Pond5 Review – Video-Specialized Agency with Bonus Stock Images

Must-Know Facts About Pond5 

If you don’t have time for an in-depth read right now, these are the highlights that will help you know Pond5 better: 

• It’s a stock media agency focused on royalty-free video, which has expanded to offer stock photos, illustrations, music, sound effects, After Effects, and Photoshop PSD files. It primarily targets video creators. 
• It launched in 2006 with a stock video collection only and has enjoyed success and popularity in its almost 20 years of history. 
• The stock media giant Shutterstock acquired it in late 2022. 
• Today, it has 42 million stock footage clips of up to 8K quality, millions of images and complementary media, and advanced tools. 
• It has different buying options and a wide range of prices for every budget. 
• It offers simple and comprehensive license coverage for most creative needs. 
• Accepts payments via Paypal and most major credit cards.

A Brief History of Pond5

This company was founded by Tom Bennet and Marcus Engene and launched in 2006 in New York, USA, where it’s still headquartered. It started as a stock video marketplace, where video creators could license and download stock footage clips to complete their projects under royalty-free licenses. 

The service gained popularity thanks to its unique offer, flexible pricing, convenient licensing terms, and straightforward buying options. 

In the years since, it has expanded its footage library and added other media types: stock music and sound effects, photos and illustrations, After Effects, Photoshop PSD files, and editorial-use-only media. It has also opened offices in Prague, Dublin, and London. 

The company struck multiple distribution partnerships with renowned creatives, collections, and brands and, in 2011, acquired the stock photo agency Pixmac. 

In 2018, Pond5 patented its Visual Search technology, which powers its website’s search engine and lets users find better content faster and easier. 

Finally, in mid-2022, the firm was acquired by the leading stock media company, Shutterstock, for $210 million cash. 

Pond5 continues operating on its stand-alone website under Shutterstock’s parentage and fuels the new parent company’s collections. 

Pond5 Core Offer: Video Collection

As we mentioned, this agency is primarily focused on video. It has an impressive library with over 42 million clips, from SD to as high as 8K resolution (ultra-high definition), making it suitable for small businesses or independent creators and large-scale, professional projects. Lately, they introduced After Effects templates, so you can easily add special effects to your productions using Adobe’s signature editing tool. 

They have clips for various topics in many different styles and offer a segment with exclusive footage that you will only find at Pond5. 

It is one of the best stock footage services on the web and a must if you’re looking for royalty-free video. 

Pond5 Stock Images: Useful to Complement Visual Projects

Pond5 offers stock images, too: photos, vector illustrations, and Photoshop PSD files. They have millions in high resolution and are ready to download and use. The library is decently sized so that you will find variety and quality. 

The content is commercial-oriented, but you can find more artistic shots here and there, and many of the available pictures have a solid cinematic sense. 

This image catalog mostly complements audiovisual projects, but they can easily fit image-only designs. 

More Media: Audio Offer

Lastly, the Pond5 stock media offer includes stock music and sound effects, which work together with footage to create impactful audiovisual experiences. 

As you can see, over time, they built a well-rounded hub for video creators with all the resources they need in one place. 

Pond5 Buying Options: On Demand & Subscriptions

In its beginnings, this agency sold files on demand only. There were two ways to buy on demand, which are still available today. Later, they introduced subscriptions, too. 

Pay As You Go – The first option is straightforward: you buy your files in real time, pay as you go, and see the price in USD. This is the best option if you like things simple when downloading stock photos. 

Credit Packs – The second is via credit packs, where you pay for several credits upfront and then use those credits to download media. Pond5 makes it very simple anyway, as they work with a 1:1 credit conversion rate (one credit equals one dollar). What they do, however, is that credit packs give you more credits for less money. For example, if you have a $250 pack, you get a bonus of 25 credits –275 credits in total– and the bonuses increase with larger packs. This option is ideal if you’re on a budget, as not only will you be able to stay within budget without having to track your spending all the time, but you’ll also get more downloads for your money. 

Subscriptions – Today, Pond5 offers different subscription options depending on the media type you need: there is a subscription for stock music only, another one for music and sound effects, and finally, one that includes all media types; it’s important to note that this latter option gives you access to the entirety of the audio libraries but only to a selection of stock footage and stock images. All plans include ten downloads per month and the option to hire them monthly or annually. Subscriptions are perfect for those who need stock media constantly, as they give you the lowest prices and continuous access to the resources you need. 

