MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => DepositPhotos => Topic started by: zorba on July 19, 2023, 12:27

Title: Are they next?
Post by: zorba on July 19, 2023, 12:27
I have a feeling that the next one to go down in flames will be Depositphotos. In my personal experience offline, but now also in my online experience with microstock agencies, you can immediately see that IT infrastructure and services are starting to malfunction, problems are not being solved, resources are not being treated with due care, whether they are human or assets of potential earnings, but ABOVE all business tools.

All the agencies you have seen fall one by one have presented the same characteristics. First you work poorly, then problems are not solved, meanwhile you make little money, then the end.

What do you think?
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Asthebelltolls on July 19, 2023, 14:11
      I hope you're wrong.
      DepositPhotos has always been one of my best agencies as far as sales and a great starting point for launching submissions for other agencies. Month to month sales have often out preformed the BIG agencies and it's designed to make submitting quick and easy.
      If I was to make predictions I'd say Bigstockphoto or Alamy....Success depends on your portfolio and in my case, DP buyers seem to gravitate to my broad selection of categories and themes..... 
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Her Ugliness on July 20, 2023, 04:50
Depoitphotos has been a steady earner for me. I make enough to make payout each month and I do not see a decline in income and they have THE easiest upload process of all agencies. Just upload and click submit and that's it.
The money I make from them isn't that much that I would cry over them if they closed, but there are other agencies which generate less income and have for a long time and are still up, so I don't see depositphotos going in the near future. Eventually yes, when microstock is completely replaced by AI, but till then I don't see why they should close.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on July 20, 2023, 07:21
When I started, back in the mid teens, I’d make several hundred a month at DP. 

Now I can’t remember the last time I got a payout. 
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: cascoly on July 20, 2023, 12:43
When I started, back in the mid teens, I’d make several hundred a month at DP. 

Now I can’t remember the last time I got a payout.

i never rec'd much from them either & they were pushing my shopify images down on google searches, so I dropped them some months ago

same for 123rf - they have good SEO presence but it doesn't translate into sales. i finally got another payout from them and will be canceling shortly
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Mimi the Cat on July 20, 2023, 14:18
$597.61 in 12 years makes them useless as an agency.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Asthebelltolls on July 21, 2023, 08:00
     123RF is now offering me "free gifts" if I start resubmitting. Sounds like desperation to me....
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Justanotherphotographer on July 21, 2023, 08:19
     123RF is now offering me "free gifts" if I start resubmitting. Sounds like desperation to me....
That's where my money is. Four figures a month to barely three and the website hasn't worked properly for years. Half my portfolio doesn't even display a lot of the time.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: dragonblade on February 02, 2024, 22:37
Is DP still in the same state that was described in the opening post? Or have things improved? I'm not a contributor there but Ive been considering joining up for a while. It's just that some folks are talking me out of it.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Ambu on February 03, 2024, 01:44
Is DP still in the same state that was described in the opening post? Or have things improved? I'm not a contributor there but Ive been considering joining up for a while. It's just that some folks are talking me out of it.

These are my statistics with them. I guess they are next to close after Canstockphoto.

2020 - around 600 videos - 7 sales - total $109.35 ---- highest sale $36       RPD- 15.62
2021- around 1500 videos- 13 sales- total $88.14  ---- highest sale $19.09  RPD-   6.78
2022- around 2500 videos-  9 sales - total $68.26  ---- highest sale $17.79  RPD-   7.58
2023- around 3500 videos- 12 sales- total $38.56  ---- highest sale $6.18    RPD-   3.21
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Her Ugliness on February 03, 2024, 04:57

These are my statistics with them. I guess they are next to close after Canstockphoto.

