pancakes

MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: Important Dreamstime Announcements - New Pricing Structure  (Read 48559 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« Reply #75 on: April 02, 2011, 11:48 »
0
Still.

Sales have dropped about 60% in  2 years.
Curious how hey are going to shift that.........................?.

Patrick.


lisafx

« Reply #76 on: April 02, 2011, 12:17 »
0
Interesting to me that, as far as I can tell from reading this thread, the only people NOT happy about the changes at DT are the ones that don't contribute there. 

« Reply #77 on: April 02, 2011, 12:41 »
0
Interesting to me that, as far as I can tell from reading this thread, the only people NOT happy about the changes at Dreamstime are the ones that don't contribute there. 

I'm with them from the beginning.... ???

Patrick H.

lisafx

« Reply #78 on: April 02, 2011, 18:09 »
0

I'm with them from the beginning.... ???

Patrick H.

I thought your complaint was about your overall decline in earnings there.  My comment was only referring to the people complaining about this set of price increases. 

Are you also upset with the new price changes?  If so, can you tell me what the down side is, because it looks good from my perspective. 

« Reply #79 on: April 02, 2011, 21:13 »
0
...If so, can you tell me what the down side is, because it looks good from my perspective. 

I fit the category of "doesn't contribute there" (any more) but I do find the recent price hikes puzzling. I like the idea of level 0 pricing to encourage buyers to take a chance on a new file, although I don't see why the royalty rate has to be less on the lower priced items.

What I find a puzzle is that the very small sizes of the very popular files will now be a ton more expensive than just about anywhere else. Doesn't that effectively push buyers to go elsewhere for these (except for exclusive to DT files)? IOW, price increases are fine when buyers pay them, but if an XS costs 11 credits at DT but 1 credit at IS and 2 at FT (is emerald 2 or 3 for XS?) I can't imagine people paying such a premium. The larger sizes seem to be closer to what you'd pay at other sites.

Perhaps I'm missing something...

« Reply #80 on: April 02, 2011, 21:32 »
0
if it's not a joke its kind of dumb announcing it on april fools day, when you have made jokes.

a commission cut is a commission cut, regardless of how its wrapped. I dont see a need, makes you wonder how many are level 0 sales, especially when they will be significantly cheaper.

Weekly subscriptions sounds like a disaster about to happen.

Set you own pricing for designers? what? how about some info on this.

I am very dubious of this being good news.

red

« Reply #81 on: April 02, 2011, 22:42 »
0
Doesn't that effectively push buyers to go elsewhere for these (except for exclusive to Dreamstime files)? IOW, price increases are fine when buyers pay them, but if an XS costs 11 credits at Dreamstime but 1 credit at IS and 2 at Fotolia (is emerald 2 or 3 for XS?)

You are assuming that price is the only criteria a buyer uses for purchasing images from microstock sites. I can tell you from experience, that designers don't troll for the lowest priced images. They usually have an account at one, maybe two sites and buy their images as they need them from the source that was approved by the head of the dept. or business office. Microstock is inexpensive and it doesn't really matter if an image costs less somewhere else. They have a dollar amount they can spend and their purchases are a line item in a list of many other expenses in a yearly budget. Many medium to large corporate image buying departments don't even know about alternate sites. I believe that is why istock is still doing well. They built their name early in the game. Many companies found them first and aren't aware of or don't want to take the time to look elsewhere for what are essentially the same types of images. Large buyers don't analyze prices as much as you think and most are clueless about the inner workings of any site, let alone multiple ones.

« Reply #82 on: April 02, 2011, 22:49 »
0
I wonder with the shift from print to web content and mobile content if XS sales are becoming more and more common. Perhaps this is a way to cash in on that. I certainly have seen IS move to a very high % of XS sales.

or maybe it is pushing people towards subs. Especially the weekly subs? They seem a little cheap, as if I were a designer needing even just a few larger images I'd go for the weekly sub. Also it is a lot easier to imagine someone maxing out a weekly subscription than one for a longer term.

I suppose the proof will be in the sales stats over the next few months.

I agree it is stupid to make any changes on April 1, especially when you are also joking about things too.

« Reply #83 on: April 02, 2011, 22:54 »
0
Large buyers don't analyze prices as much as you think and most are clueless about the inner workings of any site, let alone multiple ones.

Why is everyone so obsessed with "large buyers"? Not all buyers of microstock are large buyers. You seem to be forgetting about how many small buyers purchase microstock. Remember them? The ones who actually helped the microstock industry grow to what it is today. And to many many small buyers, price is very important. I used to purchase strictly at iStock. Now I have accounts at four different agencies because they kept upping the prices (among all the other sh*tty things they did and are doing). I find this price hike at Dreamstime...unfortunate. If I can find the same image cheaper on a different stock site - say 123RF, for instance - that is where I will be buying.

« Reply #84 on: April 03, 2011, 03:29 »
0
I really don't like the cut to 25% commission.  That's a real concern because where do they stop?  With this and the last commission cut, they have halved their commission for images that haven't sold yet.  The cost of running sites must of come down over the years, they are being very selective with their reviews now.  I really don't think we deserve another commission cut.  Are they going to slice some more off next year?  I stopped uploading to DT and this doesn't make me want to start again.  Every time prices go up, buyers leave and sales go down.  We might make a bit more money but DT will make a lot more form another commission cut.  I also don't like the weekly subs, will have to see how that pans out.

