Virtual Help
- Chat with library staff now
- Contact your library
Digital Media Assignments : Find Media
Find Media: Module 10 of 10
Whether you’re working on an assignment or a personal project, there are images, audio, video, and tools that you can use for free as long as you attribute the source in your work. There are also legal ways that you can use some copyright-protected media under the right circumstances. Explore the boxes below to find out more about how to use the media.
Make sure you also look at the tabs on Attributing (for open media) and Citing for information on how to properly credit the sources of the media you use.
Using Free Media (Creative Commons Licenses)
Free Images
In this video, we will guide you with finding and using free images for course projects. This includes all kinds of images you find online, from graphics to photographs to icons.
Finding Free Images Video Transcript - RTFYou don't need to be a photographer or a graphic designer to embed beautiful visuals in your schoolwork or personal projects. Use the resources below to find that perfect picture without the worry of infringing on copyright.
Some of these websites have only free images, while others have a mix of free and traditional copyright works. Make sure you filter your search to free images (such as Creative Commons licensed images) and you read what you are allowed to do with the image.
- Flickr- opens in a new window
Choose from thousands of photographs. Search for an image, click “Any License”, and choose the license type that suits your needs, e.g. Modifications Allowed. - Getty Open Content- opens in a new window
Images of artwork in the public domain or that are made available by The Getty, which can be used for any purpose. Follow the requirement for attribution. - Google Images- opens in a new window
Find open photos, illustrations, and more using Google. After you search, filter your results by choosing Tools> Usage Rights> Creative Commons licenses. - The Noun Project- opens in a new window
Search for photos and choose Basic Download to download the image for free. Requires a free account to download images. - Pixabay- opens in a new window
All images are open and available to use for free. Attribution is encouraged. - Pexels- opens in a new window
All images are open and available to use for free. Attribution is encouraged. - Unsplash- opens in a new window
All images are open and available to use for free. Attribution is encouraged. - Creative Commons Search- opens in a new window
Search across multiple sites to find images with Creative Commons. You can filter results by licence type to suit your needs.
- The Noun Project- opens in a new window
Search for icons and choose Basic Download to download the image for free. Requires a free account to download images. - Flaticon- opens in a new window
Download icons in a variety of formats. Some icon collections on this site are only available for paid accounts. Free icons include attribution for you to use. - Open ClipArt Library- opens in a new window
Thousands of free vector images in the public domain.
Free Audio
There is a lot of audio available online, but it’s not all available for use. The resources below contain royalty-free audio and can be used for background music or sound effects in presentations and videos. Make sure you attribute the creators correctly.
- YouTube Audio Library- opens in a new window
Log in, browse, and download free music, sound effects for your project in the YouTube audio library. Sort tracks by genre, instrument, mood, or duration. - CC Mixter- opens in a new window
Search CC Mixter for Creative Commons licensed music, samples, and acapella tracks. Each sound will give you the attribution information when you click to download.
- BBC Sound Effects- opens in a new window
These 16,000 BBC Sound Effects are made available by the BBC in WAV format to download for use under the terms of the RemArc Licence- opens in a new window. The Sound Effects are BBC copyright, but they may be used for personal, educational or research purposes, as detailed in the license. - Freesound- opens in a new window
Freesound aims to create a huge collaborative database of audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, [etc.]. Released under Creative Commons licenses that allow their reuse.
Free Video Clips
Use the resources below to find free stock videos that can be downloaded and used for your projects.
- Dareful- opens in a new window
Free 4K quality stock video clips licensed under Creative Commons. - Mixkit- opens in a new window
Free stock videos and Premiere Pro templates. Videos with a Free license can be used for any project, whereas videos with a restricted licence can only be used for personal and educational use - Pexels- opens in a new window
Free stock videos to use for any purpose. Attribution is encouraged.. - Pixabay- opens in a new window
Free stock videos to use for any purpose. Attribution is encouraged. Be aware that sponsored content from sites such as Shutterstock may be listed before free content; sponsored content is not free. - Videezy- opens in a new window
Videos for personal use with attribution. After searching, limit your results to Standard or Creative Commons to find free content. Sponsored content is not free and may be listed before free content.
Free Editing/ Design Tools
You can use the free tools below to edit and work with your media files.
- Be Funky- opens in a new window
Browser-based online tool for editing images. You can add text, retouch, and add effects. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices. - GIMP- opens in a new window
Free, open-source photo editor. Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. - Microsoft Photos- opens in a new window
Make basic edits to your pictures and videos, and organize your picture collection. Comes pre-installed on all Windows 10 and above computers. - Microsoft Snipping Tool- opens in a new window
A simple Windows tool to create screenshots and highlight part of the image. Pre-installed on Windows computers. - Pixlr- opens in a new window
Free image editor. Works on both a Mac or Windows computer
- Adobe Color- opens in a new window
Browse through thousands of colour palettes for inspiration when choosing a unique colour theme for your next video, graphic design project, or presentation. Create a colour palette from scratch or from an image. - Adobe Express- opens in a new window
Browser-based tool for creating and editing everything from documents or flyers to social media posts. Utilize templates and generative AI features powered by Adobe Firefly. - Canva's Font Selection Guide- opens in a new window
Browse this list of fonts that work well together in different types of projects. - Coolors- opens in a new window
Browse existing colour palettes or create your own. You can even add the Coolors extension to Adobe. - Google Fonts- opens in a new window
Find fonts, download fonts to your computer for offline use, or generate embed codes so you can use these fonts in your websites or blogs. - Vectr- opens in a new window
Free graphics software used to create vector images. Available both online and as a downloadable application.
