Downloading responsibly: content you are allowed to save

A downloader is a tool, and like any tool the responsibility sits with the person using it. Before saving a file, it helps to be clear about what you are allowed to do with it. This guide explains the difference between saving something for yourself, reusing it, and republishing it, and gives you a short checklist to run through every time.

Start with who owns the video

Every video has an owner. In most cases that is the person who filmed and edited it, or a company that paid for it. Posting a video on a platform does not hand the copyright to the platform and it certainly does not hand it to viewers. When you watch a clip you are using the platform's licence to stream it. Saving a copy is a separate act, and whether it is allowed depends on the owner, the platform's terms and the law where you live.

Generally safe uses

• Your own uploads that you want to archive, back up or re-edit
• Content published under an open licence that permits reuse, such as CC BY or CC0
• Public-domain works whose copyright has expired or never applied
• Material the creator has told you, in writing, that you may keep or use
• Videos a client, employer or collaborator has supplied to you for a defined purpose

Where problems start

Re-uploading someone else's video to another platform, using footage in monetised content without a licence, putting clips in advertisements, or handing out copies to other people are the actions that lead to takedowns, strikes and legal trouble. The act of keeping a file on your own phone is rarely what causes the problem. What you do with it afterwards usually is.

Music needs separate thought

The soundtrack of a video is often licensed separately from the picture. A song that plays inside a clip is typically licensed to the platform for streaming, not to you. Even when the video itself is under an open licence, the music inside it may not be. Check the description for credits, and remember that removing the picture and keeping only the audio does not change who owns the sound.

Platform terms still apply

Each platform's terms of service set their own rules about offline copies, and those rules can be stricter than copyright law. Some platforms offer their own save or download feature for particular videos, and some only allow downloads of your own content. Reading the relevant section of the terms once is faster than dealing with a restricted account later. When the platform has an official download or export, use that first.

A five-question checklist

1. Did I make this video, or do I have the creator's permission to keep it?
2. Is it released under a licence that allows saving and reuse?
3. Does the platform offer an official download or export I can use instead?
4. Does the video contain music, logos or footage that belong to someone else?
5. Will I publish, sell or share it, and if so do I have the right to?

If you cannot answer yes to the first two questions, ask the owner before saving or sharing. A short message is usually all it takes, and many creators say yes.

Credit the creator

If you share something you saved with permission, link back to the original. It costs nothing, keeps views and credit with the person who made the work, and is the difference between reference and appropriation. Our guide to Creative Commons licences shows how to write a correct credit line.

If you are the rights holder

If you believe a page on this site or a file obtained with our tool infringes your rights, contact us through the contact page with the link and a short description. We will look at the request and respond. You can also use the reporting tools of the platform where the video is hosted.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws about copying and about bypassing technical protections differ between countries, so if a project depends on it, check the rules that apply to you.