MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: jsmithzz on April 08, 2011, 05:31

Title: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: jsmithzz on April 08, 2011, 05:31
I don't expect people to post their iStock specific salaries in here but was curious to see how much people were making on average per month via a poll and whether or not it was enough to support you as a full time gig where you live as cost of living varies widely around the world.  

ETA: My income varies wildly from about $300 a month to as much as $1,000 but I usually average round $500 or so. Where I live it definitely helps with paying the rent but not much more than that.  
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: visceralimage on April 08, 2011, 06:50
On the low end but only about 75 images online, increasing each week.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: fotografer on April 08, 2011, 06:58
Is there anyway to change a vote?  I read it as stock earnings not istock earnings and put my earnings over all sites?
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: bunhill on April 08, 2011, 07:53
If the past couple of weeks turns into a trend I will be going down a level ! In which case plan b and then, probably, plan c.

Exciting times.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: jsmithzz on April 08, 2011, 10:00
Is there anyway to change a vote?  I read it as stock earnings not istock earnings and put my earnings over all sites?
Sorry about that. I thought I'd made it so you could go back and edit your vote but looks like I didn't. Unfortunately there's no way to go back and switch it. 
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: jsmithzz on April 08, 2011, 10:02
If the past couple of weeks turns into a trend I will be going down a level ! In which case plan b and then, probably, plan c.

Exciting times.
Not fun. No matter how much I upload, it seems as if my earnings have hit a plateau. They haven't gone up much in the last 2 years.  I'm stuck in the 500-1000 doldrums with occasional dips down into the 100-500 range. 

What are plan B and C for you?
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: luissantos84 on April 08, 2011, 10:25
If the past couple of weeks turns into a trend I will be going down a level ! In which case plan b and then, probably, plan c.

Exciting times.
Not fun. No matter how much I upload, it seems as if my earnings have hit a plateau. They haven't gone up much in the last 2 years.  I'm stuck in the 500-1000 doldrums with occasional dips down into the 100-500 range. 

What are plan B and C for you?

non-exclusive?
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: bunhill on April 08, 2011, 11:19
i guess that would be plan c. But I'm loathed to draw conclusions too suddenly since I have really liked being exclusive. Despite me not having uploaded enough good content it has provided some good real income and I really enjoyed the community at iStockphoto until last September. FWIW I feel bad for the people who work there too since they must sense the same growing uncertainties that have caused people here to get so angry with each other lately.

At the moment I am sitting on some quite good content which probably has good longer term prospects as soon as the paperwork is signed off. I'm thinking of sending that to RM instead of RF as a first step towards spreading my load and getting used to the idea of other outlets. I guess that would be plan b. Can't do any harm to at least sniff the air - especially given that film uploads take so long to be inspected now. But I'm not in any great hurry or panic.

Off thread  - I suppose any prospect of iStock indivividually or Getty as a whole going to some sort of successful public offering would more or less be off the agenda for the next few years now.  Would that be a fair analysis ?
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: caspixel on April 08, 2011, 13:49
FWIW I feel bad for the people who work there too since they must sense the same growing uncertainties that have caused people here to get so angry with each other lately.


I bet they now wish for the days when all the arguments and negativity were in the political threads. They should never have banned them. :D
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: gostwyck on April 08, 2011, 13:57
I suppose my answer would be "Not nearly enough" considering how much my images actually sell for and therefore how much they make from me per month.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: cardmaverick on April 08, 2011, 15:04
Polls like this don't generate enough info to be useful. You need more details, ie) number of images online, how long they have been there, etc... and even then its still not very decent since there are thousands of topics that can be shot.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: helix7 on April 08, 2011, 17:48
...FWIW I feel bad for the people who work there too since they must sense the same growing uncertainties that have caused people here to get so angry with each other lately...

I wonder if there is any feeling of uncertainty at istock HQ. As far as I know, the only people to take a pay cut at istock have been contributors. They are still hiring, still offering the same long list of nice benefits to employees that includes competitive salaries and bonuses, health and dental coverage, in-office massages at your desk, and free drinks and snacks as well as an xbox360 and bubble hockey table. No signs of financial struggles from within, as far as I can tell.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: WarrenPrice on April 08, 2011, 18:09
Polls like this don't generate enough info to be useful. You need more details, ie) number of images online, how long they have been there, etc... and even then its still not very decent since there are thousands of topics that can be shot.

Still interesting for a small-fry like me to see that 9 or 99 are making over $5000 a month -- from ONE site.    That is astounding.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: luissantos84 on April 08, 2011, 18:19
overall I think IS is quite disappointing, it must be my crappy portfolio for sure but after so many hard work and so many approvals/rejections I have expected nice things over there, not happening! :P
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: lisafx on April 08, 2011, 20:02

Still interesting for a small-fry like me to see that 9 or 99 are making over $5000 a month -- from ONE site.    That is astounding.

