There have been a few reports over on their forum of lower than usual sales, not only distributor.
If it's any consolation, you have 14c more than I have this month ("so far", she added, hopefully!)

Here works the same - "partners", "distributors" etc - all types of intermediates as in any business. Exist a business and exist a parasite.

Quote from: pancaketom on April 11, 2021, 16:56

...Maybe it is time to finally kill distributor sales - in the past they have mostly been low (< $20), but I don't think I have ever had one under $1 net before. I guess now that we only get 40% of regular sales the distributor sales aren't so much lower, but they have moved from good microstock levels to poor microstock levels....

The volume of sales at Alamy (for me) is low, but funnily enough, last October I decided to opt in to distributor sales after being opted out for many years. I thought I'd see how, if at all, that improved sales volume (I'd opted out on principle because I consider it outrageous that the distributor makes more than I do).
 
Since October 2020 there have been only 2 distributor sales, the two smallest sales I've had in that time period. Gross numbers, one sale was $3.51 and the other $2.28. I am glad that the higher value sales (top 3, gross, $250, $119, $95) were direct through Alamy.

A few months isn't long enough to make any decisions, but based on what I've seen to date, opting in to distributor sales was pointless

While true, opting out is also pointless, because then I'd get 100% of nothing? I really can't be concerned about some distribution sale in China or Romania as harming my other sales from some other distribution agency? Maybe mine are different, but they are news use.
Worst:
679 x 452 pixels
China, Web, One month, Bulk Discount, Flat Rate

Here works the same - "partners", "distributors" etc - all types of intermediates as in any business. Exist a business and exist a parasite.

So true and the state of Microstock right now. After the race to the bottom, now we have the race to sell through distribution for the lowest fees. In the end, the artists are always the last in the chain and get less of what's left.

The subject pretty much covers it - 2 sales for the month, both distributor, both for 0.46 of which I get 0.14 - in the details they say RF and "China"

14 cents would make me angry too.
How large and what use? Or does it just say RF?

Alamy, please don't venture down this path...

I also noticed those recent China-based "sub-like" sales, but I also get bigger ones.
So "sub-like" sales can be OK, as long the big sales are not cannibalized.

I was twice refused by Alamy because I was using a compact camera.

Nowdays I look at their site to pick-up ideas for photos to load to their rivals who are not so pedantic about which camera you use.

I was twice refused by Alamy because I was using a compact camera.

Nowdays I look at their site to pick-up ideas for photos to load to their rivals who are not so pedantic about which camera you use.

Alamy have always had a list of unacceptable cameras such as compact cameras and phone cameras

# 1848 x 1224 pixels
and
1692 x 1125 pixels

so not full resolution.#

Well, then it seems to be really something like side business:
If we further see bought in China..., well, I guess, they would not buy it for usual price - except very few one as mentioned above.
So, opt in might NOT competiting with ourselves or giving away for cheaper?
But who says, that only customer from China want to use it?

A clearify from Alamy would help. Then it might be easier to decide t opt in or opt out.

I was twice refused by Alamy because I was using a compact camera.

It was the specific camera you had that was rejected, not the fact that it was a compact camera.
A Sony 100Mk3 is my current 'walkabout' camera, and I've had lots of pics from it accepted, and I believe they accept pics from the earlier models also.

Quote from: WD3 Photography on April 12, 2021, 13:33

I was twice refused by Alamy because I was using a compact camera.

It was the specific camera you had that was rejected, not the fact that it was a compact camera.
A Sony 100Mk3 is my current 'walkabout' camera, and I've had lots of pics from it accepted, and I believe they accept pics from the earlier models also.

Most people in Alamy use as compact camera Sony RX100, i can't afford to buy that camera, i have a Canon XT (Alamy) for street and some cheap compact cameras such as Nikon Coolpix L18  (not accepted on Alamy but they accepted in microstock ). This's the tread on Alamy forum talking about it.

https://discussion.alamy.com/topic/12088-dslr-camera-recommendation/?tab=comments#comment-223263

The cameras I had rejected by Alamy were the Lumiz FZ330 and FujiFilm XF10. The latter rejection was particularly ridiculous as the XF10 has a 24MP APS-C sensor.

I assume this barrier to entry has resulted in Alamy losing ground to it's competitors.

