Erasing Identity: The Most Effective Face Blur Video Editing Software

Best Video Editing Software to Blur Faces in Video

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

• Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

• If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

• Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
• If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

• When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

• Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
• You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

• YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

• Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

• Open Movavi and locate the Filters
• Click Blur.

• Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
• You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
• In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
• Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
• Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
• You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
• Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
• You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
3. Click Mosaic.
4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

• Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

• If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

• Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
• If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

• When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

• Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
• You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

• YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

• Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

• Open Movavi and locate the Filters
• Click Blur.

• Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
• You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
• In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
• Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
• Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
• You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
• Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
• You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
3. Click Mosaic.
4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

• Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

• If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

• Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
• If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

• When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

• Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
• You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

• YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

• Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

• Open Movavi and locate the Filters
• Click Blur.

• Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
• You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
• In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
• Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
• Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
• You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
• Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
• You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
3. Click Mosaic.
4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

• Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

• If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

• Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
• If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

• When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

• Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
• You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

• YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

• Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

• Open Movavi and locate the Filters
• Click Blur.

• Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
• You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
• In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
• Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
• Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
• You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
• Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
• You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
3. Click Mosaic.
4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

VSDC Not Your Cup of Tea? Try These Mac Video Editor Alternatives

VSDC Free Video Editor for Mac: Get Best Alternatives

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

VSDC is one of the most popular freeware software among beginners and intermediate-level video editors. But it is limited only to Windows users. Even after multiple requests from the users and tech-critics, VSDC isn’t likely to release a VSDC Mac version soon. So, it is best to look for VSDC alternatives for Mac.

Scroll down to find the best alternatives to VSDC for a Mac.

• Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)
• Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)

Although not completely free, Wondershare Filmora is one of the most suitable video-editing tool for Mac users. Not only is it superior to the VSDC, but it is also considered one of the most powerful utilities in the video-editing realm by critics and users. Why? Well…

• Starting with the simple interface that includes an array of features to distinguish as a sophisticated video editing tool for Mac.
• The regular addition of new features like Auto Reframe to smartly crop your video and integration of the cloud-based stock library are what make this software powerful and superior
• Plus, you can choose the presets and edit up to 4K videos at 60fps. The drag-and-drop feature allows you to add media files, and the preview section lets you see the edited video in real-time.
• The timeline is simple yet powerful, and the customizable settings allow you to use the combination of mouse, keyboard, and icons controls and make the video-editing process seamless.

So, it is not tough to discern why Filmora is considered as one of the most authoritative video editor for Mac users. Moreover, as mentioned, the software is not absolutely free. Still, you can use most of its features in free version.

Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

After reviewing hundreds of freeware software, we have come up with the three best VSDC alternatives.

1. ShotCut

A simple, free, and open-source software that makes the video-making process straightforward. Filled with interesting ideas and powerful features, the greatest thing about ShotCut is that besides being free — it is regularly updated and maintained by the vendor. The interface has a three-panel view and adding media files is as simple as dragging and dropping.

The software also includes rich features like keyframing, color correction, transition and lets you edit up to 4K resolution video with ease. But unlike VSDC, ShotCut does not have multiple preset transition effects and includes only 24 basic wipe-in or out effects. Still, the software has sophisticated features like Chroma Key and allows you to utilize third-party addons for text and titles as the application does not have many of them.

Pros:

• Lightweight for a sophisticated video-editor
• The interface is simple and convenient and allows you to customize the toggles as per your preference
• Numerous output options — supports major formats and offers you to export the footage in any format
• Completely free platforms plus cross-platform support

Cons:

• The app does not allow you to create layers automatically.
• It could be tough for a newbie to work on ShotCut.
• The application takes too long to show the applied effects; even simple transition effects suffer from latency.

2. OpenShot

Another free and open-source program, OpenShot, has the ability to give you high-quality output with minimal effort. The software includes all the basic functions like resizing, scaling, trimming, and audio mixing with real-time previews. Plus, it also incorporates features for animated-based keyframing and creating 2D animation with image sequencing.

Moreover, like the VSDC, there are also presets to give 3D effects like snowfall, text, and lens flares, and other effects to the video. Nonetheless, if you want to take these into your hand and need more flexibility over transition, effects, filters, and more then you will have to look elsewhere. Because although great, OpenShot does have gaps and excludes critical features, meaning if you want to give artistic effects and personalize the video as much as possible, OpenShot is not suitable for you.

Pros:

• OpenShot user-friendly, intuitive interface enables users to utilize all the editing functions effortlessly.
• The dedicated preview-video section allows you to view the edited video in real-time and see if everything is done perfectly or not.
• Includes some basic 2D and 3D transition, plus it also includes filters and effects.
• Audio equalizer lets you work on every aspect of the audio and tune the music finely.

