The Internet Archive was founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle with the stated aim of providing universal access to all knowledge, which sounded grandiose at the time and has turned out to be a reasonable description of what it does. It is a registered non-profit library, and in several jurisdictions it holds formal library status.
Most people meet it through the Wayback Machine, which has preserved hundreds of billions of web pages since the mid-nineties, but the moving image collections are enormous in their own right. Public domain feature films, government and educational films, early television, newsreels, concert recordings taped with the artists' permission, and the whole of the Prelinger archive sit there freely.
What makes this page different from every other one on this site is that there is no tension to navigate. The Archive is not a platform tolerating downloads — it is a library that exists specifically so people can take copies, and it publishes download links on every item page itself.
Why the Archive is a special case
It wants you to download. Every item page carries its own download options in multiple formats, put there deliberately. Nothing here works around anything, and if the Archive's own links suit you, they are the better route.
The material is genuinely free to keep. Public domain film has no remaining copyright, openly licensed material carries explicit permission, and the Live Music Archive holds concert recordings that the artists specifically allowed to be traded and copied.
And it is a non-profit running on donations rather than advertising, which is worth knowing if you find yourself using it a great deal. It is the rare case where the ethical question is simply whether you might chip in.
Saving an item from the Archive
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1
Copy the item address
Take the archive.org/details address from your browser. Each item has its own page, and that page address is what you want rather than a link to a collection.
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2
Put the item link in the box above
Paste it into the field at the top of this page, which begins reading it at once.
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3
Pick a format and size
Archive items frequently offer several formats of the same film, from a small compressed copy to something close to the original scan, each with its size listed. The differences here are larger than on a streaming platform.
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4
Take your copy
Tap the row when it turns blue. Downloads on Android, the Files app on an iPhone, or a computer for the larger files.
What the collections actually hold
The moving image side of the Archive is far broader than most people realise, and the rights position differs between collections.
Public domain, open licence and everything else
Public domain film — anything whose copyright has expired or was never properly secured — is free for any use at all, including commercial. A surprising number of well-known films fell into this category through failures to renew registration.
Openly licensed material carries a Creative Commons licence stating exactly what you may do, and the Live Music Archive holds recordings uploaded under bands' own taping policies. A smaller amount of material sits under lending restrictions, which works like a library loan and is not downloadable.
Each item page states its rights position plainly, which is more than almost any other site manages. It is worth a glance before reusing something, though for personal viewing the question rarely arises.
Archive.org download questions
Am I allowed to download from Archive.org?
Yes, without qualification for public domain and openly licensed material. The Archive is a library that publishes download links itself precisely so people can take copies.
Why use this page rather than the Archive's own links?
Often you should use theirs — they are right on the item page and offer more formats. This is simply convenient when you want the file without navigating the options.
What is the Prelinger archive?
A collection of ephemeral film: advertising, educational and industrial movies from the twentieth century, made freely available and widely used by film-makers as stock footage.
Can I use Archive footage in my own work?
For public domain material, yes, including commercially. For openly licensed items, check the licence on the page, which will say exactly what is permitted.
Why are there so many versions of one film?
The Archive keeps the original scan plus derived copies at various sizes. The large ones can be several gigabytes and the small ones a few hundred megabytes.
What is the Live Music Archive?
Concert recordings uploaded under the taping policies of bands who permit their shows to be recorded and shared. The Grateful Dead collection alone runs to thousands of shows.
Can I download a lending library book or film?
No. Controlled digital lending works like a library loan and is deliberately time-limited.
Where does the Archive.org file save?
Downloads on Android, the Files app on an iPhone, or the usual folder on a computer. Large items are much easier on a computer.
Is the Archive free to use?
Yes. It is a non-profit funded by donations, and if you use it regularly it is genuinely worth supporting.
Can I download a whole collection at once?
Not from here — each item needs its own address. The Archive provides command line tools for bulk work, which is the right approach for that.