Use case · Real media
Real photos, clips and web pages, credited in every video
When a video's story names real people, companies, places, events or websites, ViralDub can show them for real. It looks for freely licensed photos on Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and Openverse, short clips of real moments in public YouTube videos, and websites as they looked in a past year on the Internet Archive. A vision model picks from the actual pictures, and every item is credited on screen and under the video.
Key takeaways
- Photos only under free licences: CC0, public domain, CC BY, CC BY-SA or GFDL. Never non-commercial or no-derivatives.
- Clips are short excerpts of public videos, credited to their channel.
- Each pick is made from the real thumbnails or frames, and the model may reject every candidate.
- Credits appear on screen next to each item and in the list under the video.
- Real media is on by default in Motion and can be turned off.
Where real media comes from
| Source | What | Licence | Credit on screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons | Photos, including a subject's lead picture | CC0, public domain, CC BY, CC BY-SA, GFDL | Photo: author / Wikimedia Commons, licence |
| Openverse | Photos, searched for commercial use and changes | CC0, public domain, CC BY, CC BY-SA | Photo: author / Openverse, licence |
| YouTube | Short clips of public videos | No free licence: a credited excerpt | Video: channel |
| Internet Archive | Websites as they looked in a given year | Public archive | Internet Archive, date |
How each item is chosen
- From the real pictures. A vision model looks at the actual thumbnails and frames, not just titles, and would rather show nothing than a poor match.
- The right moment of a clip. Frames are sampled every two seconds so the cut lands on what is really on screen.
- Big enough to use. Photos under 500 pixels on their short side are left out.
- Kept on screen. Once picked, a real item is not hidden or redrawn in later fixes; its framing, size or timing is improved instead.
When a real picture is not found
ViralDub never draws a real person, a silhouette or a fake photo. The beat is carried by type (the name set large, a role or a date), a real item from another scene, or the background. Stock people, when a video uses stock footage, appear only as moods and situations, never labelled as the real person and never as your customers.
Using videos with real media
Keep the credits when you post. Freely licensed photos may be used with their credit. Clips are not covered by a free licence, and ViralDub doesn't grant rights to third-party content, so for paid ads make a version without real clips or get the owner's permission. Videos made on the free plan carry a non-commercial licence in any case; see the terms.
Frequently asked questions
Which licences does ViralDub accept for photos?
CC0, public domain, CC BY, CC BY-SA and GFDL. Photos marked non-commercial, no-derivatives, fair use or all rights reserved are never used.
Can I use a video with real clips in ads?
Clips are credited excerpts of public videos, not licensed footage, and ViralDub doesn't grant rights to them. For paid ads, make a version without real clips or get the owner's permission.
Where are the credits?
On screen next to each photo or clip, and in the list under the finished video.
Can I turn real media off?
Yes. It is on by default in Motion; switch it off for a video made only of designed scenes, stock footage or your own product.
Which videos use real media?
Any Motion video whose story names real people, companies, places, events or websites. The footage edit format is built around it.