Explore five crucial features each API video footage site must have to deliver a good experience. Find the best API site that aligns with your needs.

3 Best Video API Platforms to Integrate into Your Website and App

There’s no doubt that APIs have changed website functionality for the better, especially when it comes to displaying videos, animations, and other visual content. API integration for video footage sourcing is helpful because it streamlines content production, editing, and customization. But how can you find a good API that provides high-quality footage and automation for a fair price and perfectly aligns with your goals? These are good thoughts to ponder; luckily, you’ve come to the right place.

Read on to discover the top features of a remarkable tool alongside the best API for martech companies that will help you improve your website and drive sustained growth.

5 essential features of APIs with video footage 

In your opinion, what functions must your ideal API perform? Is it providing high-quality videos to people using your web page or app or describing a new product line? Whatever it is, a solid stock video footage API must have some features, including the following:

1. Clear licensing. Given that you plan on relying on visual content from a third-party tool, you must ensure its licensing is detailed and crystal clear. Otherwise, you can face legal consequences. No matter the platform you want to cooperate with, prioritize their licensing terms. 
2. Efficient search capabilities. A platform must have advanced search algorithms to ensure the most relevant content appears on your website. Whether scene-based search for precise clip selection or AI-powered mechanisms, ensure an understanding of how content is selected and tailored.
3. Functional editing tools and creative extras. A good stock video API usually provides additional tools for customization, both general and video-specific. Evaluate which ones would be relevant to your long-term goals. Examples are built-in transitions, color grading, templates, AI-driven animations, and voiceovers.
4. Well-trained and secure AI. AI is now a necessity, but it must be responsible AI. Try finding more information on how models were trained and whether they are GDPR/CCPA compliant. Also, check if the AI has nifty features like background removal and object replacement, recommendations, industry trends, etc.
5. Good integration. A robust API should integrate with your existing infrastructure (e.g., website, mobile app, or content management system). It must support multiple programming languages, be transparent, offer customer support, and allow for easy and safe embedding, among other things.

The must-have features list can be limitless, depending on your preferences, requirements, and budget. But these five are the basics, and if you find a tool that meets all these parameters, the chances are it will also meet other requirements you might have. So, is there such a tool? The short answer is yes, and not just one. Below are the three best stock video footage APIs for seamless integration. 

3 best video APIs to integrate your web page with

#1 Creative Suite API by Depositphotos and VistaCreate – Outstanding stock video footage collection

Creative Suite API is one of the best stock video footage providers. Besides getting what you’re here for—stock videos and immersive footage—this API does much more than that. Apart from getting access to cinematic shots, aerial drone footage, and industry-specific clips, it offers images and illustrations ideal for any social media and ad campaign. You can pair them with videos to make a lasting impression. And if you want to personalize any content, the API includes a graphic editor by VistaCreate. You can use it to customize any visual—whether static or animated—however you prefer, from cutting unwanted parts of the video out to creating and adding your logo to an image. 

The Creative Suite API guarantees the highest possible quality and relevance of animated content featured on your website. Seamless API requests and the programming algorithms behind secure automatic verification of usage rights, thus ensuring full compliance. The tool delivers files in various resolutions, so you can rest assured that the videos displayed on your page or app are impressive and framed according to required dimensions without human intervention.

Other features Creative Suite API stands out in include:

• Advanced search engine where your users can find any stock content their hearts desire in an instant;
• White-label content to customize files according to your creative endeavors;
• Custom API endpoints that help fine-tune integration for specific needs;
• AI-powered feature set, generating from scratch or elevating existing visuals to a new level.

#2 Pexels API – Free stock video platform for beginners

Pexels provides free stock video API access to files contributed by global creators. While it doesn’t stand close to the Creative Suite API in video quantity, quality, and additional features, it’s a good tool if you don’t know where to start or are simply looking for a one-time solution. An obvious benefit is that it’s free to use, so even a relatively small collection of available videos looks like a solid bargain. 

In addition to these, Pexels AI is a good choice because of these features:

• Most videos can be used freely without crediting authors;
• The API is based on a RESTful JSON architecture, securing easy integration;
• Despite 20,000 API requests per month, limits can be lifted free of charge;
• Overall quality is satisfactory, especially considering the tool is free.

#3 Alamy API – Versatile video library with integration ease

Despite the industry’s rapid growth, Alamy API remains a reliable option for businesses needing licensed stock videos. The stock’s main upside lies in its diverse video and footage collection, including editorial and hard-to-find niche content, often available to certain locations like the UK and Ireland. Alamy API is tier-based, offering free and premium content that integrates into various systems quite well, but not without a few drawbacks. 

The API’s search accuracy tends to be inconsistent, sometimes failing to return the most relevant results. Plus, tight request limits can be too restrictive for businesses with high-volume content needs. Although this might not be your concern, other things could be, so it pays to check out their documentation and other aspects of your interest.

Its key features are:

• Accurate video footage previews;
• Significant video archive with news, nature, lifestyle, and history;
• Enriched metadata for better categorization;
• Diverse geo-specific content access.

Bottom line

As you strive to select the best video API, it’s important to remain careful when evaluating features, pricing, and integration capabilities. Each of the provided tools has its unique, strong sides, so don’t hesitate to check them all to see which one best aligns with your business goals. With a well-integrated video footage API provider, your web page or app can deliver dynamic and engaging visual content, converting more visitors into frequent and, more importantly, loyal customers.