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Author Topic: Is iStock worth it?  (Read 35309 times)

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ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #75 on: March 25, 2017, 12:29 »
+1
^^ My lack of clarity. I meant iS is disingenuous  ( at kindest ), not you.


« Reply #76 on: March 25, 2017, 13:11 »
+3
The lowest you could get paid is 19c for subs.
I wonder why my Feb report has the following 'iStock Subscription' sale entries then?
0.03
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.14
0.15
0.15

I guess "minimum" means, "the lowest you can get ... except when it's lower".  ::) Or, maybe all those sales were reported incorrectly?

But what's this? My Jan statement has these sub sales listed:
0.03
0.06
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.08
0.15

I guess those were all a mistake, too.
Are you exclusive?  If yes, have you read the forums?
Yes. No. Why should I bother? If 19c is the minimum (I mistakenly thought it was 16c, so there are more that should be listed above), it's the minimum. Apparently there are exceptions; I don't care what they are. It means there IS no minimum in reality.

Reading the rates exclusives are getting is really shocking.  Not just the above numbers, but the stated minimum of .19, and even the slightly higher.  These are all lower than you would get as an indie ANYWHERE!  Why would anyone stay exclusive now?  You can make up for any nominal losses at istock instantly by uploading to just a couple sites, like SS and Adobe.  Even Tickstock with his optimistic posts cant possibly make exclusivity look good now. 

As for the OP, do NOT allow yourself to get sucked into istock.   As bad as they are now, history has shown they consistently roll out worse and worse deals for contributors every year, so as pathetic as their current royalties are,  by the end of the year they will announce another cut.  Now there are three things you can count on in life.  Death, taxes, and Getty will f**k their contributors worse each year.

« Reply #77 on: March 25, 2017, 13:17 »
0
Reading the rates exclusives are getting is really shocking.  Not just the above numbers, but the stated minimum of .19, and even the slightly higher.  These are all lower than you would get as an indie ANYWHERE!  Why would anyone stay exclusive now?  You can make up for any nominal losses at istock instantly by uploading to just a couple sites, like SS and Adobe.  Even Tickstock with his optimistic posts cant possibly make exclusivity look good now. 

As for the OP, do NOT allow yourself to get sucked into istock.   As bad as they are now, history has shown they consistently roll out worse and worse deals for contributors every year, so as pathetic as their current royalties are,  by the end of the year they will announce another cut.  Now there are three things you can count on in life.  Death, taxes, and Getty will f**k their contributors worse each year.
Those are minimums (for the lowest royalty rate).  Where else do you get $15+ for a sub sale?  Sure a few low sales are no good but if the first couple months of the year are any indication of the new normal, I'm very excited.  I'm only being optimistic because the payouts have been very good.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2017, 13:45 by tickstock »

« Reply #78 on: March 25, 2017, 13:38 »
0
^^ My lack of clarity. I meant iS is disingenuous  ( at kindest ), not you.
I meant what was the question you were asking?  "question about submitted I mum subs in the Feb thread"

« Reply #79 on: March 25, 2017, 14:39 »
0
Pardon me for my ignorance, where do you people see those 19 cents or 9 cents?

From my ESP, I could only see the total, and not the individual sales.

Thanks for enlightening me!

« Reply #80 on: March 25, 2017, 14:49 »
+1
Reading the rates exclusives are getting is really shocking.  Not just the above numbers, but the stated minimum of .19, and even the slightly higher.  These are all lower than you would get as an indie ANYWHERE!  Why would anyone stay exclusive now?  You can make up for any nominal losses at istock instantly by uploading to just a couple sites, like SS and Adobe.  Even Tickstock with his optimistic posts cant possibly make exclusivity look good now. 

As for the OP, do NOT allow yourself to get sucked into istock.   As bad as they are now, history has shown they consistently roll out worse and worse deals for contributors every year, so as pathetic as their current royalties are,  by the end of the year they will announce another cut.  Now there are three things you can count on in life.  Death, taxes, and Getty will f**k their contributors worse each year.
Those are minimums (for the lowest royalty rate).  Where else do you get $15+ for a sub sale?  Sure a few low sales are no good but if the first couple months of the year are any indication of the new normal, I'm very excited.  I'm only being optimistic because the payouts have been very good.

