DREAMSTIME Earnings rating 15,5 Top Tier really ???

[enstoker]

DREAMSTIME Earnings rating  15,5
Top Tier, ha ha

Not for me and my stock friends.
Since June are DLs dooown.
 

[estike]

May, June totally down. Since July average again, but never Top Tier for me.

[Pauws99]

Dreamstime has plummeted for me lately - they were top 4 for me the downward spiral seems to have started in May lets hope their customers have long summer holidays 

[cuppacoffee]

This was just stated in the forums by Achilles in reply to a poster who was complaining that he/she didn't like their upload system because he/she couldn't upload and watch movies on his computer at the same time. He was so upset he said he wasn't going to upload to them first. http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_35454

"Nevertheless, Dreamstime has the second largest user database in the world."

[Beppe Grillo]

Dreamstime is, and has always been, the 4th for me.
But the gap between the first (Shutterstock) and the following is greater each month.

[Mantis]

Dreamstime is, and has always been, the 4th for me.
But the gap between the first (Shutterstock) and the following is greater each month.

Same here.  It has gone down 20% for me but Deposit Photos is catching up.  I am on track to make over $100 at DP again this month. I don't know what's going on at DT, I have never had increased commissions sine getting 1,000 image son line, now I have almost 3000.  Sales are always in a small range.  Some, however, do better and grow with their uploads.  Probably a specific look for a more tailored buyer base perhaps.

[tickstock]

15.5 means that the average contributor here that contributes to Dreamstime is making less than $80 per month.  It may be 'top tier' but $80 per month is nowhere near top tier in my book.

[BaldricksTrousers]

Solidly in the top three for me (I don't do Fotolia).

[leaf]

15.5 means that the average contributor here that contributes to Dreamstime is making less than $80 per month.  It may be 'top tier' but $80 per month is nowhere near top tier in my book.

You really can't draw any money conclusions about the poll on the right.  Yes people vote gauged by their earnings but the top level isn't high enough for the big earners and the accuracy isn't enough to make such specific conclusions.  The poll is simply meant to arrange the stock sites in the correct order and give an idea of how far apart their earnings are.  Putting a dollar amount on the numbers is reading too much into the results.

Additionally, even if it was $80, a poll of everyone including people just starting out is nowhere near anybody's book.. it is an average, simple as that.

[tickstock]

My point was more that an average of $80 per month doesn't seem like top tier.  It's just the top 4 sites in the 'top tier', they aren't necessarily top tier sites.  One of the top four and top tier seem to me to be different things.

[cthoman]

DT has been neck and neck with SS the last 2 months for me. They haven't really been growing though. SS has just been shrinking. I guess that is what happens when you don't upload for 3 years.

[mimadeo]

Dreamstime is, and has always been, the 4th for me.
But the gap between the first (Shutterstock) and the following is greater each month.

Me too 

[gostwyck]

My point was more that an average of $80 per month doesn't seem like top tier.  It's just the top 4 sites in the 'top tier', they aren't necessarily top tier sites.  One of the top four and top tier seem to me to be different things.

What an utterly ridiculous and contradictory statement! As usual Tickstock is trying to talk authoritively about a subject that he/she has absolutely no knowledge or experience of. What a waste of forum space.

DT are most definitely a 'top tier' site as far as I'm concerned. Solid and reliable earnings and only marginally behind  IS and FT for me this month. Not only that but the RPD at DT (at $2.13 averaged over the last 13 months for me) is more than double that of the other 'top tier' sites. Also, with regard to 'contributor relations', DT are second only to SS and absolutely miles ahead of IS and FT. I very much like DT and also the people who run it.

[tickstock]

My point was more that an average of $80 per month doesn't seem like top tier.  It's just the top 4 sites in the 'top tier', they aren't necessarily top tier sites.  One of the top four and top tier seem to me to be different things.

What an utterly ridiculous and contradictory statement! As usual Tickstock is trying to talk authoritively about a subject that he/she has absolutely no knowledge or experience of. What a waste of forum space.

DT are most definitely a 'top tier' site as far as I'm concerned. Solid and reliable earnings and only marginally behind  IS and FT for me this month. Not only that but the RPD at DT (at $2.13 averaged over the last 13 months for me) is more than double that of the other 'top tier' sites. Also, with regard to 'contributor relations', DT are second only to SS and absolutely miles ahead of IS and FT. I very much like DT and also the people who run it.

Top tier to me would be measured by meeting an actual number, for instance a site that averaged over $300/month.  Just being in the top four doesn't say anything at all about the site.  It could be that all the other sites are just really terrible so an ok or slightly less terrible site ends up in the 4th position.  Just saying that no matter what there has to be four top tier sites seems a little arbitrary doesn't it?

I've got to add in that I'm not talking authoritatively at all, I'm expressing my opinion "seems to me" and what does it even mean to say I have no experience of this subject?  I think I have just as much experience with top and middle tiers as the next guy.

[luissantos84]

My point was more that an average of $80 per month doesn't seem like top tier.  It's just the top 4 sites in the 'top tier', they aren't necessarily top tier sites.  One of the top four and top tier seem to me to be different things.

What an utterly ridiculous and contradictory statement! As usual Tickstock is trying to talk authoritively about a subject that he/she has absolutely no knowledge or experience of. What a waste of forum space.

DT are most definitely a 'top tier' site as far as I'm concerned. Solid and reliable earnings and only marginally behind  IS and FT for me this month. Not only that but the RPD at DT (at $2.13 averaged over the last 13 months for me) is more than double that of the other 'top tier' sites. Also, with regard to 'contributor relations', DT are second only to SS and absolutely miles ahead of IS and FT. I very much like DT and also the people who run it.

interesting, just noticed you started uploading there after over 2 years

[Tror]

My personal earnings ranking:

1. Shutterstock
2. istock
3. Fotolia
4. Alamy
5. Photodune
6. Depositphotos
7. Dreamstime
8. Canstock
.
.
.

[luissantos84]

My personal earnings ranking:

1. Shutterstock
2. istock
3. Fotolia
4. Alamy
5. Photodune
6. Depositphotos
7. Dreamstime
8. Canstock
.
.
.

10th (last month)

[cthoman]

Top tier to me would be measured by meeting an actual number, for instance a site that averaged over $300/month.

Whose numbers are we going by? Making over $300 at DT a month doesn't sound unreasonable to me, but somebody else might struggle to make that. Then, there are probably people that make multiple times more than that.

[tickstock]

I was just saying as an average, this is the 'professional microstock forum' so I wouldn't think that would be too high.  I'm thinking to be a professional microstocker you need to be making around $40,000 US (maybe less maybe more) a year which I think roughly translates to $300 for Dreamstime.  I was just throwing numbers out there, the point was that just being the 4th best doesn't make something top tier.  Shutterstock is in a different league than Dreamstime for most contributors.

[Ron]

I was just saying as an average, this is the 'professional microstock forum' so I wouldn't think that would be too high.  I'm thinking to be a professional microstocker you need to be making around $40,000 US (maybe less maybe more) a year which I think roughly translates to $300 for Dreamstime.  I was just throwing numbers out there, the point was that just being the 4th best doesn't make something top tier.  Shutterstock is in a different league than Dreamstime for most contributors.

You got that all wrong, this is the amateur forum according to someone who is no longer amongst us. He/she said so this morning on another agency forum. I wont say his/her name or I will receive PMs again with some threats towards me.

[luissantos84]

40k is an average weekend for me, please!

[cthoman]

40k is an average weekend for me, please!

Can you adopt me? 

[sobm]

40k is an average weekend for me, please!

do you need to pay 100 people?

[luissantos84]

just me

[mayaartist]

Honestly speaking I like DT because of their Credit Sales. But what ever I do it's not give me a reasonable grow at all. Here is my stats:

           Online  Refused  Acceptance ratio:        Sales    Revenue     RPD
Sep 12    1        5             16.70%                    21      $29.64       $1.41
Oct 12    1         3             25.00%                    23      $21.89       $0.95
Nov 12    6        7             46.20%                    18      $25.42       $1.41
Dec 12    1        1             50.00%                    17       $21.77      $1.28
Jan 13     7        0            100.00%                   24       $37.33     $1.56
Feb 13    5         3            62.50%                     26       $26.22     $1.01
Mar 13    1        31           3.10%                      18       $21.26      $1.18
Apr 13    5         2            71.40%                     27      $44.16      $1.64
May 13   1         0            100.00%                   26       $44.50      $1.71
Jun 13    15       1            93.80%                     15       $39.53      $2.64
Jul 13     48       3            94.10%                     26       $37.80      $1.45
Aug 13   32      17            65.30%                    26       $46.22      $1.78
Sep 13   52       8             86.70%                    23       $27.08      $1.18

P.S. But what's interesting I got almost the same money this September 2013 and the September 2012. But I almost doubled my port since than. And the closer I'm to the ~95-98$ to paid out the longer it takes to get to 100$. 

[heywoody]

I was just saying as an average, this is the 'professional microstock forum' so I wouldn't think that would be too high.  I'm thinking to be a professional microstocker you need to be making around $40,000 US (maybe less maybe more) a year which I think roughly translates to $300 for Dreamstime.  I was just throwing numbers out there, the point was that just being the 4th best doesn't make something top tier.  Shutterstock is in a different league than Dreamstime for most contributors.

Good idea.  Maybe leaf should restrict membership to those make $40K or over from microstock - that would make stocksy seem about as exclusive as facebook.

[tickstock]

That's not what I was saying at all.  I was saying that the 'top tier' should be sites that earn a certain amount for the average contributor (or some some other real measure) rather than just being the top four or change the name.  'top tier' or 'big 4' seems to me to imply that these sites have set themselves apart from the rest of the sites when really only Shutterstock and exclusive iStock. are at the top all the other sites are middle tier at best.

[heywoody]

That's the thing - what is the average contributor?  I'd suggest that there are a very very small number who make serious bucks, some who might make a passable living and the rest who make beer money.  I only aspire to making beer money but my rank on FT for example puts me in the top third (the only place where some sort of relative positioning is available).  The numbers for IS exclusives are skewed because, by definition, all of them have some sort of track record.  It's a bit like saying life expectancy has doubled where, in fact, it has improved a bit but the big change is in infant mortality so all these people dying at 0 are not skewing the figures.

[tickstock]

That's the thing - what is the average contributor?  I'd suggest that there are a very very small number who make serious bucks, some who might make a passable living and the rest who make beer money.  I only aspire to making beer money but my rank on FT for example puts me in the top third (the only place where some sort of relative positioning is available).  The numbers for IS exclusives are skewed because, by definition, all of them have some sort of track record.  It's a bit like saying life expectancy has doubled where, in fact, it has improved a bit but the big change is in infant mortality so all these people dying at 0 are not skewing the figures.

The average contributor, is the average contributor on this site.  Someone who fills out the poll.  Maybe this isn't the 'professional microstock forum' and it's really the 'hobbyist with a couple professionals thrown in microstock forum' and in that case I guess a 'top tier' site can make you $75 month because surely a professional couldn't live off those numbers anywhere but the poorest of countries.  It's not really a big deal though.

[luissantos84]

never made 75$ at DT in a month, my BME is sitting on 69$ (May 2012), after that just worst and worst... this month they aren't even 4% of SS

[Canonbabe]

As long as DT sells a TIFF as a 0.35 subscription there's no chance they will be in my top 4 tier!!

[sharpshot]

Honestly speaking I like DT because of their Credit Sales. But what ever I do it's not give me a reasonable grow at all. Here is my stats:

           Online  Refused  Acceptance ratio:        Sales    Revenue     RPD
Sep 12    1        5             16.70%                    21      $29.64       $1.41
Oct 12    1         3             25.00%                    23      $21.89       $0.95
Nov 12    6        7             46.20%                    18      $25.42       $1.41
Dec 12    1        1             50.00%                    17       $21.77      $1.28
Jan 13     7        0            100.00%                   24       $37.33     $1.56
Feb 13    5         3            62.50%                     26       $26.22     $1.01
Mar 13    1        31           3.10%                      18       $21.26      $1.18
Apr 13    5         2            71.40%                     27      $44.16      $1.64
May 13   1         0            100.00%                   26       $44.50      $1.71
Jun 13    15       1            93.80%                     15       $39.53      $2.64
Jul 13     48       3            94.10%                     26       $37.80      $1.45
Aug 13   32      17            65.30%                    26       $46.22      $1.78
Sep 13   52       8             86.70%                    23       $27.08      $1.18

P.S. But what's interesting I got almost the same money this September 2013 and the September 2012. But I almost doubled my port since than. And the closer I'm to the ~95-98$ to paid out the longer it takes to get to 100$.

Interesting, I've uploaded very little in the past year and have made more this month than September 2012.  It does look like your overall earnings have increased in recent months, it could just be a blip this month.

They seem to be rejecting less now, so I'm starting to upload again.

[heywoody]

@tickstock -  There are about the same number of members here as an average top 4 site although no idea how active and whether they participate in polls or not but, yes, this is no making a living money.

@luis - DT are about 50% of SS for me this month but SS was very bad this month so about 25% usually

@cannonbabe - why?  the TIFF is just something DT do from the jpeg - you are probably selling your large files for less on a sub everywhere else while the credit is a nice bump for zero effort.

[tickstock]

@tickstock -  There are about the same number of members here as an average top 4 site although no idea how active and whether they participate in polls or not but, yes, this is no making a living money.

I'm not sure what you are saying?  I'm making a living at it.

[mayaartist]

Quote from: mayaartist on September 26, 2013, 13:58
Honestly speaking I like DT because of their Credit Sales. But what ever I do it's not give me a reasonable grow at all. Here is my stats:

           Online  Refused  Acceptance ratio:        Sales    Revenue     RPD
Sep 12    1        5             16.70%                    21      $29.64       $1.41
Oct 12    1         3             25.00%                    23      $21.89       $0.95
Nov 12    6        7             46.20%                    18      $25.42       $1.41
Dec 12    1        1             50.00%                    17       $21.77      $1.28
Jan 13     7        0            100.00%                   24       $37.33     $1.56
Feb 13    5         3            62.50%                     26       $26.22     $1.01
Mar 13    1        31           3.10%                      18       $21.26      $1.18
Apr 13    5         2            71.40%                     27      $44.16      $1.64
May 13   1         0            100.00%                   26       $44.50      $1.71
Jun 13    15       1            93.80%                     15       $39.53      $2.64
Jul 13     48       3            94.10%                     26       $37.80      $1.45
Aug 13   32      17            65.30%                    26       $46.22      $1.78
Sep 13   52       8             86.70%                    23       $27.08      $1.18

P.S. But what's interesting I got almost the same money this September 2013 and the September 2012. But I almost doubled my port since than. And the closer I'm to the ~95-98$ to paid out the longer it takes to get to 100$.
Interesting, I've uploaded very little in the past year and have made more this month than September 2012.  It does look like your overall earnings have increased in recent months, it could just be a blip this month.

They seem to be rejecting less now, so I'm starting to upload again.

Hi Sharpshot,
You are right my earnings has been growing till September 2013 on DT(but it's not the money I was looking for to be honest). And without any reason they just almost halved on September 2013. I've been working hard but it doesn't help. The problem for me is that I'm doing mostly 3d renders. And the rendering takes a lot of my time especially on brushed metal concepts. It could be 2-4 hours to render 4K image.   

[heywoody]

@tickstock -  There are about the same number of members here as an average top 4 site although no idea how active and whether they participate in polls or not but, yes, this is no making a living money.

I'm not sure what you are saying?  I'm making a living at it.

I was just agreeing that $75 per month is not making a living     You would be part of a small minority involved in MS and posting on associated fora.  This doesn't mean that the "weekend shooters" have nothing valid to say because most of the discussions are around stuff like software design, the commercial approach of the various agencies, motivations  etc etc and these matters can be informed by experience in various day jobs or life generally outside of MS.

[BaldricksTrousers]

Tickstock, all you are trying to do is redefine the term "top tier" to fit a vague and arbitrary interpretation of your own  rather than accepting what it actually does mean on this site - which is "top four".

It's on a par with arguing that the UK football "Premier Division" has too many teams in it because you happen to think that half of them aren't scoring enough goals to be "Premier" so they should be booted out.

Silly, silly, silly......

[tickstock]

Tickstock, all you are trying to do is redefine the term "top tier" to fit a vague and arbitrary interpretation of your own  rather than accepting what it actually does mean on this site - which is "top four".

It's on a par with arguing that the UK football "Premier Division" has too many teams in it because you happen to think that half of them aren't scoring enough goals to be "Premier" so they should be booted out.

Silly, silly, silly......

Like I said I don't think it's a big deal.  I think a lot of people post things like "how is dreamstime in the top tier?", I always assumed people were confused and thought 'top tier' or 'big four' had some more meaning than just being one of the four largest sites.  I don't think you can always have a big four, like the big 4 operating systems or big four search engines, etc.. those fields are dominated by one or two companies.  I think you can see I was trying to suggest something less arbitrary than what it is now.  The thing is there is always going to be a 'top tier' and 'big four' even if Shutterstock takes 99% of the market share, that's why I think this is too arbitrary.

[PZF]

DT is regularly second for me. FT sells too many at 23cents or so.
IS as a non exclusive without TS? What can I say!!!!!!