Most likely it is exclusives who are making the highest numbers at Istock. 
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: Suljo on April 08, 2011, 21:02
What a stupid question form newbee OP?!
Question is in class how many times you have sex with wife eg per day week month, or for what you vote for or whats you income...
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: jsmithzz on April 08, 2011, 21:07
What a stupid question form newbee OP?!
Question is in class how many times you have sex with wife eg per day week month, or for what you vote for or whats you income...
Sorry, and what's wrong with taking an unscientific poll of what people are earning on iStock?  I think it's something people are curious about which is why I posted it.  Interesting that 27 people on this site have chosen to ignore you.  No wonder.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: wiser on April 08, 2011, 21:23
What a stupid question form newbee OP?!
Question is in class how many times you have sex with wife eg per day week month, or for what you vote for or whats you income...
Sorry, and what's wrong with taking an unscientific poll of what people are earning on iStock?  I think it's something people are curious about which is why I posted it.  Interesting that 27 people on this site have chosen to ignore you.  No wonder.

Just ignore the angry parrot, so much vitriol from such a beautiful bird... Or is that a parakeet??
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: caspixel on April 08, 2011, 22:11
What a stupid question form newbee OP?!
Question is in class how many times you have sex with wife eg per day week month, or for what you vote for or whats you income...
Sorry, and what's wrong with taking an unscientific poll of what people are earning on iStock?  I think it's something people are curious about which is why I posted it.  Interesting that 27 people on this site have chosen to ignore you.  No wonder.

Just ignore the angry parrot, so much vitriol from such a beautiful bird... Or is that a parakeet??

It's a cuckoo. ;)
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: ShadySue on April 09, 2011, 03:47
Just ignore the angry parrot, so much vitriol from such a beautiful bird... Or is that a parakeet??
It's a cuckoo. ;)
I was going to be pedantic and say it was a budgie, but your answer is funnier and more relevant.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: aeonf on April 09, 2011, 04:51
Yeah Sue you seem to be a much better/nicer bird :)
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: jsmithzz on April 11, 2011, 00:32
Polls like this don't generate enough info to be useful. You need more details, ie) number of images online, how long they have been there, etc... and even then its still not very decent since there are thousands of topics that can be shot.
I agree that this doesn't paint a complete picture. Was thinking of doing something a little more comprehensive for iStock contributors if there's interest. Here are some of the questions I was thinking of asking amonth others:
1) How much do you earn per month?
2) Are you exclusive?
3) What is your average RPI per month?
4) How many files do you have uploaded?
etc.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: Megastock on April 16, 2011, 08:18
Interesting that these results are so much higher than the monthly poll results to the right...
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: fotografer on April 16, 2011, 08:57
Interesting that these results are so much higher than the monthly poll results to the right...
It's possible that others made the same mistake as me and read it as 'stock' earnings not 'Istock' earnings.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: jsmithzz on April 16, 2011, 22:24
Interesting that these results are so much higher than the monthly poll results to the right...
It's possible that others made the same mistake as me and read it as 'stock' earnings not 'Istock' earnings.
Agreed. I should've been more explicit in stating to only include iStock income and not ALL stock income. 
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: Phadrea on April 18, 2011, 09:55
I despair at Istock. I am earning almost half of what I was earning this time last year. I have more files uploaded and exclusive as a photographer (I no longer submit images because it's too hard to get them passed and I haven't the time to work out why) . They keep messing around tweaking the site more and more which affects sales for us in a negative way. I could go on but I haven't the time. Thank God for other sites that are now earning me a much better income (in audio)
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: [email protected] on November 18, 2018, 02:21
I heard that istock's exclusive contributors have a high income and are very good! Non-exclusive, really bad, I heard that even adobe is not as good! As early as many years ago, istock was one of the best-performing stock websites in the world and has now fallen back.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: derek on November 18, 2018, 02:47
This was done exactly this way some 3-4 years back and see what happened!  all of a sudden many were earning tens of thousands every month! in the end I think Tyler even removed the thread??

Well it seems a bit more genuine this time, for now that is?
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: Pauws99 on November 18, 2018, 03:14
Seven year old thread ;-)
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: derek on November 18, 2018, 06:36
Seven year old thread ;-)

Bloody hell!  so it is!  cheers!
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: qwerty on November 19, 2018, 05:00
Whats the record for the oldest thread dug up ?
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: nobody on November 19, 2018, 09:04
seven year old post and we are making less now!  :-[

Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: Pauws99 on November 19, 2018, 09:17
seven year old post and we are making less now!  :-[
and people are saying exactly the same as they were then ;-)
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: Uncle Pete on November 20, 2018, 09:19
seven year old post and we are making less now!  :-[
and people are saying exactly the same as they were then ;-)

This would be a good test if someone started the same poll again, so we could see the change from 2011 to now. OK I'll be someone?
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: ShadySue on November 20, 2018, 09:26
seven year old post and we are making less now!  :-[
and people are saying exactly the same as they were then ;-)

This would be a good test if someone started the same poll again, so we could see the change from 2011 to now. OK I'll be someone?

Different people, different ports, different times.
FWIW, 2011 was my second best year, and only $60 below my best year, 2012.
This year is heading to be about 1/3 of that.
Title: Re: How Much Do You Earn From iStock Per MONTH?
Post by: cthoman on November 20, 2018, 10:27
seven year old post and we are making less now!  :-[

If it makes you feel better I'm making more this year at IS than I did in 2011, but I'd quit the site so it is a low bar. :D