You assume incorrectly they are doing fine in their niche

This might help

"Almost all compact cameras, fixed lens cameras � SLR-like Bridge Cameras and all mobile phones cannot produce images that meet our guidelines"

https://www.alamy.com/blog/alamys-rough-guide-to-digital-cameras

"Almost all compact cameras, fixed lens cameras � SLR-like Bridge Cameras and all mobile phones cannot produce images that meet our guidelines."

Alamy's harakiri 

Alamy have always had this policy doesn't seem to cause them any problems nor does it cause a problem for the other contributors.

Quote from: alexandersr on April 12, 2021, 10:30

Well a macrostock became a microstock site. That's it!

Yes indeed but I guess they really have no options left but to turn Micro-stock or else they bite the dust. Like so many others!...besides Alamy have touted micro-stock photographers for ages they did it here at the MSG a few years back!

Yes, Mid-Stock at best and now they are Microstock. James used to say "We are not Microstock" but reminder, Alamy was sold. All bets off...

I'll gladly take <$1 when Alamy also gives >$200+ as I've seen today.

Thanks Alamy, after 6 months I no longer want to be broken up with you...

Good times are gone!
A macrostock became a microstock site! Sad!

Take a look, your image is on The Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/01/the-mystery-of-the-gatwick-drone

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 24, 2021, 05:48

I'll gladly take <$1 when Alamy also gives >$200+ as I've seen today.

Thanks Alamy, after 6 months I no longer want to be broken up with you...

Good times are gone!
A macrostock became a microstock site! Sad!

Take a look, your image is on The Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/01/the-mystery-of-the-gatwick-drone

Oh that sale only earned me a whopping $15.62 gross, which is gross.

Quote from: WD3 Photography on April 12, 2021, 13:33

I was twice refused by Alamy because I was using a compact camera.

Nowdays I look at their site to pick-up ideas for photos to load to their rivals who are not so pedantic about which camera you use.

Alamy have always had a list of unacceptable cameras such as compact cameras and phone cameras

most of my accepted images (3500) at alamy are with 'unacceptable cameras'

Quote from: Bad Robot on April 13, 2021, 02:35

Quote from: WD3 Photography on April 12, 2021, 13:33

I was twice refused by Alamy because I was using a compact camera.

Nowdays I look at their site to pick-up ideas for photos to load to their rivals who are not so pedantic about which camera you use.

Alamy have always had a list of unacceptable cameras such as compact cameras and phone cameras

most of my accepted images (3500) at alamy are with 'unacceptable cameras'

They do read the camera data from the EXIF. I tried a stitch, which made a P&S into a 45MP image. Then brought it down. Refused for camera. I thought I stripped the data. Not worth all the trouble to get some panorama passed.

https://www.alamy.com/blog/alamys-rough-guide-to-digital-cameras

The list is gone.

Unsuitable Cameras

When we say �unsuitable� we mean cameras that are consistently unable to produce images that meet our guidelines.

    Forget megapixel count, mobile phones and compact cameras are designed to be small and manageable and that means less room for large sensors and lenses
    Almost all compact cameras, fixed lens cameras � SLR-like Bridge Cameras and all mobile phones cannot produce images that meet our guidelines
    Some older DSLRs are also unsuitable due to their overall poor quality, small sensors and age


Let me say, if some agency says, "we only take photos from full frame sensor cameras" that's their choice. Just like Stockimo only takes photos from Apple iphones (not Android! and that makes me wonder about Apple  tablets?)

But the point is, Alamy says what they want and what reasons and that's the way it is.

Meanwhile back at distributor sales. Sad what has happened to the value of our work. After years, instead of residual and some reliable income, it has been devalued nearly everywhere.

Quote from: ShadySue on April 27, 2021, 17:38

Quote from: cascoly on April 27, 2021, 17:05

Quote from: Bad Robot on April 13, 2021, 02:35

Quote from: WD3 Photography on April 12, 2021, 13:33

I was twice refused by Alamy because I was using a compact camera.

Nowdays I look at their site to pick-up ideas for photos to load to their rivals who are not so pedantic about which camera you use.

Alamy have always had a list of unacceptable cameras such as compact cameras and phone cameras

most of my accepted images (3500) at alamy are with 'unacceptable cameras'

Really? I uploaded only one, by an honest mistake, and it was 'dropped' at the upload stage with a message that the camera wasn't approved. That was years ago, though.

it appears the meta is checked by a human, since i dont try to disguise my uploads - it's a silly rule anyway - if an image meets technical requirements, accept it.

also, i recently found out that if you submit multiple small batches, as soon as they find an error, all batches are rejected. and they only review a sample of what's submtted, not all images

Been that way from the start, one fail all fail.

