Storyblocks Reviews 

Franco was extremely helpful!

We need to see human support team members like him be more valued. The AI chatbot helper is incredibly unhelpful and frustrating to use.

Bot reply for a week and then finally a human service rep hopped on. No surprise - the human was helpful and got it sorted for me in now time.

**Decent B-Roll, but the Music Licensing Issues Are a Deal-Breaker**

I purchased Storyblocks to help produce my YouTube travel videos. While they have a decent selection of B-roll footage, I would describe the overall service as average, especially considering the cost.

My biggest disappointment is the music licensing. I purchased their audio package specifically so I could use music in my YouTube videos without copyright headaches. Instead, virtually every video I've produced has received copyright claims. I linked my YouTube channel to Storyblocks over two weeks ago, and the issues still haven't been resolved.

I understand that automated copyright claims happen, but when you're paying for licensed music, you shouldn't have to spend additional time dealing with claims on every video. It's frustrating and defeats the purpose of paying for the service.

The other issue is the annual commitment. If you're just kicking the tires to see whether Storyblocks meets your needs, it's an expensive way to discover that the service is fairly average. The B-roll is useful, but not exceptional enough to outweigh the licensing headaches and cost.

**My advice:** Be cautious before committing to an annual subscription. Make sure the content library meets your needs, and understand that having a music license doesn't necessarily mean a hassle-free experience on YouTube.

For me, the music issues are a deal-breaker. I expected a service that would make video production easier, not create more work.

Been a long time SB user for years. Other than a few copyright claims on S/M channels (even though I have full license), they've been decent....until now. Their new AI search assist is awful. It suggests other concepts to search for based on what you are searching. Which would be fine if it didn't take an eternity to do. It significantly slows the search process, not helps it. When I suggested to customer service that the new AI assist doesn't help, the AI customer service rep told me to unsubscribe if I'm unhappy with it. Wtf? Which is what I plan to do now. Secondarily, their footage is starting to look really dated and there's more and more of it seemingly from Eastern Europe than before. Which would be fine if I was over there. But it looks decidedly out of place for professionals who have videos intended for North American audiences. I feel like SB has lost significant ground to other libraries. I'll be taking their AI customer service bot's advice.

Customer service was very understanding, responded quickly, and took action immediately to resolve my issue.

I’ve been a subscriber to Storyblocks since 2014. In the early days, I loved everything about them: their asset quality was top-notch, customer service was helpful, and they were genuinely a great company to work with. Unfortunately, that changed after their rebranding in September 2017.

Every single year since 2017, it feels like they find a new reason to force me off the plan I’m currently on. On top of that, basic account management is a constant hassle. The website is so glitchy that I run into issues every single year just trying to access my account to update my credit card information. Finding clear answers on their site is frustrating, and when you do reach out for support, the representatives usually just repeat the same confusing text word-for-word from the website.

This year was the final straw. They are forcing me to upgrade to a Solo Business plan simply because I operate as a solo-member LLC to protect my personal information. I am a 1099 freelancer, and I am the only person in my company who uses these assets to advertise my own services. I don’t need the AI tools tacked onto the higher tier; I only need audioblocks and YouTube coverage.

When I tried to compare my current plan against the recommended Business plan, the site attempted to automatically charge the credit card I have on file just because I clicked to view the comparison page. When I backed out, it trapped me in an endless popup loop telling me to upgrade. When I finally reached a live representative, Tifara, she picked and chose which questions to answer, ignoring the rest and simply quoting the website text back to me.

To make matters worse, the asset quality itself has gone downhill since 2014. The main reason I stayed with them for so long despite these headaches was that, up until now, they hadn't forced me onto a plan packed with unnecessary features. I just need reliable music, sound effects, and a simple way to prove I have the licensing rights to use them.

Forcing an extra $187 price increase and pushing unnecessary features on a solo creator just because I have a business TAX ID is unreasonable. I am still the sole user, and I am actively looking for alternative solutions that actually value long-term users.

Great customer service. Fixed an issue right away. The AI chat that started the process was surprisingly good too!

Franco at Storyblocks makes things happen. Great person!

Very limited library - but premium cost. After spending 360 bucks on a year subscription I found that they really don't have very much video content. If I search for specific places in switzerland, nothing pops up. However, on Envato Elements there are lots of options. Not worth the money.

When asking for a refund, I am just getting their AI bot

Franco was amazing and achieved what I was after in very short steps. I love the company and will use them again in the future because of the excellent care they give to their consumers.

I've been working with SB music tracks, SFX and using the images on multiple projects over the years. Makes the project so much more quick and manageable when needed a track or video image. Compared to other providers its the best value for sure and always great quality.

A lot of stock but they are charging extra for anything else like sound. Ridiculous. Avoid

Quick response and clear communication.

A few pieces of music that I used on one of my YouTube videos were flagged by a claimant, even though they should not have been. The Storyblocks' rep was very helpful in getting the matter taken care of right away.

Happy with the unlimited video source platform.

I have been with Storyblocks for many years and it has always been a fantastic experience. The staff with Franco especially is always helpful, and they recently supported me by accommodating my request. Thank you very much Franco!!

The representative, Franco, quickly resolved the issue with my account credits

Franco was super helpful and knowledgeable and I appreciate the lengths he went to, to keep me as a customer.

While signing into Storyblocks, I had accidentally signed up for a year subscription when I was just wanting a monthly subscription, I emailed them close to the end of the business day, and they had prompt attention to this matter and I had the proper funds back in my account before 7:30am the next morning. I just want to share how grateful and how easy it was to work with their staff. Not to mention how much I enjoy their product. Great video, great audio, and I haven't even tried out their AI tools yet!! Thank you again storyblocks!!!

purchased the wrong package and was able to get a refund as soon as they open on monday.