StoryBlocks

What StoryBlocks does

Storyblocks, operated by Footage Firm, Inc. and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is a subscription-based stock media platform founded in 2009 that offers unlimited downloads of human-made video footage, audio (music and sound effects), motion-graphics templates, and images to content creators, YouTubers, small businesses, agencies, and enterprise teams. The platform's catalog exceeds 6 million assets with new content added daily, and it operates a strict no-AI-content policy for its core library while differentiating through curated diversity via the Re:Stock initiative (25+ collections featuring BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Indigenous, and women creators) and an exclusive Storyblocks Label music catalog of 1,800 tracks distributed across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

The technical architecture is a cloud-based media platform hosted on AWS (us-east-1, multi-AZ) with native plugin integrations for Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects and a browser-based Maker video editor. In November 2025, Storyblocks expanded its AI Toolkit to include conversational search powered by Anthropic Claude, AI voiceover and voice cloning via ElevenLabs, and AI video editing via Runway's Aleph model — all delivered under a credit-based consumption layer on top of fixed subscriptions.

The business model is predominantly recurring subscription revenue (Individual, Small Business, and Business tiers priced from $1.49 to $29.99/month) with usage-based AI credits renewing on 30-day cycles, supplemented by enterprise Storyblocks for Business subscriptions (SSO/SAML, team management), a public API for programmatic access, and Data Licensing for commercial use of metadata and assets. Go-to-market is hybrid: product-led growth for individuals and SMBs via storyblocks.com, enterprise field sales for larger organizations, and channel partnerships through Adobe, social platforms, and music streamers. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional ownership or subsidiaries and has raised approximately $18.5M across a 2012 Series A led by Updata Partners (with QED Investors) and a 2015 round from North Atlantic Capital.

Name

StoryBlocks

Legal name

Footage Firm, Inc.

Website

https://www.storyblocks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Storyblocks is a subscription-based stock media platform offering unlimited downloads of human-made video, audio, templates, and images to content creators, small businesses, and enterprises, distributed via its website, Adobe plugin, and AI-powered creative tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stock Media Subscription

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Stock Media, Asset Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (BPAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Stock media subscription
• Royalty-free video footage
• Creative asset library
• Video template marketplace
• Stock music platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Subscription Plans: Core revenue stream from subscription plans offering unlimited downloads of stock media content including video, templates, audio, and images. Plans include AI toolkit access with credit-based usage.
2. License Tiers: Multiple license tiers (Individual, Small Business, Business) providing different usage rights and commercial clearance levels for subscribers.
3. Storyblocks for Business: Enterprise team subscriptions with SSO, team management, and dedicated customer success for larger organizations.
4. API Access: Data licensing and API access for enterprise customers requiring programmatic integration with the Storyblocks content library.
5. AI Toolkit Credits: Credit-based consumption system for AI features including video editing, voiceover, and voice cloning with tiered allocation based on subscription level.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Storyblocks operates a subscription-based stock media platform offering unlimited downloads of human-made video footage, audio (music and sound effects), motion graphics templates, and images. The platform is complemented by AI-powered creative tools including AI Voiceover by ElevenLabs, AI Video Editing by Runway, and conversational search powered by Anthropic Claude, along with a browser-based video editor (Maker) and Adobe Creative Cloud plugin integration.

Product overview

Storyblocks operates as an all-in-one stock media subscription platform offering unlimited downloads of video footage, audio (music and sound effects), templates, and images through a unified subscription model. The platform's core offering is the Storyblocks Subscription, complemented by the AI Toolkit (featuring AI Voiceover by ElevenLabs, AI Video Editing by Runway, and conversational search by Anthropic Claude), the Maker browser-based video editor, and the Adobe Creative Cloud Plugin for Premiere Pro and After Effects. Specialized offerings include Re:Stock (diverse underrepresented community footage collections) and Storyblocks Label (exclusive music available across social and streaming platforms). Enterprise solutions include Storyblocks for Business with SSO and team management, the Storyblocks API for programmatic access, and Data Licensing. The platform maintains strict human-only content policy with no AI-generated assets in the library.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Storyblocks Subscription

Quantifiable outcome

• Royalty-free commercial licensing eliminates ongoing per-use fees
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• ElevenLabscoreTechnology or Integration · 19 November 2025ElevenLabs provides AI voiceover technology powering Storyblocks AI Toolkit, enabling instant narration generation with authentic artist voices or core AI voices for video content creation.
• RunwaycoreTechnology or Integration · 19 November 2025Runway's Aleph model powers AI Video Editing in Storyblocks toolkit, allowing users to customize footage clips using text prompts for faster video production workflows.
• Anthropic (Claude)coreTechnology or IntegrationClaude AI assistant by Anthropic powers conversational search functionality in Storyblocks, enabling natural language queries for library content discovery beyond keyword-based search.
• Adobe Creative CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationAdobe Creative Cloud plugin integration allows Storyblocks library access directly within Premiere Pro and After Effects, enabling browse, search, and download without leaving the editing environment.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary cloud infrastructure provider hosting Storyblocks services across multiple availability zones in us-east-1 for platform reliability and performance.
• TikTokcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoryblocks Label music available directly in TikTok music library for streamlined video publishing without separate music file uploads.
• YouTubecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoryblocks Label music available in YouTube music library, enabling creators to add music to videos more easily.
• InstagramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoryblocks Label music distributed through Instagram music library for Reels and video content creation.
• FacebookcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoryblocks Label music available in Facebook music library for video content publishing.
• SpotifysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoryblocks Label music available on Spotify for discovery and playlist creation.
• Apple MusicsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoryblocks Label music available on Apple Music for streaming and discovery.
• YouTube MusicsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStoryblocks Label music available on YouTube Music for streaming and discovery.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Freepik: Stock photo, vector, video, and PSD marketplace with freemium and subscription tiers. Competes with Storyblocks on stock imagery and increasingly on video, especially for SMB and creator segments.
• Motion Array: Subscription platform for video templates, stock footage, music, and After Effects/Premiere Pro assets. Directly comparable to Storyblocks' template-and-footage subscription bundle for video creators.
• Artlist: Subscription-based royalty-free music and stock footage platform focused on filmmakers and video creators. Directly comparable on unlimited music licensing model and high-quality curated libraries.
• Shutterstock: Public, large-scale stock media platform offering video, image, and audio footage via subscription and on-demand licensing. Direct competitor to Storyblocks' unlimited subscription model with a much larger library and enterprise presence.
• Pexels: Free stock photo and video platform (owned by Canva). Competes with Storyblocks on price-sensitive creator segment with a no-cost alternative; pushes Storyblocks to justify its paid unlimited value.
• Getty Images: Premium stock photo, video, and music marketplace with iStock for budget tier. Competes with Storyblocks in stock video and editorial footage for enterprise and creative professional segments.
• Pond5: Stock video, audio, and effects marketplace (now part of Shutterstock). Competes with Storyblocks on footage licensing, particularly for professional video producers and agencies.
• Artgrid: Premium stock footage subscription from the Artlist family, offering cinematic video for filmmakers and agencies. Closely comparable to Storyblocks on unlimited high-quality stock footage for video professionals.
• Adobe Stock: Stock media service bundled with Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, providing video, image, and template assets. Directly comparable to Storyblocks on creative assets and is a structural competitor via Adobe's Premiere/After Effects installed base.
• Envato Elements: Unlimited subscription download service for stock video, audio, templates, graphics, and fonts. Closest direct peer to Storyblocks on the unlimited subscription value proposition across mixed asset categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StoryblocksCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/storyblocks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/storyblocks

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about StoryBlocks