Pond5 On-Demand Pricing: Tailored and Wide-Range

Regarding on-demand downloads, the pricing structure for stock videos was revamped in mid-August 2024. Previously, the company allowed contributors to set prices for their content, which resulted in a wide range of price points across the board. While this obviously made the service flexible, it was also confusing for users.

So now, they offer two price points for stock footage based on content status: 

• Standard videos are $59
• Premium videos are $149

For stock footage on demand, our special coupon code saves you 20% off those prices!

Other media types, for now, maintain a broader range of price options:

• Photos and illustrations start at just $1 but can go as high as $350+ each 
• After Effects go from $5 and up to $150+ each 
• Stock music tracks start at $5 and climb to $100+ the unit
• Sound effect files range from $2 and up to $20+ per download 

This is great because there is something for every budget, and you can easily use search filters to restrict your search to a range you can afford. 

Plus, remember you'll get more downloads for less money with credit packs.

Pond5 Subscriptions: Monthly and Annual Options

Subscription plans have two options each: month-to-month or annual, paid upfront. The yearly subscription can cut the monthly price by as much as 50%. 

• Music plan (access to all stock music): $25/mo monthly – $150 yearly 
• Music + Sound Effects (access to all music and sound libraries): $30 monthly – $180 yearly
• Footage Plus (access all music and sound libraries and a selection of several millions of stock footage and stock images): $199 monthly – $999 yearly 

As you can see, the prices are better than those of on-demand buying but not overly affordable. However, an annual subscription can save you over $115 from the regular monthly price. 

See all Pond5 pricing details here. 

Learn more about the new Pond5 promo code.

Pond5 Free Files

On this website, you will also find selected content that is free to download and use. 

Namely, they have a Free Media section with handpicked videos, photos, and music tracks, all in high quality, that are free. This section includes a “free clip of the week,” usually in a relevant theme or style. 

They also have a Public Domain project, where they offer historic video clips and photos that are in the Public Domain and, thus, free for all. 

Pond5 Licensing: Comprehensive and Simplified

This agency has updated its licensing options over time. While it has always offered comprehensive usage coverage for its media files with a royalty-free model, it used to have several different licenses, making it a bit complicated for non-experts to understand which one they needed. 

Now, however, the licensing terms are very straightforward. An Individual license is included by default with every file (prices expressed above correspond to this option) that covers commercial use across all mediums and in an unlimited number of projects worldwide and perpetually. This license allows only one user to access and download files. It includes an indemnification fee of $15,000 and a print run limit of 100,000 copies. Restrictions include sensitive use (potentially harmful or controversial topics), no redistribution of unmodified files, and use in merchandise is not included. 

This standard individual license is perfect for small video creators. It covers using stock photos and videos on social media, YouTube, Vimeo, and all sorts of streaming platforms, websites, and even TV and Broadcast. 

Extended license options are Business and Premium. The Business license adds access to up to 5 users, extends the print run limit to 500,000 copies, and indemnifies up to $250,000. This license costs $60 in addition to the regular file price. Premium comes with an unrestricted number of seats to access files, an unlimited print run limit, and indemnification up to $1 million. It goes for an extra $120 on top of the file price. 

Besides these commercial royalty-free options, Pond5 also offers editorial-only content under an Editorial Use license, which allows the incorporation of the files in projects for illustrative purposes only.

Bonus: Advanced Search & Free Project Assistance

Pond5 has a patented visual search technology that lets you do reverse-image searches using videos or still images as a reference. Their search engine finds matches for composition and other relevant markers in your source video or picture, delivering results from its content library. This is very useful when unsure what keywords to use to unearth the right content for your project, and it also saves time in finding the perfect photo or clip. Additionally, the Pond5 search tool is very advanced, with multiple filters to narrow down results and see only meaningful files that meet your search criteria. 

Another important bonus service offered by this agency is free project assistance. Through a dedicated tab on the website, you can request help with content research, get custom quotes within your budget, and choose the right license for your needs.

Pond5 Summary

Pond5 is a reputable stock media company ideal for video creators. It also offers competent stock photos and illustrations, making it a complete stock media resource. Now, it adds the plus of being part of the Shutterstock ecosystem.

If you need videos for your content strategies and creative endeavors, Pond5 is worth exploring!