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# How to find CC0 and public-domain stock videos with ready attribution lines and export your own uploads

When an autonomous video pipeline or editor needs background B-roll, commercial stock sites block headless requests behind Cloudflare challenges or require per-user API keys, while raw Internet Archive searches mix unverified mirrors without licence tags into the top results. On 2026-10-20 we benchmarked [Video Grab](https://tools.openkrill.app/tools/videograb) (`https://videograb.openkrill.app/mcp`) on the query `"ocean waves"` against the Wikimedia Commons MediaWiki API, Internet Archive Advanced Search and Pexels Videos. In 2,335 ms, `search_free_videos` returned 5 CC0 1.0 `.ogv` clips by `Mostafameraji` with direct `upload.wikimedia.org` download URLs, Creative Commons deed links and preformatted attribution strings.

## What Video Grab provides across 3 MCP tools

Video Grab runs at `https://videograb.openkrill.app/mcp` with no account and no API key. It exposes three read-only tools designed for openly licensed media discovery and compliant personal exports:

- **`search_free_videos`** searches [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org) and the [Internet Archive](https://archive.org) (`mediatype:movies`) for openly licensed video files (`limit` 1 to 5, optional `sources` array of `"commons"` and `"archive"`). It keeps only items whose metadata records a public-domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA licence and builds a ready-to-copy `attribution` string for each clip.
- **`video_metadata`** accepts a Wikimedia Commons `File:` title or URL, or an Internet Archive item identifier or `archive.org/details/` URL, and returns the full file list (`name`, `url`, `mime`, `bytes`, `kind`), creator, licence deed URL, attribution line and any attached subtitle or caption tracks.
- **`own_video_export`** returns the official, terms-compliant steps and daily limits for exporting videos you uploaded yourself on `tiktok`, `youtube`, `instagram` or `x`, citing each platform's help documentation. It never rips third-party social videos or strips watermarks.

## Step 1: Search CC0 ocean-waves videos and compare 3 rivals

We ran `search_free_videos` for `"ocean waves"` (`limit: 5`) on 2026-10-20 and compared it against three stock-video and archive sources:

```
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "search_free_videos",
    "arguments": {
      "query": "ocean waves",
      "limit": 5
    }
  }
}
```

All 5 returned clips are CC0 1.0 videos on Wikimedia Commons by creator `Mostafameraji` (`Ocean surface waves 06`, `09`, `05`, `08` and `04`), each with a direct `https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/...` download URL and a complete attribution line such as:

```
"Ocean surface waves 06" by Mostafameraji, CC0 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en/), via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ocean_surface_waves_06.ogv
```

| Tool or source | Wall time | Score | Results returned for "ocean waves" | Licence filtering and attribution readiness |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Video Grab (`search_free_videos`)** | 2,335 ms | 9.6 / 10 | 5 CC0 1.0 `.ogv` videos (`Ocean surface waves 06`, `09`, `05`, `08`, `04`) | Filters out unlicensed items; includes direct `upload.wikimedia.org` URL, deed URL and preformatted attribution line |
| Wikimedia Commons API (`w/api.php?action=query&generator=search`) | 795 ms | 9.0 / 10 | Same 5 `.ogv` files | Fastest raw response, but caller must construct `iiextmetadata` queries, strip HTML from `Artist` and assemble attribution strings |
| Internet Archive (`advancedsearch.php?q=ocean+waves+AND+mediatype:movies`) | 1,222 ms | 6.0 / 10 | 5 items without `licenseurl` | Top 5 hits were unrelated YouTube mirrors and music uploads with no `licenseurl` field and no direct file URL |
| Pexels Videos (`pexels.com/search/videos/ocean%20waves/`) | not run | not run | HTTP 403 challenge | Web search blocks automated fetches with a Cloudflare challenge; REST API requires an account and API key |

## Step 2: Inspect a video file's metadata and download list

Pass any Wikimedia Commons `File:` reference or Internet Archive identifier to `video_metadata` to inspect its exact file streams and licence notes before downloading:

```
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 2,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "video_metadata",
    "arguments": {
      "ref": "File:Ocean surface waves 06.ogv"
    }
  }
}
```

The response returns `title: "Ocean surface waves 06"`, `creator: "Mostafameraji"`, `licence: "CC0 1.0"`, `download_url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Ocean_surface_waves_06.ogv"`, `mime: "application/ogg"` and the `files` array.

## Step 3: Look up official export steps for your own uploaded videos

When a creator asks an agent how to back up their own uploaded videos from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or X, call `own_video_export`:

```
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 3,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "own_video_export",
    "arguments": {
      "platform": "youtube"
    }
  }
}
```

For `platform: "youtube"` (checked against [YouTube Help answer 56100](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100) and [Google Takeout answer 3024190](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190)), the tool returns the five steps to download individual uploads from YouTube Studio (`Content -> Menu -> Download` as 720p or 360p MP4, up to five times per 24 hours) or export your full channel archive through Google Takeout.

## Connect Video Grab to your AI client

- [Video Grab MCP server reference and schema](https://tools.openkrill.app/tools/videograb) (`https://videograb.openkrill.app/mcp`)
- [Video Grab Agent Skill (SKILL.md)](https://tools.openkrill.app/skills/videograb-jobs/SKILL.md) for CC0 B-roll discovery and attribution checking

## Sources

- [Wikimedia Commons File:Ocean surface waves 06.ogv](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ocean_surface_waves_06.ogv) and [Wikimedia Commons MediaWiki API](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php) (checked 2026-10-20)
- [Internet Archive Advanced Search API](https://archive.org/advancedsearch.php) (checked 2026-10-20)
- [YouTube Help: Download YouTube videos that you've uploaded](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100)

## Frequently asked questions

- Where can I find free CC0 or public-domain stock videos with ready-to-copy attribution lines?: Call search_free_videos on https://videograb.openkrill.app/mcp with your search query. The tool queries Wikimedia Commons and the Internet Archive, filters out items without a clear public-domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA licence, and returns the direct file or item download URL, creator name, licence deed URL and a ready-to-paste attribution string.
- How do I get the direct download URL and license details for a video on Wikimedia Commons or the Internet Archive?: Call video_metadata on https://videograb.openkrill.app/mcp with ref set to a Wikimedia Commons file title (such as File:Ocean surface waves 06.ogv), a Commons file URL, an Internet Archive item identifier or an archive.org/details/ URL. It returns the licence, creator, attribution text, direct video file URLs and any available caption files.
- How do I export or download my own uploaded videos from TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, or X?: Call own_video_export on https://videograb.openkrill.app/mcp with platform set to tiktok, youtube, instagram or x. It returns the official, terms-compliant export steps and limits quoted from that platform's help center (such as YouTube Studio Content download and Google Takeout).
- Does Video Grab rip third-party videos from YouTube, TikTok or Instagram?: No. Downloading other users' videos or stripping watermarks from TikTok, YouTube, Instagram or X violates those platforms' terms of service. Video Grab only searches openly licensed stock videos on Wikimedia Commons and the Internet Archive and provides official archive instructions for videos you uploaded yourself.