Copyright Friendly Media
When you are in need of royalty free media (images, sounds) use this webpage as a starting point.
First: Start Here
Below is a list of royalty-free, copyright-friendly sources.
Images and Videos
Pixabay (use the username "guest" and password "guest" to get to their safe search site)
Moving Image Archive (videos, animation, etc.)
New York Public Library Digital Images
Library of Congress Digital Collections
Library of Congress Digital Collections
ABC-Clio (database in Mackinvia)
Britannica School (database in Mackinvia)
Google Image Search (click "Tools" > "Usage Rights" > "Creative Commons licenses")
Creative Commons licenses: These images are usually free to use, but require credit. They may also have limitations on how, or in what context, you can use them. For example, an image’s license might state that you can’t modify it or use it for commercial purposes.
Commercial or other licenses: These images have non-Creative Commons licenses and can be from either free sites or commercial sites that require payment.
Create a picture with text on it (use an image generator like Canva or paste a picture in Google slides, add text, and save it as a .jpg)
Use your own picture
Music and Sounds
YouTube Audio Library (Note: converting music from YouTube is not copyright okay, but using media from the audio library is!)
Megatrax (FISD pays for a subscription to this service. For the log-in information, click here.)
Lit2Go (collection of stories and poems in MP3 audiobook format)
Sound Gator (sound effects)
Sound Bible (sound effects)
Jukebox at Library of Congress
Music You Own (cd, iTunes, etc.) - Remember that the music has to match the content of your presentation. Just adding a song you like doesn't meet fair use guidelines.
Second: Determine Fair Use
If you go beyond the resources above and explore other sites, be sure to check each site to make sure your use is covered according to their policy. In some cases, media can be used in class but cannot be posted to the web or used in a contest submission, so double-check before using it. When in doubt, always ask the creator! You can also use the tools below to help you determine whether your intended use falls under Fair Use guidelines.
Unsure if something falls under Fair Use? Check out this flow chart to see if you have the right to post the image online.
Completing a Fair Use checklist or using an online evaluation tool can help you determine Fair Use as well.
Fair Use Checklist
Use this checklist to determine whether your media use falls under Fair Use guidelines.
Fair Use Checklist.pdfFair Use Evaluator
Use this online Fair use Evaluator to help determine whether your media use falls under Fair Use guidelines.
Click the image below.
Copyright Protection Slider
Use this online tool to help you determine whether something is still protected by copyright or is in the public domain.
Click the image below.
Third: Cite Your Source
According to Fair Use, you must CITE THE SOURCE for any works you did not create yourself, even if the use falls under Fair Use! Many of the sites will tell you how to do so for media used from their site, but you can also view formatting guidelines on the Titan Library Citation Help webpage.