Curated, free, broadcast-safe sources for music, footage, images, art, and transitions. Everything here is vetted for use in content distributed via NOCM's cable PEG channels and online streaming.
How to read the badges
Each source is tagged with what kind of use it covers. Match the badge to what NOCM does with your content.
🎵 Music
Royalty-free music sources, sorted by license safety. Start with the green-tagged ones for the easiest workflow.
YouTube Audio Library
Massive free library from YouTube. Tracks are cleared for broad commercial use including broadcast. Some require attribution, some are CC0 — clearly marked.
youtube.com/audiolibraryPixabay Music
Free music under the Pixabay Content License. No attribution required. Broadcast-safe. Massive growing library across genres.
pixabay.com/musicMixkit Music
Free music under the Mixkit License. Covers broadcast, streaming, and commercial use. No attribution required.
mixkit.co/free-stock-musicFree Music Archive (FMA)
Longest-running curated Creative Commons library. Tens of thousands of tracks. Critical: each track has its own license — CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-NC, etc. Read the license before downloading. Skip CC-BY-NC tracks for sponsored content.
freemusicarchive.orgIncompetech (Kevin MacLeod)
Kevin MacLeod's massive personal library of orchestral, ambient, and genre music. CC-BY licensed — must give attribution. Very common in documentary and educational video.
incompetech.comMusopen
Public domain classical music recordings. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. Both compositions AND recordings are clear. Perfect for documentaries and serious content.
musopen.orgPurple Planet Music
Production-quality royalty-free music across many moods. Free with credit. Used widely in broadcast and documentary work.
purple-planet.comInternet Archive Audio
Vast archive of historical recordings, live concerts, and Creative Commons audio. Many items are public domain. Always check each item's individual rights statement.
archive.org/details/audioccMixter
Community of musicians releasing tracks explicitly for sampling, remixing, and reuse under CC licenses. Great for unique, less-overused tracks.
ccmixter.orgUppbeat
Free tier covers YouTube and social media. Standard plans don't cover cable broadcast — flag content using Uppbeat as streaming-only on your NOCM Submission Form.
uppbeat.ioBensound
Popular royalty-free music. Free tier doesn't cover broadcast on standard licenses — flag as streaming-only. Paid licenses can include broadcast (check current terms).
bensound.com🎬 Footage & Video Clips
Free B-roll, archival footage, nature, and historical video. Most of these are broadcast-safe.
NASA Image and Video Library
Space, Earth from orbit, science visualization, mission footage. Government-produced = public domain. Stunning, high-resolution, free.
images.nasa.govLibrary of Congress
American historical footage, newsreels, performances, oral histories. Most is public domain. Check individual rights statements.
loc.gov/audio-videoPrelinger Archives
Massive collection of industrial, advertising, educational, and amateur films, mostly pre-1950s. Perfect for documentary, history, and stylized retro content.
archive.org/details/prelingerUS National Archives
Government films, war footage, presidential records, historical events. Federal government works are public domain.
archives.gov/research/motion-picturesNOAA Photo Library
Weather, ocean, climate, marine life. Especially relevant for Peninsula content given our coastal location. Public domain.
photolib.noaa.govPexels Videos
Modern high-quality stock video. Pexels License covers commercial and broadcast use. No attribution required.
pexels.com/videosPixabay Videos
Modern stock video library under the Pixabay Content License. Broad commercial use, no attribution required.
pixabay.com/videosMixkit Video
Production-quality clips. Mixkit License covers broadcast. Good for modern scenic, lifestyle, and abstract footage.
mixkit.co/free-stock-videoCoverr
Curated, designer-quality stock video. Often used for hero/banner footage. Free with no attribution required.
coverr.coVidevo
500,000+ clips, mixed free and premium. Free clips use either Videvo Attribution License or CC 3.0. Read each clip's license.
videvo.netWikimedia Commons
Public domain and Creative Commons media used across Wikipedia. Quality varies but contains many unique historical, scientific, and cultural items.
commons.wikimedia.orgFlickr Commons
Photo collections from museums, libraries, and archives worldwide. Most marked "no known copyright restrictions." Some still images can be useful as B-roll.
flickr.com/commons🖼 Images & Art
Stock photos, vintage illustrations, and museum collections — all free, all broadcast-safe.
Pexels
Massive curated library of modern photographs. Free for commercial use, no attribution required.
pexels.comUnsplash
Curated high-quality photography. Unsplash License covers commercial use. Attribution appreciated but not required.
unsplash.comPixabay Photos
Millions of free photos, illustrations, and vectors. Pixabay Content License allows broad commercial use.
pixabay.comRawpixel Public Domain
Digitally enhanced public domain art from major museums. Van Gogh, Hokusai, vintage botanical illustrations, antique book plates. Beautifully presented.
rawpixel.com/public-domainSmithsonian Open Access
Over 5 million items from 19 museums and 9 research centers — art, science, design, history. All released under CC0.
si.edu/openaccessThe Met Open Access
492,000+ high-resolution images of public-domain artworks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Paintings, sculpture, photographs, decorative arts.
metmuseum.org/art/collection/searchNational Gallery of Art (Open Access)
50,000+ high-resolution images of works in the public domain from the U.S. National Gallery of Art collection.
nga.gov/open-access-images.htmlCleveland Museum of Art Open Access
Sleek, easy-to-navigate open access portal with thousands of high-res public domain artworks.
clevelandart.org/open-accessRijksstudio (Rijksmuseum)
Dutch national museum. Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh, and an enormous collection of European art. Tons of botanical and natural history illustration too.
rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudioBritish Library on Flickr
Over 1 million illustrations from 17th-19th century books, all public domain. Incredible source of vintage visuals.
flickr.com/people/britishlibraryThe Public Domain Review
Curated selection of public domain photos, illustrations, art, audio, films, and texts. Excellent for finding interesting, less-overused historical content.
publicdomainreview.orgPublic Domain Vectors
Public domain vector graphics in SVG, AI, EPS formats. Great for graphics, lower thirds, and visual elements you can resize without quality loss.
publicdomainvectors.org✨ Transitions & Visual Effects
Free transitions, overlays, and motion graphics templates for Premiere Pro, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, and other editors.
Mixkit Transitions
140+ free Premiere Pro transition templates. Also Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve packs available. Mixkit License covers broadcast.
mixkit.co/free-premiere-pro-templates/transitionsPixabay Transition Videos
Hundreds of transition video clips (overlays, glitch, light leaks, paint splashes). Drop onto your timeline and use blend modes. Pixabay License.
pixabay.com/videos/search/transitionsVideezy Transitions
880+ free transition video clips. Most under Creative Commons or open licenses. Read each file's license — some require credit.
videezy.com/free-video/transitionsOpenShot Built-in Transitions
Free open-source video editor with dozens of built-in transitions and effects. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
openshot.orgKdenlive Built-in Transitions
Free open-source editor (Linux primary, also Mac/Windows). Strong transitions, compositing, and effects. Powerful and broadcast-quality output.
kdenlive.orgDaVinci Resolve (Free)
Industry-standard editor with a feature-rich free version. Includes broadcast-quality transitions, color grading, and Fusion VFX. Used in major TV production.
davinciresolve.com🔊 Sound Effects
Free sound effects, ambient loops, and Foley libraries.
Freesound
Community-driven sound effects library. Tens of thousands of files under various Creative Commons licenses. Read each file's license individually.
freesound.orgMixkit Sound Effects
Free sound effects under the Mixkit License. Foley, ambient, UI, transitions, etc. Broadcast-safe without attribution.
mixkit.co/free-sound-effectsPixabay Sound Effects
Growing library of sound effects under Pixabay Content License. Commercial and broadcast use allowed.
pixabay.com/sound-effectsZapsplat
Huge professional library. Free with attribution; paid Gold membership removes attribution requirement.
zapsplat.comBBC Sound Effects
16,000+ BBC sound effects. License limits use to personal, educational, or research only — NOT commercial broadcast. Confirm before using in NOCM content.
bbcrewind.co.uk/sound-effectsInternet Archive — Sound Effects Collections
Various sound effects libraries archived here, including some classic ones in the public domain. Read each item's individual license.
archive.org/details/audio🛠 Free Tools for Editing & Conversion
Free production tools to help you create and prepare content for submission.
DaVinci Resolve
The industry-standard professional editor. The free version is more powerful than most paid editors. Used in actual TV and film production.
davinciresolve.comOBS Studio
Free open-source screen recording and live streaming software. Industry standard for many community media workflows.
obsproject.comOpenShot
Free open-source video editor. Easy learning curve, good for beginners. Cross-platform.
openshot.orgHandBrake
Free open-source video transcoder. Use it to convert your finished video to MP4/H.264 for submission. Cross-platform.
handbrake.frAudacity
Free open-source audio editor. Standard tool for cleaning up dialogue, mixing music, and normalizing audio levels before submission.
audacityteam.orgGIMP
Free open-source image editor (Photoshop alternative). Create graphics, lower thirds, thumbnails, and titles.
gimp.orgKdenlive
Free open-source video editor. More feature-rich than OpenShot, strong for documentary and broadcast workflows.
kdenlive.orgCanva (Free Tier)
Easy graphic design with templates. Free tier covers most NOCM needs. Be careful using Canva's premium stock content — those may have separate licensing requirements.
canva.com📋 How to Use This Page
A few practical tips that will save you trouble.
1. Always read the license at the source
Licenses change. The site might rebrand, get acquired, or modify its terms. Read the actual download page's license at the time you grab the file.
2. Save a screenshot of every license
When you download something, take a screenshot of the license terms on the page. If someone challenges your content later, this is your proof of compliance. Save the URL, date, and license text together.
3. If you use a "streaming only" source, flag it on your Submission Form
Some sources don't cover cable broadcast — Uppbeat, Bensound free tier, Epidemic Sound, Artlist on standard plans. If you use these, mark your content as "online streaming only" on the NOCM Submission Form. NOCM will distribute it appropriately.
4. Avoid CC-BY-NC tracks for sponsored content
CC-BY-NC means "non-commercial only." NOCM is a nonprofit, but if your content has any sponsorship or underwriting credit, that may technically be a "commercial" context. When in doubt, use CC0 or CC-BY tracks instead — they have no commercial restriction.
5. When in doubt, ask NOCM staff
Better to email Info@NorthOlympicCommunityMedia.org with a "can I use this?" question than to have content pulled after broadcast. Staff is happy to look at a specific source you found and confirm.
6. Check Lesson 3 of the Contributor Training
If you need a refresher on how all of this works — the two-rights problem, fair use cautions, Creative Commons license types — re-read Lesson 3 of your NOCM Contributor Training. The full course is available in your contributor portal.