- Audio Convert- opens in a new window
Free online tool for converting audio files (e.g. .wav to .mp3) or video files to audio files. - Cloud Convert- opens in a new window
Free online tool for converting multiple file types (e.g. .svg to .png)
What is Creative Commons?
In Canada, all creative works, including graphics and music, are protected by copyright law. Copyright determines how a creator’s work can be used, and copyright protection is automatic, even if you don’t see a copyright symbol or notice.
Creative Commons licenses are an easy way for creators to share their work while retaining copyright over it. These licenses may allow for the sharing or modification of original works without the need to contact copyright owners, and are intended to give creators more freedom over how their work is used.
There are six main Creative Commons licenses as well as the Creative Cloud Public Domain Dedication. Each license grants users permission to use works in specific ways.
When choosing media, you will need to decide what you want to do with it so that you can find resources under the appropriate licences. You will also need to decide on the best licence for you if you decide to publish your own work; think about why you want to share your work, and how you hope others will use that work.
-
CC BY: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
-
CC BY-SA: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
-
CC BY-NC: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
-
CC BY-NC: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
-
CC BY-NC-SA: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
-
CC BY-ND: allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
-
CC BY-ND-NC: This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication
CC0(aka CC Zero) is a public dedication tool, which allows creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions.
The short answer is yes.
You may see Creative Commons works marked as being in the public domain or stating that they are no rights reserved (CC0). It is still recommended that you credit these creators. If you use these resources in an academic assignment, presenting the work of others as if it is your own may be considered plagiarism. Crediting all works you use, including Creative Commons licensed works, clearly shows which parts of a project are your own original content and what came from other sources.
Explore the tabs in the Using Free Media box. Most of the media found on the websites in these lists is available under CC licenses.
A good attribution for a CC-licensed work will include the author, the title of the work, the source, and the license type, along with links. For examples please see CC Wiki’s Best Practices for Attribution.
Citing Sources in Digital Assignments
If you use media in digital assignments for college, you may need to cite your media instead of merely attributing it. Digital assignments can be any assignment that you create that is not a research paper. Examples of digital assignments are websites, infographics, videos, and PowerPoint presentations.
Do I have to use APA and MLA to cite my sources in digital assignments?
The APA and MLA publication manuals contain guidelines for citing your sources in research essays, not digital assignments. Digital assignments don't require the use of standard APA and MLA format.
Unless your instructor specifically tells you that you must use formal APA or MLA citation style when citing sources in your digital assignments, then you may choose to attribute your sources by following the recommendations in the Attributing tab. Always confirm assignment expectations with your instructor first.
If you need further guidance, check out the citation guide from your college.
What am I legally required to cite in my digital assignment? (Copyright Law)
According to the Copyright Act (section 29.21(1)(b)), you must cite the sources that you used in your digital assignment by citing two things:
- the creator (if available),
- and where you found the item (e.g., the hyperlink to the source)
What kinds of media am I legally allowed to use in my digital assignment?
According to section 29.21 of the Copyright Act, you must make sure that any media you use in your assignments are allowed to be used.
Using Copyright-Protected Media
What is Copyright?
All created works automatically fall under copyright, but some creators choose to make their works available to the public to use for free. This section covers how to legally use media that HAS NOT been made available for free.
In this video and corresponding activity, you will learn what copyright is, how to use copyrighted materials, and what alternatives to copyright exist.
For more copyright support, visit your college library website. You can find the list of college copyright pages below.
The information on this page is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice.
Using Copyright Material – Fair Dealing
Fair Dealing is the user's right to use material under copyright protection without permission or payment if use meets the criteria described in the Copyright Act and provided the "dealing" is "fair".
For use to be considered fair, you must:
- Provide attribution or citation to the work
- Be using the work for one of the following purposes: research, private study, education, parody, satire, criticism, review or news reporting
- Determine the use meets the six factors: purpose, character, amount, alternative, nature, effect.
Read more about Fair Dealing in our Copyright module.
Using Copyright Material in Mashups
One of the legitimate ways you can fairly use copyright material is by creating something known as a “mashup.” A mashup refers to the use of a combination of media (images, music, etc.) used to create something new (e.g. a video or presentation).
- Mashups: Do's and Dont'sClick here to learn some tips about using copyrighted media.
Citing Digital Media
You always need to cite your sources in digital projects, but you don't always need to use specific citation styles such as MLA or APA. Always confirm citation expectations with your instructor if your project is a class assignment. If you have been asked to use MLA or APA for things like images, consult the module How to Cite.
Legal Requirements (Copyright Law)
According to the Copyright Act you must cite the sources that you used in your digital project by citing two things:
- The creator (if available), and
- Where you found the item (e.g., the hyperlink to the source)
You must also make sure the use of any multimedia files in your project fall within Fair Dealing, or that you are using Creative Commons or public domain materials (section 29.21).
Copyright at Your College
Overview of Copyright Policies
What policies should I be aware of?
Check the list in the next tab to find your college's copyright policies. Policies differ from college to college so make sure you are following the proper guidelines.
A Warning
If you are found infringing on The Copyright Act you could:
- receive a zero on an assignment
- be reported to the college
- face a fine of up to $5000Opens in new window
College Policies
Colleges in Ontario each have their own copyright policies, consult your local contact for copyright:
