Pond5

Easily find, browse, and license a wide range of royalty-free media with flexible options.

Always free
No credit card

What is Pond5?

Pond5 is a marketplace for royalty-free media assets including stock photos, videos, music, and sound effects. The platform lets you search and browse millions of media files, then license them for use in your projects. You can filter by licence type, duration, and other criteria to find what suits your needs. The service operates on a pay-per-item or subscription model, making it accessible whether you need occasional assets or regular content. It's useful for creative professionals, content creators, small businesses, and anyone producing digital media who wants a straightforward way to find and licence content legally.

Key features

Search and browse across multiple media types

photos, videos, music, and sound effects

Filter results by licence type, resolution, duration, and other metadata to narrow down options

Pay-per-download licensing model alongside subscription options for frequent users

Preview media directly on the site before purchasing to check quality and suitability

Contributor marketplace where you can upload and sell your own media assets

Flexible licence terms allowing commercial and editorial use depending on the specific licence purchased

Pros & cons

Advantages

Large catalogue of media spanning multiple formats and categories in one place
Straightforward licensing process with clear terms for each asset
Pay-as-you-go option means you only purchase what you need without committing to subscriptions
Ability to become a contributor and earn money by selling your own work

Limitations

Quality and style consistency varies across the marketplace since content comes from multiple contributors
Pricing per asset can add up quickly for projects requiring many media files