# How media companies and video archives can license footage to AI companies

URL: https://sellmydatatoai.net/sell-your-data/media-and-video-archives

Media companies and video archive owners can license footage to AI companies where they hold every rights layer in it. Versos reports OpenAI paying $1 to $4 per minute of video and Adobe about $3 per minute. Performers' consents, music, contributor releases and footage licensed in from third parties each need clearing before an archive can be offered.

## Key takeaways

- AI buyers most want these records from media companies and video archives: (1) raw footage and dailies you shot or commissioned, (2) finished programs where you hold all rights layers and (3) shot logs, transcripts and descriptive metadata.
- No AI buyer publishes a price range for media companies and video archives yet, so value depends on volume, years of history, structure and how cleanly the rights can be shown.
- Size buyers look for: Priced by the minute or hour of footage, not by headcount.
- The first rights issue to clear: SAG-AFTRA's 2023 TV/Theatrical terms require performer consent to create and use digital replicas. This page covers 5 more.
- Sellers pay nothing to be assessed. We charge a success fee only when a deal completes, and the fee is agreed in writing before we introduce you to any buyer.

## At a glance

- Records buyers ask for: Raw footage and dailies you shot or commissioned; Finished programs where you hold all rights layers; Shot logs, transcripts and descriptive metadata; Edit decision lists and versions showing how footage was cut; Stock and b-roll libraries with model and property releases; Archive catalogs with descriptions and rights records
- Why buyers want them: Video model developers license footage at scale, and clips paired with transcripts or descriptions give a model both the video and text about it. Versos's list of places to sell video for AI training includes Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Runway, Moonvalley and Synthesia.
- Size buyers look for: Priced by the minute or hour of footage, not by headcount.
- Rights issues: SAG-AFTRA's 2023 TV/Theatrical terms require performer consent to create and use digital replicas; Commissioned footage is a work made for hire only under a signed written agreement; Music in footage is a separate copyright layer, usually licensed for one production; Stock and agency footage cut into programs stays under the agency's license; Scans of face geometry are biometric identifiers under Illinois BIPA; UK and EU: performers' consent under CDPA section 182 for UK productions

Video is one of the few data types with a reported per-minute price. Versos, a video licensing network, reported in February 2026 that OpenAI licenses video directly at $1 to $4 per minute and Adobe at about $3 per minute. An archive of 10,000 hours is 600,000 minutes, so the rights position of each hour matters.

## How much do AI companies pay for video footage?

AI companies pay $1 to $4 per minute for video in OpenAI's case and about $3 per minute in Adobe's, as reported by Versos in February 2026. These are reported figures, not published rate cards, and Versos gives no prices for the other buyers it lists.

Licensing agents work differently. [Troveo](https://sellmydatatoai.net/data-buyers/troveo) acts for rights holders on a revenue share with no fees, uses time-limited licenses and says full-company deals start at six figures, according to ddiy.co's review of buyer sites in October 2026.

| Route | How you are paid | License term |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Direct license to a model developer | Per minute or per hour, as reported by Versos | Negotiated deal by deal |
| Licensing agent such as Troveo | Revenue share, no fees | Time-limited |
| Broker such as Sell My Data To AI | Paid by the buyer, our success fee only on completion | Agreed with each buyer |

## What footage do AI companies want?

AI companies want footage where the rights are clear and each clip can be described. A clip with a transcript, shot log or description gives a model the video and the text about it, which is why archive metadata is worth preparing. Our page on [video training data](https://sellmydatatoai.net/buy-ai-training-data/video-training-data) sets out what buyers check.

Raw dailies can be easier to license than finished programs. They are often free of the music, graphics and archive inserts added in the edit, which cuts the number of rights layers to clear.

## What rights do you need to license video for AI training?

You need every rights layer in the footage, not just ownership of the master. Getphyllo's guide to training data licenses lists per-layer clearance as a requirement, because video contains music, images, performances and trademarks that may each belong to someone different.

### Performers

Union performers' contracts set terms for AI. SAG-AFTRA's summary of its 2023 TV/Theatrical agreement says performers must consent to the creation and use of their digital replicas, with a reasonably specific description of the use, and that the parties will meet regularly to discuss using video and audio recordings to train AI systems. Check what each performer's contract and the applicable union agreement say before licensing footage for training.

