# Premium animations
<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/500b21b1f5-640.webp" alt="Explore Premium tab with search, Premium tab selection, and Premium animation results highlighted" caption="Premium search scopes results to curated Premium animations" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/500b21b1f5-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/500b21b1f5-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/500b21b1f5-1920.webp 1920w" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAFCAYAAAB4ka1VAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAlElEQVR4nGPwjUj5b+cR8F/b0Oy/pr7xf3U9o/82/uH/QeK+ESn/GEAME9/I/0qWjv+lDC3/i+ub/9cLSf5vmdf83ysm+z9YQVFz7/8jxy7/v/f8xf+Dp6/9T2nqAytwSSyGKEirbP6/9+CR/5tvPf2/bf/h/8kldTArIAqyqpv/Hzl24v+N2w//r9u++39SUS3cDQA3E1wzkGDG9gAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" />

The Premium tab in Explore surfaces curated, professionally produced Lottie animations available under a separate license. This page covers what's in the Premium library, how it differs from the free public content, and what to know before importing a Premium animation into client work.

## How to access this

1. Open the LottieFiles plugin in After Effects.
2. Click **Explore** in the top tab bar.
3. Click the **Premium** tab.

## What's in Premium

Premium animations are produced or curated by LottieFiles and partners, organized into themed collections. Browsing is similar to the Free tab — search, scroll, preview — but the inventory is smaller and more polished, oriented toward production-ready use.

{/* [needs review] confirm exact collection structure: by category? by curator? */}

## Licensing

Premium animations are licensed for commercial use under the LottieFiles Premium plan. The terms differ from the free public library:

- **Free public animations** — license varies by creator. Many use Creative Commons (with or without attribution); some are royalty-free; some have creator-specific terms. Always check the license on the individual animation's page before commercial use.
- **Premium animations** — included with a Premium subscription; commercial use covered.

Always check the license details on the animation's preview page before shipping in client work. The plugin's preview surfaces license information when applicable. {/* [needs review] confirm where license info appears in plugin preview */}

<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/0ec0b0b2a4-640.webp" alt="Premium animation preview with the Premium insert action highlighted" caption="Premium animations must be saved to a workspace or unlocked before insertion" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/0ec0b0b2a4-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/0ec0b0b2a4-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/0ec0b0b2a4-1920.webp 1920w" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAFCAYAAAB4ka1VAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAXElEQVR4nGPwjUj5D8JWTh7/jawc/ps6eYL5UPyPAcZZtW7T/yUr1/xfsWY9soL/cAVPnj3/v3jR0f8PHz/HrqC1b8L/tp6J/5u7erArMAgK+68XFv3fMDgcxQ0AkytYxQy/G6QAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" />

## Tips for motion/product designers

- **Use Premium for hero animations**, free library for utility (loading, success indicators, micro-interactions). Premium content is denser and more brand-distinctive — overusing it makes interfaces feel busy.
- **Preview the Lottie in your destination runtime before committing.** Premium animations sometimes use newer Lottie features that older runtimes don't support — run them through the [Feature checker](/en/integrations/after-effects/08_feature-checker) first.
- **Save before editing.** When you customise a Premium animation, save the original to your workspace so you can fall back if changes go wrong.

## Related

- [Finding animations](/en/integrations/after-effects/02_explore/finding-animations) — search and browse mechanics.
- [Previewing and importing](/en/integrations/after-effects/02_explore/previewing-and-importing) — the insertion flow.
- [Feature checker](/en/integrations/after-effects/08_feature-checker) — verify runtime compatibility before shipping.