How to Add Stock Footage & Import Clips to Your Video
You don’t always have the perfect clip — and you don’t need to. Built-in stock libraries and easy import mean you can fill any gap in seconds. Here’s how to add free stock footage and import clips into your video on your phone.
The blank timeline is the hardest part of any edit. Stock footage and quick import solve it: search a library, drop a clip, keep moving. Here’s how to add free stock video and import your own footage into a video on your phone.
Two ways to fill a timeline
Every clip you add comes from one of two places:
- Your own footage — imported from the camera roll.
- Stock — a built-in library of free, ready-to-use photos and video.
A good editor puts both behind the same button, so adding a clip is one tap whether it’s yours or stock.
Tap to add media
Using the built-in stock library
Open the media tool
Tap Video or Image in the toolbar, then switch to the Stock tab.
Search
Type what you need — “sunset”, “city”, “coffee” — and browse thousands of free clips and photos.
Drop it in
Tap a result and it lands on the timeline as a new layer, filling the canvas automatically. Trim and edit like any clip.
Search free photos, or browse by category
Stock is perfect for B-roll (cutaways that cover a jump or illustrate a point), establishing shots, and backgrounds behind text.
B-roll is a secret weapon. Cutting to a relevant stock clip for a second or two hides edits, adds production value, and keeps a talking-head video visually moving. Sprinkle it in wherever the main shot gets static.
Importing your own clips
Your camera-roll footage imports the same way — tap media, pick from your library, and it’s on the timeline. Because everything edits on-device, your footage never uploads; it just moves from your photos into your project.
Build a video entirely from stock
You can make a complete, polished video without shooting a frame: stock B-roll, an animated title, music, and a filter. It’s the fastest way to produce social content at volume — and it pairs naturally with video automation when you want to make many at once.
Where to go next
- Put it all together: Make Your First Video.
- Add titles over your clips: animated text & titles.
- Make many videos from stock: video automation.
Never stare at an empty timeline again. Between your camera roll and a built-in stock library, the right clip is always a search away.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free stock video for my edits?
A good mobile editor includes a built-in stock library (ExpoCut uses a large free catalog of photos and videos) so you can search and drop clips straight onto the timeline without leaving the app or hunting for licenses. You can also import your own footage from the camera roll.
How do I import a video clip into my project?
Tap the media or video tool, then choose from your camera roll or the built-in stock library. The clip drops onto the timeline as a new layer and fills the canvas automatically. Trim it, layer it, and edit like any other clip.
Is stock footage royalty-free?
Built-in stock libraries are typically royalty-free for use in your videos — but always check the specific license for commercial projects. The advantage of an in-app library is that the licensing is handled for you.
Fill your timeline in seconds
A huge built-in library of free stock photos and video, plus easy import — drop a clip and start editing immediately.
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