Cons:

• Many users have criticized the OpenShot video editor for lagging and crashing issues while editing high-resolution videos
• Even after multiple requests from the users, OpenShot does not support GPU acceleration for encoding and decoding the video files.
• Some critical features are missing.

3. Avidemux

Like VSDC, Avidemux is also a freeware that includes all the basic options to edit the video and is much suitable for beginner-level users. However, if you are intermediate or expert in video editing, Avidemux is not the one you need. The reason: Avidemux does have basic options like cutting, trimming, splitting, and more. Still, when it comes to sophisticated features like creative effects, transition, Avidemux does not have dedicated functions for that. Moreover, as usual for the video editors, the Timeline feature is also missing from the software.

Of course, in comparison to VSDC, Avidemux falls short. Because all it can do is the basic video editing, encoding, and de-noising. Other than that, it cannot boast about anything. Still, given the simple interface, Avidemux is perfect for newbies who do not have much experience with video editing. Be that as it may, if you are serious regarding video-editing, you should get a more powerful video editor on Mac.

Pros:

• The simple interface allows even the naivest users to use the application to the fullest
• The application has all the basic video-editing features like cutting, splitting, trimming
• Avidemux is excellent for encoding options; one of the industry’s finest, in fact.
• Sharpening and de-noising filters to give fine details to the video

Cons:

• Avidemux does not have advanced video-editing options like effects and transition
• Lack the much important timeline feature

Part 3: Final Words

VSDC is a powerful and unique tool. The above-listed freeware like ShotCut, OpenShot, and Avidemux are good alternatives to it. But after reviewing several video editors — this is the closest we came to finding something similar to VSDC. And understanding that Mac users will need all the powerful functions that VSDC incorporates, Filmora for Mac that includes everything that VSDC has and more! The Filmora for Mac is also free to utilize, so you can simply download the software and edit videos like professionals.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

VSDC is one of the most popular freeware software among beginners and intermediate-level video editors. But it is limited only to Windows users. Even after multiple requests from the users and tech-critics, VSDC isn’t likely to release a VSDC Mac version soon. So, it is best to look for VSDC alternatives for Mac.

Scroll down to find the best alternatives to VSDC for a Mac.

• Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)
• Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)

Although not completely free, Wondershare Filmora is one of the most suitable video-editing tool for Mac users. Not only is it superior to the VSDC, but it is also considered one of the most powerful utilities in the video-editing realm by critics and users. Why? Well…

• Starting with the simple interface that includes an array of features to distinguish as a sophisticated video editing tool for Mac.
• The regular addition of new features like Auto Reframe to smartly crop your video and integration of the cloud-based stock library are what make this software powerful and superior
• Plus, you can choose the presets and edit up to 4K videos at 60fps. The drag-and-drop feature allows you to add media files, and the preview section lets you see the edited video in real-time.
• The timeline is simple yet powerful, and the customizable settings allow you to use the combination of mouse, keyboard, and icons controls and make the video-editing process seamless.

So, it is not tough to discern why Filmora is considered as one of the most authoritative video editor for Mac users. Moreover, as mentioned, the software is not absolutely free. Still, you can use most of its features in free version.

Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

After reviewing hundreds of freeware software, we have come up with the three best VSDC alternatives.

1. ShotCut

A simple, free, and open-source software that makes the video-making process straightforward. Filled with interesting ideas and powerful features, the greatest thing about ShotCut is that besides being free — it is regularly updated and maintained by the vendor. The interface has a three-panel view and adding media files is as simple as dragging and dropping.

The software also includes rich features like keyframing, color correction, transition and lets you edit up to 4K resolution video with ease. But unlike VSDC, ShotCut does not have multiple preset transition effects and includes only 24 basic wipe-in or out effects. Still, the software has sophisticated features like Chroma Key and allows you to utilize third-party addons for text and titles as the application does not have many of them.

Pros:

• Lightweight for a sophisticated video-editor
• The interface is simple and convenient and allows you to customize the toggles as per your preference
• Numerous output options — supports major formats and offers you to export the footage in any format
• Completely free platforms plus cross-platform support

Cons:

• The app does not allow you to create layers automatically.
• It could be tough for a newbie to work on ShotCut.
• The application takes too long to show the applied effects; even simple transition effects suffer from latency.

2. OpenShot

Another free and open-source program, OpenShot, has the ability to give you high-quality output with minimal effort. The software includes all the basic functions like resizing, scaling, trimming, and audio mixing with real-time previews. Plus, it also incorporates features for animated-based keyframing and creating 2D animation with image sequencing.