I'm excited, too. I am down 35% from Jan.  Really very exciting ;D As an indy I expected to get hosed by Getty and I have.  When you say you're doing well, against what benchmark are you using to make that claim? I think that is a very important part to anyone's claim that they are 'UP'. Up over last month? Up over last year? Up over 24 months?

« Reply #81 on: March 25, 2017, 16:11 »
0
Reading the rates exclusives are getting is really shocking.  Not just the above numbers, but the stated minimum of .19, and even the slightly higher.  These are all lower than you would get as an indie ANYWHERE!  Why would anyone stay exclusive now?  You can make up for any nominal losses at istock instantly by uploading to just a couple sites, like SS and Adobe.  Even Tickstock with his optimistic posts cant possibly make exclusivity look good now. 

As for the OP, do NOT allow yourself to get sucked into istock.   As bad as they are now, history has shown they consistently roll out worse and worse deals for contributors every year, so as pathetic as their current royalties are,  by the end of the year they will announce another cut.  Now there are three things you can count on in life.  Death, taxes, and Getty will f**k their contributors worse each year.
Those are minimums (for the lowest royalty rate).  Where else do you get $15+ for a sub sale?  Sure a few low sales are no good but if the first couple months of the year are any indication of the new normal, I'm very excited.  I'm only being optimistic because the payouts have been very good.

I'm excited, too. I am down 35% from Jan.  Really very exciting ;D As an indy I expected to get hosed by Getty and I have.  When you say you're doing well, against what benchmark are you using to make that claim? I think that is a very important part to anyone's claim that they are 'UP'. Up over last month? Up over last year? Up over 24 months?
I think it was probably my best Feb ever and beat almost every month from the last 2 years.

dpimborough

« Reply #82 on: March 25, 2017, 16:33 »
0
Pardon me for my ignorance, where do you people see those 19 cents or 9 cents?

From my ESP, I could only see the total, and not the individual sales.

Thanks for enlightening me!

Download the ESP report it comes as a text or a PDF

dpimborough

« Reply #83 on: March 25, 2017, 16:37 »
+7
I'm also excited I got 1.5 cent royalties in fact 50% plus were for less than 28 cents

I made $35 out of 1900 images WOO YAY GO FOR IT GETTY  :-\

I LOVE YOU  ::)

That agency is simply the best, great guys, always keeping us close to their hearts and going the extra mile for us contributors

Yeah right .....  :(

« Reply #84 on: March 25, 2017, 18:42 »
+6
Reading the rates exclusives are getting is really shocking.  Not just the above numbers, but the stated minimum of .19, and even the slightly higher.  These are all lower than you would get as an indie ANYWHERE!  Why would anyone stay exclusive now?  You can make up for any nominal losses at istock instantly by uploading to just a couple sites, like SS and Adobe.  Even Tickstock with his optimistic posts cant possibly make exclusivity look good now. 

As for the OP, do NOT allow yourself to get sucked into istock.   As bad as they are now, history has shown they consistently roll out worse and worse deals for contributors every year, so as pathetic as their current royalties are,  by the end of the year they will announce another cut.  Now there are three things you can count on in life.  Death, taxes, and Getty will f**k their contributors worse each year.
Those are minimums (for the lowest royalty rate).  Where else do you get $15+ for a sub sale?  Sure a few low sales are no good but if the first couple months of the year are any indication of the new normal, I'm very excited.  I'm only being optimistic because the payouts have been very good.

If I get a $15 sale, who cares if its a sub or not.  I get those and much higher sales on other sites.  The question isn't where is the ceiling, but where is the floor,  and at Getty the floor is 0, with a whole lot of <.10.  That is an insult to anyone selling a product that has value and is useful.  But it is a downright disgrace to do this to exclusives who have gone all in with your company, and provide you a collection other sites don't have.  I can't imagine why  anybody would stay exclusive at Getty /iStockphoto when the benefits of exclusivity are virtually nil over independence,  and going indie offers the chance to double or more your stock income.  They can even leave their stuff on istock earning those pennies until they have a steady and much better income stream elsewhere,  or even forever if they want.

