If you are new to the Catch+Release platform, you can follow these steps to discover content, collaborate with your team, request clearance, and purchase licenses without needing live support.
Before you begin
To license content, you will need a Catch+Release account and access to the correct workspace (your Team, if applicable). If you have not yet created an account, start here: How do I create a Catch+Release account?
1. Find shots in the Creator Marketplace
The Creator Marketplace is the fastest place to start. It includes content from creators who have expressed interest in licensing their work and participating in the Catch+Release licensing model. While permission is still required for each specific use, these creators tend to be more responsive and familiar with the process, which helps projects move more efficiently.
To browse:
Use the search bar to explore by mood, activity, location, or visual style
Filter by photo or video, and by source platform if needed
Click into a shot to view details, explore the creator’s profile, or find similar content
You can save any shot you like directly from search or from the shot detail view.
2. Save shots to a project (and create a new project if needed)
Projects are where all work happens in Catch+Release. They hold your shots, usage details, clearance activity, and licenses.
When you click Save on a shot:
If you already have a project, select it from the list
If not, you will be prompted to create a new project and name it
Projects act as the central hub for each campaign and make it easy to organize, review, and license content in one place. For more detail, see How do I create a project?
3. Share the project with colleagues
Collaboration is built into every project. You can share a project with teammates or invite collaborators to review content without giving full workspace access.
From inside a project:
Click Share
Add team members or collaborators by email
Choose whether they can view or collaborate
Team members can see all projects in the Team workspace. Collaborators only see the projects explicitly shared with them. For more information, see How do I add a Collaborator? and How do I create and manage a team?
4. Review a shot and understand what you’re seeing
Once a shot is saved to a project, you’ll have access to additional information that helps you decide what to move forward with.
Within a project, you can:
View the shot source and preview
See whether a high-resolution file is available or if the asset is comp-only
Check the Confidence Rating, which gives an early signal of how likely the shot is to clear
Add notes, comments, or hearts for internal alignment
Download comps for review or presentation
You can view all shots and their details in Shots view, Table view, or the Tracker, depending on how you prefer to work.
5. Add usage details and submit for clearance
To license content, you must define how it will be used. Usage details tell creators what you are asking permission for and allow us to estimate pricing and clearance timing.
From your project:
Click Add details for estimate on a shot
Create a new Usage or apply an existing one
Enter details such as media type, territory, term, and clearance deadline
Add timecodes for video whenever possible to keep costs down and speed up clearance
Add the shot to your cart and complete checkout
Completing checkout submits the shot for clearance, but no payment is collected at this stage. Content from the Creator Marketplace has no upfront clearance fee. Content sourced elsewhere incurs a $250 per-shot clearance fee. See How do I set up a Usage? and How to request clearance for step-by-step guidance.
6. Monitor clearance progress
Once a shot is in clearance, you can track progress in real time.
You can monitor clearance by:
Visiting the Tracker tab in your project
Filtering by status such as Active, At Risk, Ready to License, or Cannot License
Reviewing time-to-clear estimates and last updated timestamps
Clicking into any shot to see detailed activity and notes
You will also receive email updates as clearance progresses. For a full breakdown, see Where do I view shot activity?
7. Purchase licenses when shots are ready
When a shot reaches Ready to License, it means all required permissions have been secured and the content is available for purchase.
To purchase:
Navigate to your project or the Tracker
Filter for shots marked Ready to License
Click Purchase License to add the shot to your cart
Review pricing and usage details
Complete checkout
Once purchased, you can download the licensed high-resolution asset, if available, and begin using it according to your approved rights. More detail is available in How do I purchase a License?
8. Payment and PO submission
Catch+Release does not collect payment directly through the platform.
During checkout, you can:
Enter a Purchase Order number if available
Complete checkout to confirm your license purchase
If a PO is not available at the time of checkout, you can add it later. Our team will follow up to collect billing details and finalize payment outside of the platform.
At any time, you can download a Cost CSV from the Project Overview page to see a running total of all licensed shots and purchases to date. This is helpful for internal tracking, budget reconciliation, and sharing totals with finance or production teams.
Final tips for successful self-serve projects
Save content early to unlock insights like Confidence Ratings and pricing estimates
Add backup shots in case clearance timelines change
Use timecodes for video to reduce cost and speed clearance
Share projects early to keep stakeholders aligned
If you need help, our team is happy to jump in. You can always reach us at success@catchandrelease.com.