Moreover, like the VSDC, there are also presets to give 3D effects like snowfall, text, and lens flares, and other effects to the video. Nonetheless, if you want to take these into your hand and need more flexibility over transition, effects, filters, and more then you will have to look elsewhere. Because although great, OpenShot does have gaps and excludes critical features, meaning if you want to give artistic effects and personalize the video as much as possible, OpenShot is not suitable for you.

Pros:

• OpenShot user-friendly, intuitive interface enables users to utilize all the editing functions effortlessly.
• The dedicated preview-video section allows you to view the edited video in real-time and see if everything is done perfectly or not.
• Includes some basic 2D and 3D transition, plus it also includes filters and effects.
• Audio equalizer lets you work on every aspect of the audio and tune the music finely.

Cons:

• Many users have criticized the OpenShot video editor for lagging and crashing issues while editing high-resolution videos
• Even after multiple requests from the users, OpenShot does not support GPU acceleration for encoding and decoding the video files.
• Some critical features are missing.

3. Avidemux

Like VSDC, Avidemux is also a freeware that includes all the basic options to edit the video and is much suitable for beginner-level users. However, if you are intermediate or expert in video editing, Avidemux is not the one you need. The reason: Avidemux does have basic options like cutting, trimming, splitting, and more. Still, when it comes to sophisticated features like creative effects, transition, Avidemux does not have dedicated functions for that. Moreover, as usual for the video editors, the Timeline feature is also missing from the software.

Of course, in comparison to VSDC, Avidemux falls short. Because all it can do is the basic video editing, encoding, and de-noising. Other than that, it cannot boast about anything. Still, given the simple interface, Avidemux is perfect for newbies who do not have much experience with video editing. Be that as it may, if you are serious regarding video-editing, you should get a more powerful video editor on Mac.

Pros:

• The simple interface allows even the naivest users to use the application to the fullest
• The application has all the basic video-editing features like cutting, splitting, trimming
• Avidemux is excellent for encoding options; one of the industry’s finest, in fact.
• Sharpening and de-noising filters to give fine details to the video

Cons:

• Avidemux does not have advanced video-editing options like effects and transition
• Lack the much important timeline feature

Part 3: Final Words

VSDC is a powerful and unique tool. The above-listed freeware like ShotCut, OpenShot, and Avidemux are good alternatives to it. But after reviewing several video editors — this is the closest we came to finding something similar to VSDC. And understanding that Mac users will need all the powerful functions that VSDC incorporates, Filmora for Mac that includes everything that VSDC has and more! The Filmora for Mac is also free to utilize, so you can simply download the software and edit videos like professionals.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

VSDC is one of the most popular freeware software among beginners and intermediate-level video editors. But it is limited only to Windows users. Even after multiple requests from the users and tech-critics, VSDC isn’t likely to release a VSDC Mac version soon. So, it is best to look for VSDC alternatives for Mac.

Scroll down to find the best alternatives to VSDC for a Mac.

• Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)
• Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)

Although not completely free, Wondershare Filmora is one of the most suitable video-editing tool for Mac users. Not only is it superior to the VSDC, but it is also considered one of the most powerful utilities in the video-editing realm by critics and users. Why? Well…

• Starting with the simple interface that includes an array of features to distinguish as a sophisticated video editing tool for Mac.
• The regular addition of new features like Auto Reframe to smartly crop your video and integration of the cloud-based stock library are what make this software powerful and superior
• Plus, you can choose the presets and edit up to 4K videos at 60fps. The drag-and-drop feature allows you to add media files, and the preview section lets you see the edited video in real-time.
• The timeline is simple yet powerful, and the customizable settings allow you to use the combination of mouse, keyboard, and icons controls and make the video-editing process seamless.

So, it is not tough to discern why Filmora is considered as one of the most authoritative video editor for Mac users. Moreover, as mentioned, the software is not absolutely free. Still, you can use most of its features in free version.

Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

After reviewing hundreds of freeware software, we have come up with the three best VSDC alternatives.

1. ShotCut

A simple, free, and open-source software that makes the video-making process straightforward. Filled with interesting ideas and powerful features, the greatest thing about ShotCut is that besides being free — it is regularly updated and maintained by the vendor. The interface has a three-panel view and adding media files is as simple as dragging and dropping.

The software also includes rich features like keyframing, color correction, transition and lets you edit up to 4K resolution video with ease. But unlike VSDC, ShotCut does not have multiple preset transition effects and includes only 24 basic wipe-in or out effects. Still, the software has sophisticated features like Chroma Key and allows you to utilize third-party addons for text and titles as the application does not have many of them.

