Frequently Asked Questions - Footage

Upon receipt of your brief we will undertake a preliminary search and tell you what suitable material is held. We will estimate supply costs and licence fees.

A researcher will be assigned to your project to locate suitable material, prepare preview materials and advise on copyright. You will select the required shots using the preview materials and then place your order, providing the in and out time code points and shot descriptions.

A licence agreement is emailed or faxed for signature and once returned the master material is despatched. You report on your final usage and supply us a copy of your production.

Factors impacting on licence fees include the medium licensed, licence period and the territory required. Obtain a copy of the ABC rate card.

Charges for research, transfers and stock also apply.

By making contact with ABC Library Sales, a professional stock footage supplier, you gain instant access to stock footage and audio materials held by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. There are also smaller specialist collections sourced from independent operators. A Natural History database is available online, visit http://www.abccontentsales.com/librarysales/databases

Independent program makers and researchers can come to the ABC to use the research facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. You can access in-house databases and tape-viewing facilities and take away DVD dubs. There is a daily fee of $120 to cover facility costs plus our standard fees if you need specific research assistance from specialised ABC personnel. A shot list database and a Natural History database are available online, visit http://www.abccontentsales.com/librarysales/databases/

The ABC's main shot list database, TARA Online, and the Natural History database, Wild Online, are available to search through this website. These databases do not list the whole collection so it still worth calling us if you can't find what you are looking for. From this site you can access detailed data on the ABC's media collections.

Material (footage, audio, stills) is licensed for use in a particular production, as agreed. The licence is granted for a specific media (eg) 'free to air television', a period (eg) 'five years' and a territory or territories (eg) Singapore.

Contact our Sales Consultants based in the Sydney and Melbourne offices who can help you. Contact Us for further information. Please provide detailed information (and your contact information) to help us find the material you require.

With 52 news bureaux across Australia, 13 international offices and 80 years of recording people, places and events, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has developed a library resource rich in its breadth and depth of coverage.

Critically-acclaimed and award-winning productions in the genres of news, current affairs, science, natural history, the arts, music and more form the extensive collection. You can search our online databases.

The ABC is a one-stop multi-media shop, providing access to footage, sound effects and audio grabs. The ABC library is made up of four media types including:

Footage
As well as an enviable international collection, the ABC library houses a priceless record of Australia's social, sporting, cultural and political life from the 1950s to today. It also includes a comprehensive collection of natural history, scientific and Indigenous footage.

The ABC's collection is supplemented by selected other content collections from operators who are specialist recorders of their field.

Stills
With many of the magic moments in the history of radio and television captured on film, the stills collection is an invaluable record of people, places and events.

Audio
The ABC has maintained an extensive collection of speeches, interviews and commentaries, which describe the landmark events of the past 80 years.

Sound Effects
To create impact the ABC's sound effects collection delivers a large range, including squawks, grunts, crashes and screeches, to enhance any multi-media production.

If you require sound effects contact the Melbourne-based Library Sales consultant to find out what is available and at what cost. Upon receipt of your selection we check copyright clearances, dub the material to your required production format and prepare a licence agreement.

Copyright laws are many and varied. The Australian Copyright Council provides information and advice on copyright in Australia. Screenrights, the Audio Visual Copyright Society, details copyright issues with particular relevance to Australian educational institutions. We recommend that you visit their sites for comprehensive information on the subject.

Programs can be obtained from the ABC Shop for home viewing only.

However there are many programs broadcast on ABC TV that are not available in the ABC Shop or other retail outlets, but can be ordered upon request from Library Sales - Programs. These programs are licensed with 'non-theatric' rights which permits viewing by non-paying Australian-based audiences and are used most frequently for educational and business purposes.