Correct also, they don't review every image, they look at a page of thumbnails, and if something looks questionable, they look full size. That was in one of the conferences years ago. Now they have the star system and some of the people with 5 stars have reported images flying through review faster than ever. I'm only a 3 star I still have to wait for some human to look at my images.

Their basic philosophy has always been, if the image passes, it doesn't matter if it's brown dog poop, on a bent stick on a brown sand beach, it's accepted if it's sharp and clean. But included in that was the huge size requirements which later became defined by an approved camera list and is now pretty roughly, DSLR size sensor not megapixels, and they also clearly state, why a phone or smaller sensor is not what they want. No mystery in that?

What changed has been a reaction to smaller sensor cameras, and phones that produce larger images. So it doesn't make sense to say, must be an 18 Megapixel image when taken on a phone could be that and be unsuitable for their standards.

I wonder if I take something with a 10-D at 6MP if it will be rejected for unsuitable now?  They do say, some older cameras will not meet the current requirements, even though they are a DSLR. I'm not testing. I got into trouble that way years ago, trying to see how far I could push with Bridge cameras or a P&S when I did a 100 MP image, made from dozens of P&S shots.

The reason I supposed the software read the EXIF is some images are rejected before review. That doesn't county as a rejection, just as a refused image before review, because it doesn't meet requirements. Seems illogical that a reviewer would have to look at the camera data. I could be wrong.

The agency has a right to require anything they want for uploads. They could say only 24MP images and above. This has nothing to do with reasoning or being open to uploads from people who don't have the required equipment. Alamy makes the rules, that's what it is. Arguing is a waste of time, because we don't run them and they aren't reading here. Even if they did... they don't change requirements based on forum appeals based on contributor needs or opinions. None of them do.



Meanwhile back at the OP, 14c wouldn't make me happy. I haven't gotten one of those yet, and I'm hoping I never do.

Just had a bunch of $0.03 (net) sales. Hooray!

Same here! 

Yep, 2 sales at 10c, no commission to me.

Great.

And Contributor support seems to have been replaced with a bot sending a standard email to whatever question you might ask....

Wonderful.

You do have a commission (royalty) of .03 cents.  30%. Now see if that even buys you a single peanut.

Two $0.03 sales here. what is this?!

I did track down a PERSON at Alamy.

Seems the 10 cent sales are for Distribution - formerly Novel Use I seem to recall?

I thought I had these turned off and had never seen any before, so wonder if the default has been reset to permit these....

Anyway, for info.

I did track down a PERSON at Alamy.

Seems the 10 cent sales are for Distribution - formerly Novel Use I seem to recall?

I thought I had these turned off and had never seen any before, so wonder if the default has been reset to permit these....

Anyway, for info.

Apparently 'Distribution' and 'Novel Use' can still be opted out of, separately. (I don't remember them ever being connected.)
Distribution is where other agencies have sold the images, like a subcontractor, so we only get 30%, and some of the sales can be very small, especially if a bulk rate is applied by the distributor.
We can separately opt 'in' or 'out' of individual countries in the distribution network.

It's hard to remember all the ins and outs. When I went to look, I saw I had opted into 'Image Options' in 2017, and I had to look up what it meant!

It seems that Novel Use and Distribution can only be opted out during the month of April! SERIOUSLY!

Guess the default is that we are all opted in hence this flurry of 10 cent sales.

I can't say I recall any communication about this......

Just had 0$ sale on the sidebar, in sales it's 0.10, I get what?

.03 cents.  These are their distributor sales that you have to opt out of, but you can only opt out in April of each year. 

I just got a new low for myself...

0.02 commission

That's something I think it's OMG for ALAMY

Yeah, I can join the club, 0.04$ commission today 

Also got a 0.10  which gives me 0.02 net.

 

Quote from: thx9000 on July 27, 2021, 06:40

I just got a 0,02$ commission out of 0,10$ distributor sale despite opting out of novel use this year. Alamy is treading dangerous waters

Wow! Really?
Even not respect and accept opt outs?
Really dangerous waters!

Until now the really low ball sales used to be novel use. I guess this is some new distributor deal they cut recently since a lot of people are reporting the same amounts