« Reply #85 on: March 25, 2017, 19:00 »
0
The question isn't where is the ceiling, but where is the floor,  and at Getty the floor is 0, with a whole lot of <.10.  That is an insult to anyone selling a product that has value and is useful.  But it is a downright disgrace to do this to exclusives who have gone all in with your company, and provide you a collection other sites don't have.  I can't imagine why  anybody would stay exclusive at Getty /iStockphoto when the benefits of exclusivity are virtually nil over independence,  and going indie offers the chance to double or more your stock income.  They can even leave their stuff on istock earning those pennies until they have a steady and much better income stream elsewhere,  or even forever if they want.
You can focus on the smallest possible sales, the biggest sales, or the average.  For me royalty rate, RPD and overall earnings are most important.  Things look good for now.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2017, 19:45 by tickstock »

« Reply #86 on: March 25, 2017, 19:47 »
+6
Companies like Getty will still say that they can't afford to pay more, but it's B.S.

They've piled up so much debt to line the pockets of the "investors" that the rating agencies were starting to downgrade them the last I heard of it.

Here is some info on this: https://www.moodys.com/credit-ratings/Getty-Images-Inc-credit-rating-823229142

Something else happening at Getty, which I haven't heard of until today:
https://www.law360.com/articles/874422/ex-getty-vp-restrained-from-sharing-trade-secrets


I hadn't heard about that lawsuit either. In searching for some more details, I happened upon this site with some interesting extracts from the legal briefs - about who Getty considers their competition to be these days (Adobe and Shutterstock)...

http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/forum/getty-images-letter-forum/getty-images-v-motamedi-(injunction-ex-employee-sharing-secrets-w-competitor)/


« Reply #87 on: March 25, 2017, 23:35 »
0
Pardon me for my ignorance, where do you people see those 19 cents or 9 cents?

From my ESP, I could only see the total, and not the individual sales.

Thanks for enlightening me!

Download the ESP report it comes as a text or a PDF

Thanks!

drd

« Reply #88 on: March 26, 2017, 02:48 »
0
Where else do you get $15+ for a sub sale?

How many of these have you got? 1 out of 1000?

AnS

« Reply #89 on: March 26, 2017, 05:14 »
0

I made $35 out of 1900 images WOO YAY GO FOR IT GETTY  :-\


Oh, wow, I'm really surprised, sorry to hear that. :( It is interesting, that every agency can be performing so different for every single contributor.

I do vector illustrations and happen to have luck with iStock (for me it's like Shutterstock, both of them only behind Fotolia). But for now I'm also very curious how things will change. February was good, very stable compared to January and second best month ever, but it may be also because I've uploaded a lot of new files. I'm waiting for the March report though, to be able to see a bigger picture.

« Reply #90 on: March 26, 2017, 09:37 »
0
Where else do you get $15+ for a sub sale?

How many of these have you got? 1 out of 1000?
I have a few larger sales but the stats are very comprehensive so I'm not exactly sure what the ratio is.  I'm hoping there are some improvements coming soon.

« Reply #91 on: March 26, 2017, 22:18 »
+20
Simply looking at the financial side of getty this company has no way to escape its bankruptcy. Looking at the upcoming interest rate hikes and the overheated economy getty will be one of the first one to file bankruptcy.

I have been with getty for 9 years have 10000+ unique files with getty/istock and am an exclusive 40% contributor. I agree on most posts here and the only reason I am still exclusive is because I have to keyword all my files with meta tags, which I am preparing until end of the year. My Income has dropped over 90% within the last 4 years even though I have doubled my portfolio and I would consider my content one of the best on istock. They have quite obviously capped all the top contributors, so no matter on how much unique content you upload you will still at least earn 20-30% less every year.

i feel sorry for all the people working for getty, who still believe the crap the Managers are telling them. They all know (even Lobo) that they have really *removed coarse language* up and have killed one of the sustainable stock places in the internet. But that is how capitalism goes. The owners of getty will continue to milk the cow dry until it dies. We have passed the point of no return in 2012/13.

So to answer your question in quick. Don't waste your time with this company. By 2020 they are not around any more.

Tay

« Reply #92 on: March 26, 2017, 23:58 »
+7
Simply looking at the financial side of getty this company has no way to escape its bankruptcy. Looking at the upcoming interest rate hikes and the overheated economy getty will be one of the first one to file bankruptcy.

I have been with getty for 9 years have 10000+ unique files with getty/istock and am an exclusive 40% contributor. I agree on most posts here and the only reason I am still exclusive is because I have to keyword all my files with meta tags, which I am preparing until end of the year. My Income has dropped over 90% within the last 4 years even though I have doubled my portfolio and I would consider my content one of the best on istock. They have quite obviously capped all the top contributors, so no matter on how much unique content you upload you will still at least earn 20-30% less every year.

i feel sorry for all the people working for getty, who still believe the crap the Managers are telling them. They all know (even Lobo) that they have really *removed coarse language* up and have killed one of the sustainable stock places in the internet. But that is how capitalism goes. The owners of getty will continue to milk the cow dry until it dies. We have passed the point of no return in 2012/13.

