Who owns the footage, and what should a video contract include?

Copyright and licence: the plain version

Copyright is the underlying legal ownership of the footage, and in most countries it sits with whoever created the work, the videographer, unless it's specifically transferred. What you're buying isn't usually the copyright itself, it's a licence: permission to use the finished video in the ways agreed. This is standard practice across the industry and doesn't need to worry you, the point is making sure the licence you're given actually covers everything you plan to do with the video. Rules differ between countries and can depend on whether you're a business or an individual, so for a high-value or complex project, a quick check with a local solicitor is worth more than relying on general guidance like this.

Why you usually don't get the raw footage

Most videographers deliver the finished, edited video and keep the raw files rather than handing them over. There are practical reasons: raw footage from a professional camera is often unordered, unedited and enormous in file size, genuinely not useful without editing software and hours of work. It's also how a videographer protects their own editing style from being reused or altered by someone else. If you specifically want the raw files, for example a large company with its own edit team, ask before booking, it's something to agree in the contract rather than after filming.

There's also a difference between keeping the raw footage and archiving the finished project. Ask whether the videographer keeps a copy of your finished video after delivery, in case you ever lose your own copy, and for how long. Not everyone keeps projects indefinitely, so if that matters to you, ask for it in writing rather than assuming it's covered.

What a good contract should include

Get these points written down before the deposit goes over:

• Deliverables: exactly what you'll receive, length, formats (widescreen, vertical), and how many versions
• Changes: how many rounds are included and what happens beyond that
• Deposit and payment: how much, and when the balance is due
• Cancellation: what happens if either side needs to cancel or reschedule, and by when
• Delivery date: a clear date, not “a few weeks”
• Usage rights: exactly where you can use the video, website, social media, paid ads
• Music: whether a licensed track is included and what it covers

Using the video in ads and across every channel

This is the point most often missed. A licence that covers your website and organic social media doesn't automatically cover paid advertising, and music cleared for one use isn't automatically cleared for another. If you know you'll want to boost the video as a paid ad, or use it in a pitch deck, on a trade stand screen, or anywhere beyond the original plan, say so before the contract is signed. Adding it later is usually possible but easier to agree upfront. I cover the music side specifically in what music you can legally use in business videos.

If the business changes hands or rebrands

It's worth thinking a step ahead too. If you sell the business, rebrand, or the video features a product line you later discontinue, check what your licence says about transferring usage rights to a new owner, and whether there's any time limit on how long you can use the video at all. Most licences for a standard business video are open-ended, but it's a fair question to ask rather than assume, particularly if the sale of the business itself is part of the plan.

When to get legal advice

For most straightforward business videos, a clear written contract covering the points above is enough, and a good videographer will already work this way. For anything higher value, a longer usage term, exclusivity, or footage that will be resold or licensed to someone else, it's worth having a solicitor look at the contract before you sign. It's a small cost against the value of avoiding a dispute later.

What my own contracts cover

I keep my terms simple and public: a fixed quote, a 50% deposit to book, two rounds of changes included, and clear delivery dates, all set out before filming starts. If you want to talk through usage rights for a specific project, get in touch through the contact page and I'll answer plainly before you commit to anything.