### Commissioned programs, music and agency footage

Commissioned footage needs a paper trail. The Copyright Office's Circular 30 lists a part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work among the categories of commissioned work that can be a work made for hire, but only if the parties expressly agree in a signed written instrument. Programs made for a network or streamer may leave some rights with the commissioner, depending on the deal terms.

Music is normally licensed for a specific production and use. Stock and agency footage cut into your programs stays under the agency's license, so it has to be removed or cleared.

### People in the footage

Contributors, interviewees and the public are identifiable in video. Illinois BIPA lists a scan of face geometry as a biometric identifier, though photographs on their own are excluded, so any face analysis run on an archive needs care. Versos advises sellers to hold clear, transferable rights and to include model releases and third-party clearances where needed.

> **Dailies first** If your finished programs carry heavy music and archive clearances, start the [data manifest](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/how-to-build-a-data-manifest) with dailies and b-roll you shot and own outright.

## If you hold UK or EU data

UK productions add performers' rights under [section 182 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/182), where recording a live performance without consent infringes the performer's rights and contract consents may be limited to broadcast. The ICO says images used to uniquely identify a person are biometric data, a special category under UK GDPR.

## How do you license an archive through Sell My Data To AI?

We start with a consultation and a rights pre-check on a sample of the archive. Buyers see redacted samples under a mutual NDA, and full footage moves only after you sign a license directly with the buyer.

Our seller vetting checks ownership, chain of title and third-party content before any buyer sees a frame. Read our guide to [licensing video and audio archives](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/sell-video-and-audio-for-ai-training), or [book a consultation](https://sellmydatatoai.net/book-a-consultation?side=seller).

## Frequently asked questions

### How much is a minute of video worth to AI companies?

A minute of video is worth $1 to $4 to OpenAI and about $3 to Adobe, according to figures Versos reported in February 2026. Those are reported rates for direct licensing, not published price lists. Footage with clear rights, descriptions and transcripts is easier to license than footage with open clearance questions.

### Can we license programs we made for a network or streamer?

You can license commissioned programs only for the rights your deal left with you. Some rights may sit with the network or streamer, and music, archive inserts and performers' consents were usually cleared for the original use. Dailies you shot and own outright are often simpler. Take independent advice on each commission.

### Do performers need to consent to AI training use?

SAG-AFTRA's 2023 TV/Theatrical agreement requires performer consent to create and use digital replicas, and provides for regular meetings on using recordings to train AI. What later uses are allowed depends on each performer's contract. If a contract does not cover licensing for AI training, treat that footage as uncleared until you have legal advice or a new consent.

### Is it better to use a licensing agent or license directly?

A licensing agent such as Troveo takes a revenue share and uses time-limited licenses, while direct licenses are negotiated deal by deal. A broker helps you compare routes and buyers before you commit. Our guide to [marketplaces, brokers and direct deals](https://sellmydatatoai.net/guides/ai-data-marketplaces-compared) sets out the trade-offs.

## Sources

- [Top 10 places to sell your video content for AI training data](https://www.versos.ai/blog/sell-video-content-ai-training-data), Versos, accessed November 2026
- [How to sell company data to AI companies (2026 guide)](https://ddiy.co/sell-company-data-to-ai/), ddiy.co, accessed November 2026
- [Best public data providers for AI training and grounding](https://www.getphyllo.com/post/best-public-data-providers-ai-training-grounding), Getphyllo, accessed November 2026
- [Regulating artificial intelligence: TV/Theatrical 2023](https://sagaftra.org/files/sa_documents/AI%20TVTH.pdf), SAG-AFTRA, accessed November 2026
- [Works made for hire (Circular 30)](https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ30.pdf), US Copyright Office, accessed November 2026
- [Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14/10): definitions](https://lig.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/074000140K10.htm), Illinois General Assembly, accessed November 2026
- [Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 182: consent required for recording of live performance](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/182), legislation.gov.uk, accessed November 2026
- [What is special category data?](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/special-category-data/what-is-special-category-data/), Information Commissioner's Office, accessed November 2026

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