Have you found some images and/or video that you would like to incorporate into your marketing? Here are some steps you should to take when licensing photo or video assets:
1. Determine your budget
- We have often found that photographers are willing to be flexible with their pricing, however it is helpful to know your budget before establishing contact.
2. Finalize your licensing terms and conditions
- We use the same licensing terms & conditions for all photo and video procurement, however we update the document to include a description of the images and/or video we are interested in licensing. We often include links or screen shots of the assets to avoid confusion and be explicit.
- See our Photo & Video Licensing Terms & Conditions for an example. Feel free to adapt the language used in this form to create your own terms and conditions.
- Our licensing terms and conditions always stipulate unlimited usage rights in perpetuity (meaning we have the rights to use the assets in an unlimited capacity across all platforms for an unlimited amount of time). We recommend you do the same.
- We also include the ability to transfer usage rights to our partners (see section 3). We highly recommend you include language that allows you to do the same. This means you will be able to freely share images with your partners (including VTC) so we can assist in marketing your destination. This is an essential practice for maximizing your marketing dollars.
3. Contact with the photographer
- Let the photographer know you are interested in licensing a photo or video.
- Confirm that he/she is the original creator of the asset(s) and that he/she has the legal ability to license the asset(s) to your locality.
- Ask about the size and quality of the image and/or video. Make sure the assets are high resolution.
- Images should be about 8’’ x 12’’ at 300 ppi (or larger), JPG or TIFF format. If an image isn’t high resolution, you could negotiate a break in price.
- Video clips should be at least 1920 x 1080 (16:9) or larger (4K). We do not recommend licensing video clips less than 1920 x 1080 (HD quality).
- Share your terms and conditions document.
- Ask for a quote.
4. Negotiate or agree on a price
- Once both parties agree on a price, move forward with the purchase.
- Before completing payment, double check the quality of the delivered image(s) and/or video to make sure it is as described.
5. Best practices
- Give photographers credit whenever possible.
- Ask media and industry partners to do the same.
- Keep your images and videos organized so you and anyone else in your office can easily find and utilize them in your marketing efforts.
- Keep your licensing paperwork organized so it can be located efficiently.
- Whether this means keeping them in the same folder with the assets or uploading them into a digital catalog that allows for easy organization, this step is crucial to protecting you and your assets. That way when the next person is in your position, he/she can find the paperwork if necessary.
- Share your newly procured images and/or video with VTC. Here’s how.
