Under our License Agreement, the Content you license from us grants royalty free, worldwide, perpetual use, across all media. This means that in most cases, you can use the file in just about any creative or commercial context. So long as you are incorporating the Pond5 Content within a production and you are not giving your audience access to the raw Pond5 file, you should be fine. Pond5 offers three different licenses to choose from.
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The individual license allows one person access to the downloads and is more suited to a small business or individual users.

The Business license allows up to 5 people access to the downloads and is more suited to mid-market companies that may have growing terms.

The Premium license allows an unlimited amount of people on your team to have access to the raw downloads, this is best suited for large enterprise companies.

Do these licenses apply to all media types on Pond5?

Yes! The licenses above can be used with any media types on Pond5 (we sell video, photos, illustrations, music, sound effects, and After Effects templates). We offer the same amount of indemnity no matter what type of asset you purchase, so you can always feel confident that you’re getting the coverage you need.

It is important to note that for music tracks, they must be incorporated into a production and cannot be sold or distributed as the original file.

The only content that is not eligible for these licenses is editorial videos that offer a Digital or All Media License with single project use. Please take a look at What are All Media and Digital Licenses? for more information.

What rights are included with your Individual License?

Our Individual License includes $15k indemnification and allows for 1 individual on your team to use the downloaded file.

What additional rights do the Extended Licenses provide?

Our Business and Premium Licenses provide higher indemnity limits, offering greater protection for your project. Additional team members (individuals) will be able to use your downloaded file.

Why would I need more Indemnification?

Many customers choose to purchase additional indemnification for their content, depending on the audience and purpose of content use. Some customers working on larger productions or on behalf of businesses will require indemnification coverage to comply with legal, insurance, or other company policies. Our levels of indemnification range from $15,000 of coverage for our Individual License up to $1,000,000 of coverage for Premium. For a more in-depth explanation of Indemnification, please take a look at: What is Indemnification?

What if I need to share my downloaded file with other team members?

Our licenses specify the number of individuals who can use or edit your downloaded content. Our Individual License allows for 1 person on your team to use the downloaded file. Purchasing an Extended License will enable others in your organization to access it. Our Business License allows 5 individuals, while Premium Licenses offer unlimited access.

For companies that need open work streams and collaboration, purchasing an Extended License helps ensure everyone on your team has the access they need.

What about commercial and editorial use? What does that mean, and are the licenses different?

The commercial and editorial distinction applies to the usage allowed for the content you purchase. Commercial content is generally available for advertising, promotional, merchandising, or other commercial uses. Editorial content is content that is newsworthy or of general public interest and not cleared for advertising, promotional, merchandising, or any other commercial uses. For a more in-depth explanation of this, please see: What Does "Editorial Only" Mean?
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While we offer the same licenses for commercial and editorial content, our representations and warranties for commercial content differ from those extended to editorial content. Please have a look at our License Agreement for additional details.
If you’d like to discuss using editorial content commercially, please get in touch with us here or see our Help Center article: Editorial to Commercial Upgrade.

What other advanced features are included with your licenses?

Our Premium License allows for sensitive use, template use, and transfer of rights.

Currently, Pond5 does not provide an exclusivity program for music contributors. Exclusivity is only available for video content. While there are no announced plans to extend this offering to music, Pond5 advises contributors to monitor updates via email, blog, and YouTube channel. Should exclusivity for music become available, the rights and restrictions may mirror the existing policies for video contributors, where exclusivity prohibits selling on other platforms but allows personal or commercial promotional uses, such as in YouTube videos or advertisements.

To stay informed about changes to licensing or exclusivity programs, Pond5 recommends subscribing to their email notifications, reading their blog, and following their official YouTube channel.

Still need help? Contact us!