all key functions needed for creating and editing a video.
  • Comes with a huge collection of stock media including videos, images as well as music.
  • Allows creating and editing videos for YouTube, Facebook, and other social media sites.

Pros

  • An online tool that needs no software download
  • Compatible with all system platforms as well as mobile devices
  • Huge collection of stock media
  • A free version is available for basic editing requirements
  • Simple and quick to use
  • Allows publishing content to social media sites

Cons

  • Advanced features need to upgrade for a paid plan
  • Dependent on internet connectivity

Price: Available in free as well as paid versions (for the creator, business, and enterprise). Checkout plans at the link: https://www.wevideo.com/plans

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Best For: Online video editing.

Supported File Export Options: All key formats are supported including 4K.

Recent User Review:

Summary:

For cloud-based video editing on multiple platforms, WeVideo is just an apt tool that supports all basic as well as advanced features for creating videos of your choice. The created videos can also be published directly on social media sites using the tool.

Part 3: Hot FAQs About Windows Movie Maker Mac Equivalent

Above we have talked about several Mac equivalents to Windows Movie Maker in detail. So, now let’s get into some related commonly asked questions and their answers.

1. Is Windows Movie Maker like iMovie?

Yes, broadly Windows Movie Maker can be considered like iMovie as both of these are video creating and editing tools. The major difference between the two lies in the supported platform, Windows Movie Maker is for the Windows system while iMovie comes pre-installed with the Mac systems.

2. Is Video editor better than Movie Maker?

Both Windows Movie Maker and Video Editor can be used for editing videos, images as well as sounds but the major difference between the two lies in their main purpose of use. While the Windows Movie Maker is mainly used for creating new movies, the Windows Video Editor is majorly used for editing and customizing the existing files.

3. Does Windows Movie Maker have a watermark?

No, Windows Movie Maker does not have a watermark.

Final Words

For Windows system users, Windows Movie Maker is the first and default choice when it comes to video editing. So, now if you have switched to a Mac system there are alternatives in fact even better tools available to customize your files. You can make a choice between the above-listed Mac alternatives based on your requirements.

Also read:

  • Title: 2024 Approved Download Royalty-Free Videos From These Top Websites
  • Author: Giselle
  • Created at : 2024-04-25 07:34:51
  • Updated at : 2024-04-26 07:34:51
  • Link: https://ai-vdieo-software.techidaily.com/2024-approved-download-royalty-free-videos-from-these-top-websites/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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2024 Approved Download Royalty-Free Videos From These Top Websites