2020 - around 600 videos - 7 sales - total $109.35 ---- highest sale $36       RPD- 15.62
2021- around 1500 videos- 13 sales- total $88.14  ---- highest sale $19.09  RPD-   6.78
2022- around 2500 videos-  9 sales - total $68.26  ---- highest sale $17.79  RPD-   7.58
2023- around 3500 videos- 12 sales- total $38.56  ---- highest sale $6.18    RPD-   3.21

Ouch.
I have an average of about 50 sales per month there. I don't sell videos though, just photos.
Not a big earner, but decent and steady income for me. Usually better than the other small agencies.
Don't see why they should close anythime soon, no noticable decline in sales or revenue for me.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Ambu on February 03, 2024, 07:10

These are my statistics with them. I guess they are next to close after Canstockphoto.

2020 - around 600 videos - 7 sales - total $109.35 ---- highest sale $36       RPD- 15.62
2021- around 1500 videos- 13 sales- total $88.14  ---- highest sale $19.09  RPD-   6.78
2022- around 2500 videos-  9 sales - total $68.26  ---- highest sale $17.79  RPD-   7.58
2023- around 3500 videos- 12 sales- total $38.56  ---- highest sale $6.18    RPD-   3.21

Ouch.
I have an average of about 50 sales per month there. I don't sell videos though, just photos.
Not a big earner, but decent and steady income for me. Usually better than the other small agencies.
Don't see why they should close anythime soon, no noticable decline in sales or revenue for me.

maybe my guess is wrong, but my experience with them is very very worst.
I don't know much about photos/illustrations sales over there, but the video sales are not good(at least for me.)

I am regularly uploading videos to them, with increase in number of videos, earnings decreasing every year.

present I am working with 7 agencies including wirestock. and depositphotos is in last place in terms of downloads and earnings.
I earned 2.5 times more from Dreamstime which is in 2nd place from last.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Wilm on February 03, 2024, 09:57
Downloads went down 50% of what it used to be in 2018 to 2020. Nevertheless, I believe that DT and 123 will go down the drain before them.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Roscoe on February 03, 2024, 10:25
It would really help if those small fish agencies would lower their payout threshold. It's 100$ at Dreamstime, it's 50$ for 123RF and DepositPhoto's.
Makes no sense. Even Shutterstock and Adobe have a rather low payout threshold of 25$. 100$ at iStock/Getty too, but with them it's easy to reach.
Decreasing royalties and sales volumes should be in line with payout thresholds. 
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Asthebelltolls on February 03, 2024, 11:23
It would really help if those small fish agencies would lower their payout threshold. It's 100$ at Dreamstime, it's 50$ for 123RF and DepositPhoto's.

I totally agree but in my particular case, DP reaches payout now before the SS. They are also a great starting point when submitting to multiple agencies.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: Roscoe on February 03, 2024, 12:11
It would really help if those small fish agencies would lower their payout threshold. It's 100$ at Dreamstime, it's 50$ for 123RF and DepositPhoto's.

I totally agree but in my particular case, DP reaches payout now before the SS. They are also a great starting point when submitting to multiple agencies.
I guess it shows how different portfolio's perform at different agencies.
I have have monthly payout at Shutterstock (25$) but it takes multiple months or even more than a year to reach payout at DP (50$).
Roughly the same portfolio's on both sites.
Title: Re: Are they next?
Post by: opal on February 06, 2024, 10:29
It would really help if those small fish agencies would lower their payout threshold. It's 100$ at Dreamstime, it's 50$ for 123RF and DepositPhoto's.
Makes no sense. Even Shutterstock and Adobe have a rather low payout threshold of 25$. 100$ at iStock/Getty too, but with them it's easy to reach.
Decreasing royalties and sales volumes should be in line with payout thresholds.
In the new Agreement which came out a few days ago Depositphotos state their lowest withdrawal amount is $25. Yesterday I've tried to take out some between $25 and 50, but the system did not allow me to do that, so I contacted Support and waiting for reply email. Sales at Depositphotos are going down year by year and I would not be surprised DP will be next to close.


They have sorted out this $25 payment issue.