IMDb began in 1990 as a set of scripts posted to a Usenet film discussion group by Col Needham, who had been keeping a private list of actors and the films they appeared in. It moved to the web in 1993, ran for several years as a volunteer project, and was bought by Amazon in 1998 — one of that company's earliest acquisitions.
It became the authoritative reference for film and television, in the sense that its identifiers are used across the industry as the canonical way of referring to a title or a person. Very few community projects from that era survived at all, let alone became infrastructure.
Alongside the database it carries a substantial video library: trailers, teasers, featurettes, interviews and behind-the-scenes material supplied by studios. Almost all of it is promotional, which makes the rights position unusually relaxed — a trailer exists specifically to be spread.
Saving an IMDb trailer
-
1
Copy the IMDb video address
Take the imdb.com address from your browser. It will contain a video identifier beginning with vi, rather than the title identifier beginning with tt.
-
2
Consign the address to the box above
Paste it into the field at the top of this page, which starts reading it immediately.
-
3
Take the IMDb resolution
Trailers are usually offered at several resolutions with their file sizes listed, frequently up to 1080p.
-
4
Store the trailer
Tap the row when it turns blue. Downloads on Android, the Files app on an iPhone.
Promotional video is a different case
Most of the caution that applies elsewhere on this site is about material somebody would rather you did not copy. A trailer is the opposite of that.
| Kind of video | Purpose | Position on sharing |
|---|---|---|
| Trailer | To make you watch the film | Studios want it everywhere |
| Teaser | Same, earlier | Same |
| Featurette | Promotional interest | Generally encouraged |
| Interview clip | Publicity | Usually fine |
| The film itself | Not on IMDb | That is a paid product elsewhere |
IMDb does not host films. The database points at where you can watch or buy them, and Amazon's own service is a separate product from the reference site, so there is no feature film here to save in any case.
Why people save IMDb video
Trailers come down. Promotional material is rotated and removed as campaigns end, and a teaser from an earlier stage of a production frequently disappears once the final trailer arrives.
People building things need them. Anyone making a presentation, a film club programme, a review video or a class discussion wants the file rather than a dependency on a website loading.
And film enthusiasts archive. Trailers are a genuine part of film history, and earlier versions of a campaign are often more interesting than whatever the studio settled on.
IMDb download questions
Can I download a film from IMDb?
No, because IMDb does not host films. It is a reference database that points at where titles can be watched or bought.
Which address should I use?
The video page, whose address contains an identifier beginning with vi. A title page beginning with tt is the film's entry rather than a video.
What quality are the trailers?
Frequently up to 1080p, since studios supply them at good quality for promotional purposes.
Is it alright to save trailers?
This is one of the easier cases on this site. A trailer exists to be spread as widely as possible, which is the whole point of making one.
Can I use a trailer in my own video?
Reviews and commentary generally have latitude under fair dealing and fair use, though it varies by country. Studios are far more relaxed about trailers than about the films themselves.
Do interview and featurette clips work too?
Yes, they behave like trailers and are equally promotional.
Where does the IMDb file save?
Downloads on Android, the Files app on an iPhone.
Why has a trailer disappeared?
Promotional material is rotated as campaigns progress. Earlier teasers frequently come down once the main trailer is released.
Is there a IMDb limit?
No cap and no queue.
Does Amazon owning IMDb change anything?
Not for the reference site. Prime Video is a separate product, and its films are a paid service rather than part of the database.