Pros:

• Lightweight for a sophisticated video-editor
• The interface is simple and convenient and allows you to customize the toggles as per your preference
• Numerous output options — supports major formats and offers you to export the footage in any format
• Completely free platforms plus cross-platform support

Cons:

• The app does not allow you to create layers automatically.
• It could be tough for a newbie to work on ShotCut.
• The application takes too long to show the applied effects; even simple transition effects suffer from latency.

2. OpenShot

Another free and open-source program, OpenShot, has the ability to give you high-quality output with minimal effort. The software includes all the basic functions like resizing, scaling, trimming, and audio mixing with real-time previews. Plus, it also incorporates features for animated-based keyframing and creating 2D animation with image sequencing.

Moreover, like the VSDC, there are also presets to give 3D effects like snowfall, text, and lens flares, and other effects to the video. Nonetheless, if you want to take these into your hand and need more flexibility over transition, effects, filters, and more then you will have to look elsewhere. Because although great, OpenShot does have gaps and excludes critical features, meaning if you want to give artistic effects and personalize the video as much as possible, OpenShot is not suitable for you.

Pros:

• OpenShot user-friendly, intuitive interface enables users to utilize all the editing functions effortlessly.
• The dedicated preview-video section allows you to view the edited video in real-time and see if everything is done perfectly or not.
• Includes some basic 2D and 3D transition, plus it also includes filters and effects.
• Audio equalizer lets you work on every aspect of the audio and tune the music finely.

Cons:

• Many users have criticized the OpenShot video editor for lagging and crashing issues while editing high-resolution videos
• Even after multiple requests from the users, OpenShot does not support GPU acceleration for encoding and decoding the video files.
• Some critical features are missing.

3. Avidemux

Like VSDC, Avidemux is also a freeware that includes all the basic options to edit the video and is much suitable for beginner-level users. However, if you are intermediate or expert in video editing, Avidemux is not the one you need. The reason: Avidemux does have basic options like cutting, trimming, splitting, and more. Still, when it comes to sophisticated features like creative effects, transition, Avidemux does not have dedicated functions for that. Moreover, as usual for the video editors, the Timeline feature is also missing from the software.

Of course, in comparison to VSDC, Avidemux falls short. Because all it can do is the basic video editing, encoding, and de-noising. Other than that, it cannot boast about anything. Still, given the simple interface, Avidemux is perfect for newbies who do not have much experience with video editing. Be that as it may, if you are serious regarding video-editing, you should get a more powerful video editor on Mac.

Pros:

• The simple interface allows even the naivest users to use the application to the fullest
• The application has all the basic video-editing features like cutting, splitting, trimming
• Avidemux is excellent for encoding options; one of the industry’s finest, in fact.
• Sharpening and de-noising filters to give fine details to the video

Cons:

• Avidemux does not have advanced video-editing options like effects and transition
• Lack the much important timeline feature

Part 3: Final Words

VSDC is a powerful and unique tool. The above-listed freeware like ShotCut, OpenShot, and Avidemux are good alternatives to it. But after reviewing several video editors — this is the closest we came to finding something similar to VSDC. And understanding that Mac users will need all the powerful functions that VSDC incorporates, Filmora for Mac that includes everything that VSDC has and more! The Filmora for Mac is also free to utilize, so you can simply download the software and edit videos like professionals.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

VSDC is one of the most popular freeware software among beginners and intermediate-level video editors. But it is limited only to Windows users. Even after multiple requests from the users and tech-critics, VSDC isn’t likely to release a VSDC Mac version soon. So, it is best to look for VSDC alternatives for Mac.

Scroll down to find the best alternatives to VSDC for a Mac.

• Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)
• Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

Part 1: Best VSDC for Mac Alternative - Filmora for Mac (Recommended)

Although not completely free, Wondershare Filmora is one of the most suitable video-editing tool for Mac users. Not only is it superior to the VSDC, but it is also considered one of the most powerful utilities in the video-editing realm by critics and users. Why? Well…

• Starting with the simple interface that includes an array of features to distinguish as a sophisticated video editing tool for Mac.
• The regular addition of new features like Auto Reframe to smartly crop your video and integration of the cloud-based stock library are what make this software powerful and superior
• Plus, you can choose the presets and edit up to 4K videos at 60fps. The drag-and-drop feature allows you to add media files, and the preview section lets you see the edited video in real-time.
• The timeline is simple yet powerful, and the customizable settings allow you to use the combination of mouse, keyboard, and icons controls and make the video-editing process seamless.