So to answer your question in quick. Don't waste your time with this company. By 2020 they are not around any more.

Hi I'm also exclusive 40% contributor with large portfolio and few days ago I sent request to drop exclusivity. Keywording it's not a problem. In DeepMeta you can export csv file and then with exiftool replace all your IPTC data. So you can do it if you want

drd

« Reply #93 on: March 27, 2017, 03:15 »
0
Simply looking at the financial side of getty this company has no way to escape its bankruptcy. Looking at the upcoming interest rate hikes and the overheated economy getty will be one of the first one to file bankruptcy.

I have been with getty for 9 years have 10000+ unique files with getty/istock and am an exclusive 40% contributor. I agree on most posts here and the only reason I am still exclusive is because I have to keyword all my files with meta tags, which I am preparing until end of the year. My Income has dropped over 90% within the last 4 years even though I have doubled my portfolio and I would consider my content one of the best on istock. They have quite obviously capped all the top contributors, so no matter on how much unique content you upload you will still at least earn 20-30% less every year.

i feel sorry for all the people working for getty, who still believe the crap the Managers are telling them. They all know (even Lobo) that they have really *removed coarse language* up and have killed one of the sustainable stock places in the internet. But that is how capitalism goes. The owners of getty will continue to milk the cow dry until it dies. We have passed the point of no return in 2012/13.

So to answer your question in quick. Don't waste your time with this company. By 2020 they are not around any more.

Hi I'm also exclusive 40% contributor with large portfolio and few days ago I sent request to drop exclusivity. Keywording it's not a problem. In DeepMeta you can export csv file and then with exiftool replace all your IPTC data. So you can do it if you want

Can you elaborate on this please? ExifTool is not easy to use and cannot find export csv in DeepMeta.
Good luck as Indie!

Tay

« Reply #94 on: March 27, 2017, 03:36 »
+2
Simply looking at the financial side of getty this company has no way to escape its bankruptcy. Looking at the upcoming interest rate hikes and the overheated economy getty will be one of the first one to file bankruptcy.

I have been with getty for 9 years have 10000+ unique files with getty/istock and am an exclusive 40% contributor. I agree on most posts here and the only reason I am still exclusive is because I have to keyword all my files with meta tags, which I am preparing until end of the year. My Income has dropped over 90% within the last 4 years even though I have doubled my portfolio and I would consider my content one of the best on istock. They have quite obviously capped all the top contributors, so no matter on how much unique content you upload you will still at least earn 20-30% less every year.

i feel sorry for all the people working for getty, who still believe the crap the Managers are telling them. They all know (even Lobo) that they have really *removed coarse language* up and have killed one of the sustainable stock places in the internet. But that is how capitalism goes. The owners of getty will continue to milk the cow dry until it dies. We have passed the point of no return in 2012/13.

So to answer your question in quick. Don't waste your time with this company. By 2020 they are not around any more.


Hi I'm also exclusive 40% contributor with large portfolio and few days ago I sent request to drop exclusivity. Keywording it's not a problem. In DeepMeta you can export csv file and then with exiftool replace all your IPTC data. So you can do it if you want


Can you elaborate on this please? ExifTool is not easy to use and cannot find export csv in DeepMeta.
Good luck as Indie!


Just select files what you want to export to csv, right mouse click, copy and then paste in Notepad or other program. That's all :)

Exiftool is quite hard to explain. This link helps me a lot:
http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/exiftool/forum/index.php?topic=3468.0

You have to figure it out by yourself. It took me about one hour to solve how this program works.



drd

« Reply #95 on: March 27, 2017, 03:49 »
0
Simply looking at the financial side of getty this company has no way to escape its bankruptcy. Looking at the upcoming interest rate hikes and the overheated economy getty will be one of the first one to file bankruptcy.

