Justanotherphotographer, no, it looks like we need to stay opted OUT for the duration of the testing period. It starts in 3 days and will go... "for a few weeks", according to private reply to me from Support.

Oh well... I will run my own experiment. To check how much Dreamstime sells direct, and how much comes from the third-party sales. 

The reaction of the DT representatives here is just disappointing. I didnt have any negative experience with DT until now and maybe I would have participated in this test if things had been handled in a different way.

They basically didnt give me any other option but to opt out of all alliances because among the few images which they chose from my portfolio, there is one which is my bestselller at SS.. And I dont want to offer my bestseller for free under ANY conditions. So I had to opt out my whole port. They could have let us choose which of the files we want to put in the test but for some reason it was all or nothing. So it will be nothing then.

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on May 30, 2014, 07:42

Businesses love to hide behind this "confidential" bit.  Like "We can't tell you how much you're going to make, because we have a confidential deal with Getty".

When business is equitable you do not need to hide the details. The question is why does the partner feel the need for secrecy?

I also wonder if another agency is involved in this deal.

Could be that or they don't want some other agency coming in to snake the deal.

Justanotherphotographer, no, it looks like we need to stay opted OUT for the duration of the testing period. It starts in 3 days and will go... "for a few weeks", according to private reply to me from Support.

Oh well... I will run my own experiment. To check how much Dreamstime sells direct, and how much comes from the third-party sales. 

Thank you for clearing that up for me, saved me some irritation!

Let's all take a breath...

The email said "small scale beta test program."

When anything in the IT world is being rolled out it gets beta tested to a small group before it goes to the masses.  And typically the people beta testing the software do not pay for it. 

This is an evaluation period.  Picture an ice cream supplier giving one of those tiny taster spoons to the food buyer at Wal-Mart.  The supplier isn't going to ask Mr. Purchasing Executive to pony up a quarter before he gets his taste.  The supplier knows that if Wal-Mart likes what it tastes, it could result in an enormous, game-changing order.

I believe in DT.  They have been good to me over the years (and of course, I have been good to them.)  If this came from an agency I believe is shady, I would take a skeptical view of this. 

DT has a BIG fish on the line, trying to reel it in and create an potentially enormous payday for all of us.  Think for a moment before you try to cut that line.

As for me, DT selected a HUGE amount of my images to run in this test, and I'm ALL IN.

The rest of you can demand your quarter for the taster spoon.

Your logic is wrong.

Let me get this straight
DT = the ice cream supplier
Walmart food buyer = the big fish partner

Now, you're forgetting that we contributors are the factory that supplies the spoons for the ice cream supplier's taster spoons. Would an ice cream supplier ask for free spoons from the factory to pitch his ice cream to the food buyer? With a vague promise of spending more on spoons once the food buyers agrees to a big deal? Of course not. However DT is. The ice cream supplier should invest the money for spoons because he's the only who should bear this financial risk.

Quote from: cthoman on May 30, 2014, 09:50

These exchanges between contributors and agency employees are always entertaining. For the agencies, I'm looking for the same thing everyday. Around 50% royalties and an RPI in the $5-$10 range. Wake me up when you get there, otherwise don't bother me with your deals.

If you continue sleeping they can only lower it even more.

LOL. That wouldn't be any different than when I was awake and participating.

How can you trace sales from partner programs at DT?

I would like to know how much that "invitation" to the test will cost me.

Let's face it, the free images are good, but not good enough to impress a partner or a customer.

WHAT?

What will you invent next?
Do we have to pay if your customer uses our images??

Oooh yes, every time i dream of some horrible stockmarket inventions it comes true a few days later.
"Exciting news from DT - we have to pay for the exposure DT generates"

I think these agencies are at a crossroads.  Price has been driven down to the point of extinction. 

Right!  And who has driven the price so low?  WE have, by supporting every low-balling new agency that comes along.  And when the bigger agencies have to remain competitive by dropping their prices, sure there's some whining here in the forums, but backed with no real action.  In fact, we keep uploading more.

So what's an agency to do if it wants to survive, and maybe drive more downloads of our images?  One way is to create deals with partners to position our content in unique ways.  That's exactly what DT is doing with this potential deal, and what do contributors say?   We want to kill the deal because the beta test period won't pay us for images that the testers use for a few weeks.  Are we really that short-sighted?!? (insert your tired arguments about who should pay for the beta test here... I'm looking at the big picture, and my "losses" during the beta test will be tiny drops compared to the big revenue that could be possible with the deal if it goes well.) 

Fact is, DT is one of the more fair-paying agencies out there.  We should give them some credit on this, and once the deal is finalized let them present the commission scenario to us.  If we don't like it, we can bail.  But for god's sake, let's give them the chance. 

I think these agencies are at a crossroads.  Price has been driven down to the point of extinction.  They have to have good exclusive quality in order to survive but can't attract it with low commission rates.

Actually, DT has some pretty nice commissions at the higher levels. I'm pretty happy when I get a $5 or $10 royalty. I just wish they'd move closer to that end on a regular basis. I'd love to see them say to heck with it. We aren't going to compete with these other agencies for the lower prices. They already do it partially now, so why not do it all the time?

Says Walmart to Vlasic:

Here is the deal.  We'll take your product, sell it to our customers for a really, really low price.  Our customers will be ecstatic to get your product as such a low price.  And think of all the exposure your company will get!

Oh and by the way, if you don't take the deal, there are two other companies lined up to take it.  And next year we'll be offering you even less of a profit margin because our customers expect "falling prices".  Sign here.