So, it is not tough to discern why Filmora is considered as one of the most authoritative video editor for Mac users. Moreover, as mentioned, the software is not absolutely free. Still, you can use most of its features in free version.

Part 2: Top 3 VSDC Video Editor for Mac Alternatives

After reviewing hundreds of freeware software, we have come up with the three best VSDC alternatives.

1. ShotCut

A simple, free, and open-source software that makes the video-making process straightforward. Filled with interesting ideas and powerful features, the greatest thing about ShotCut is that besides being free — it is regularly updated and maintained by the vendor. The interface has a three-panel view and adding media files is as simple as dragging and dropping.

The software also includes rich features like keyframing, color correction, transition and lets you edit up to 4K resolution video with ease. But unlike VSDC, ShotCut does not have multiple preset transition effects and includes only 24 basic wipe-in or out effects. Still, the software has sophisticated features like Chroma Key and allows you to utilize third-party addons for text and titles as the application does not have many of them.

Pros:

• Lightweight for a sophisticated video-editor
• The interface is simple and convenient and allows you to customize the toggles as per your preference
• Numerous output options — supports major formats and offers you to export the footage in any format
• Completely free platforms plus cross-platform support

Cons:

• The app does not allow you to create layers automatically.
• It could be tough for a newbie to work on ShotCut.
• The application takes too long to show the applied effects; even simple transition effects suffer from latency.

2. OpenShot

Another free and open-source program, OpenShot, has the ability to give you high-quality output with minimal effort. The software includes all the basic functions like resizing, scaling, trimming, and audio mixing with real-time previews. Plus, it also incorporates features for animated-based keyframing and creating 2D animation with image sequencing.

Moreover, like the VSDC, there are also presets to give 3D effects like snowfall, text, and lens flares, and other effects to the video. Nonetheless, if you want to take these into your hand and need more flexibility over transition, effects, filters, and more then you will have to look elsewhere. Because although great, OpenShot does have gaps and excludes critical features, meaning if you want to give artistic effects and personalize the video as much as possible, OpenShot is not suitable for you.

Pros:

• OpenShot user-friendly, intuitive interface enables users to utilize all the editing functions effortlessly.
• The dedicated preview-video section allows you to view the edited video in real-time and see if everything is done perfectly or not.
• Includes some basic 2D and 3D transition, plus it also includes filters and effects.
• Audio equalizer lets you work on every aspect of the audio and tune the music finely.

Cons:

• Many users have criticized the OpenShot video editor for lagging and crashing issues while editing high-resolution videos
• Even after multiple requests from the users, OpenShot does not support GPU acceleration for encoding and decoding the video files.
• Some critical features are missing.

3. Avidemux

Like VSDC, Avidemux is also a freeware that includes all the basic options to edit the video and is much suitable for beginner-level users. However, if you are intermediate or expert in video editing, Avidemux is not the one you need. The reason: Avidemux does have basic options like cutting, trimming, splitting, and more. Still, when it comes to sophisticated features like creative effects, transition, Avidemux does not have dedicated functions for that. Moreover, as usual for the video editors, the Timeline feature is also missing from the software.

Of course, in comparison to VSDC, Avidemux falls short. Because all it can do is the basic video editing, encoding, and de-noising. Other than that, it cannot boast about anything. Still, given the simple interface, Avidemux is perfect for newbies who do not have much experience with video editing. Be that as it may, if you are serious regarding video-editing, you should get a more powerful video editor on Mac.

Pros:

• The simple interface allows even the naivest users to use the application to the fullest
• The application has all the basic video-editing features like cutting, splitting, trimming
• Avidemux is excellent for encoding options; one of the industry’s finest, in fact.
• Sharpening and de-noising filters to give fine details to the video

Cons:

• Avidemux does not have advanced video-editing options like effects and transition
• Lack the much important timeline feature

Part 3: Final Words

VSDC is a powerful and unique tool. The above-listed freeware like ShotCut, OpenShot, and Avidemux are good alternatives to it. But after reviewing several video editors — this is the closest we came to finding something similar to VSDC. And understanding that Mac users will need all the powerful functions that VSDC incorporates, Filmora for Mac that includes everything that VSDC has and more! The Filmora for Mac is also free to utilize, so you can simply download the software and edit videos like professionals.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

The Ultimate List of Public Domain Video Download Websites

Best Websites to Download Public Domain Videos

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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

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

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

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

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

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.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

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.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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

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

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

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

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

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.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

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.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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

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

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

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

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

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.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

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.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

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

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

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

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

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

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.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

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.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

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