I have been with getty for 9 years have 10000+ unique files with getty/istock and am an exclusive 40% contributor. I agree on most posts here and the only reason I am still exclusive is because I have to keyword all my files with meta tags, which I am preparing until end of the year. My Income has dropped over 90% within the last 4 years even though I have doubled my portfolio and I would consider my content one of the best on istock. They have quite obviously capped all the top contributors, so no matter on how much unique content you upload you will still at least earn 20-30% less every year.

i feel sorry for all the people working for getty, who still believe the crap the Managers are telling them. They all know (even Lobo) that they have really *removed coarse language* up and have killed one of the sustainable stock places in the internet. But that is how capitalism goes. The owners of getty will continue to milk the cow dry until it dies. We have passed the point of no return in 2012/13.

So to answer your question in quick. Don't waste your time with this company. By 2020 they are not around any more.


Hi I'm also exclusive 40% contributor with large portfolio and few days ago I sent request to drop exclusivity. Keywording it's not a problem. In DeepMeta you can export csv file and then with exiftool replace all your IPTC data. So you can do it if you want


Can you elaborate on this please? ExifTool is not easy to use and cannot find export csv in DeepMeta.
Good luck as Indie!


Just select files what you want to export to csv, right mouse click, copy and then paste in Notepad or other program. That's all :)

Exiftool is quite hard to explain. This link helps me a lot:
http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/exiftool/forum/index.php?topic=3468.0

You have to figure it out by yourself. It took me about one hour to solve how this program works.


Copy/Paste multiple images doesn't work in DM3, but yes it does work in the older version. Once I get the csv from Deep Meta and figure out what to do in ExifTool is the meta writing automated on all files?

 

Tay

« Reply #96 on: March 27, 2017, 03:58 »
+1
Copy/Paste multiple images doesn't work in DM3, but yes it does work in the older version. Once I get the csv from Deep Meta and figure out what to do in ExifTool is the meta writing automated on all files?
I was using DM by the almost ten years, so all my data are in second version.

You have to put exiftool program, all images and csv file in to one folder. Exiftool read csv file and replace IPTC in all files from csv list.

« Reply #97 on: March 27, 2017, 04:12 »
+4
Simply looking at the financial side of getty this company has no way to escape its bankruptcy. Looking at the upcoming interest rate hikes and the overheated economy getty will be one of the first one to file bankruptcy.

I have been with getty for 9 years have 10000+ unique files with getty/istock and am an exclusive 40% contributor. I agree on most posts here and the only reason I am still exclusive is because I have to keyword all my files with meta tags, which I am preparing until end of the year. My Income has dropped over 90% within the last 4 years even though I have doubled my portfolio and I would consider my content one of the best on istock. They have quite obviously capped all the top contributors, so no matter on how much unique content you upload you will still at least earn 20-30% less every year.

i feel sorry for all the people working for getty, who still believe the crap the Managers are telling them. They all know (even Lobo) that they have really *removed coarse language* up and have killed one of the sustainable stock places in the internet. But that is how capitalism goes. The owners of getty will continue to milk the cow dry until it dies. We have passed the point of no return in 2012/13.

So to answer your question in quick. Don't waste your time with this company. By 2020 they are not around any more.
It's interesting what comes up when you Google Carlyle Group Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  I have no idea how these big hedge funds operate, never thought the previous one would be able to sell Getty.  I remember laughing when someone joked about SS buying Getty one day but perhaps that's not such a joke now?

« Reply #98 on: March 27, 2017, 04:58 »
+5
further uploads to istock or give myself a stiff uppercut - I'll take the latter

« Reply #99 on: March 27, 2017, 11:18 »
+2
Companies like Getty will still say that they can't afford to pay more, but it's B.S.
Not necessarily. Remember that they have piled up gigantic debts in the vulture capitalist merry-go-round of buying the company, borrowing in the market to repay the people who bought it all charged against (our) future earnings, then selling it on to somebody else who repeats the process. They've piled up so much debt to line the pockets of the "investors" that the rating agencies were starting to downgrade them the last I heard of it.

I was thinking more historically, from back in the beginning up to the years around the Getty deal. More recent events have certainly made it impossible for them to raise royalty rates to anything even close to 50%. But in 2010 and prior, they could have done it. Back when they called it "unsustainable" to continue paying rates on the system before the redeemed credit scheme, I think that was kind of a dishonest statement. Maybe at the time it was becoming unsustainable, but it certainly wasn't always that way and we now know that 50% and above is sustainable if a company operates in a way that views contributors as valuable (and critical) asset.

Today, sure, it is unsustainable to pay more. It's impossible, actually, and really it's kind of amazing that they survive at all considering how many hooks investors have in the company and how bad things are over there financially.


 

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