« Reply #85 on: April 03, 2011, 03:48 »
0

I'm with them from the beginning.... ???

Patrick H.

I thought your complaint was about your overall decline in earnings there.  My comment was only referring to the people complaining about this set of price increases. 

Are you also upset with the new price changes?  If so, can you tell me what the down side is, because it looks good from my perspective. 

I am worried the new weekly subscription packages will drive more buyers to subcription.

Patrick H.

« Reply #86 on: April 03, 2011, 04:59 »
0
As a former DT exclusive, I'll add my 2 cents (which is about all I made from IS last month).  DT encourages exclusives in many ways and also encourages growth of microstock photographers.  They make it easy for newbies to enter the field and I believe this new pricing is to encourage the newbies by giving them a few more sales but not adding much to the bank account-most newbies are more impressed by seeing the DL then the money most will never collect (many never make it to the minimum payout before quitting).  On the other hand, DT recognizes that their "bread and butter" is the established pros and serious amateurs; this new pricing structure is a reward for the established folks as most of them have more than one download per image.

Add me to the camp that is pleased with the general way DT handles their contributors; they are the only one of the big four that I feel really values their contributors.  I know most of the DT staff on a first name basis; have exchanged many emails concerning the site with them and posted a few blogs to help the community.  On the other hand, I dropped my exclusive in March of this year because I was not making sufficient money from DT;  since dropping exclusive, my monthly income has multiplied by 4-5 times but my work load also multiplied by about 10 times (because many of the sites have yet to payoff for all the work).  Even though I dropped exclusive at DT; my sales at DT  are still within 70% of my former exclusive sales (number images sold and revenue average per download).

Microbius

« Reply #87 on: April 03, 2011, 06:44 »
0
I have never agreed to sell the rights for an image with DT for many of the reasons already covered here.
The license gives the buyer the impression that they will be using the image exclusively when in fact the file may have sold lots of times on DT and other sites and could be used in future by a competitor of the buyer who has already bought a RF license before the rights sale.
They may have not been caught out yet, but I don't want to be the test case.

« Reply #88 on: April 03, 2011, 11:17 »
0
A year ago, I sold the rights of 1 image on DST.  I had not changed the default price, so it was sold at 350 dollars.  It was not a popular image, so 350$ was a good deal, and I managed to get it off the other sites very quickly.
However, I was not asked by DST to sell the rights, I was told that the rights were sold, so I realised that - if this had happened to one of my bestsellers, I would NOT have been very pleased at all.
After that day, I changed all my sell-the-rights prices into 2000 dollars.

Now my question is :   if a person buys the exclusive use for 1 year, what will the price be?   A percentage of my 2000$ ?  Or a price fixed by Dreamstime? 
I think I prefer to switch off that choice for all my images now.  Can this be done in one move?  Anyone now how?

WarrenPrice

« Reply #89 on: April 03, 2011, 12:22 »
0
A year ago, I sold the rights of 1 image on DST.  I had not changed the default price, so it was sold at 350 dollars.  It was not a popular image, so 350$ was a good deal, and I managed to get it off the other sites very quickly.
However, I was not asked by DST to sell the rights, I was told that the rights were sold, so I realised that - if this had happened to one of my bestsellers, I would NOT have been very pleased at all.
After that day, I changed all my sell-the-rights prices into 2000 dollars.

Now my question is :   if a person buys the exclusive use for 1 year, what will the price be?   A percentage of my 2000$ ?  Or a price fixed by Dreamstime?  
I think I prefer to switch off that choice for all my images now.  Can this be done in one move?  Anyone now how?

I've had to do this Anyka; one image at the time.  I asked to have it done by admin but was told it was a DoItYourself process.   >:(

ed:  ps:  I seem to remember that someone wrote a script (or macro) for doing a batch process on Dreamstime.  I don't think it was for changing the EL-SR option but it could be done ... I guess.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2011, 12:25 by WarrenPrice »

« Reply #90 on: April 03, 2011, 12:24 »
0
oh help  :o

WarrenPrice

« Reply #91 on: April 03, 2011, 12:26 »
0
You're too fast.  I just amended the post.   :P

traveler1116

« Reply #92 on: April 03, 2011, 12:39 »
0
Interesting to me that, as far as I can tell from reading this thread, the only people NOT happy about the changes at Dreamstime are the ones that don't contribute there.  

Well not a contributor there anymore (because of things like this) but the 1 week sub thing looks pretty bad.  52 credits cost 49.99 but a week long sub deal costs 44.99 for 10 images a day.  In one day a sub deal lets you download 100 credits of images (level two images 10 times 10 credits maximum size) so who would buy a credit package?  I can't see anything to be happy about with this scheme.  

I must be missing something here because this sounds so crazy.  The one week plan lets you get up to 700 credits as far as I can tell for $44.99 but a 700 credit package costs $593.22.  I can't understand that pricing at all.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2011, 12:45 by traveler1116 »

« Reply #93 on: April 03, 2011, 17:53 »
0
Are you also upset with the new price changes?  If so, can you tell me what the down side is, because it looks good from my perspective. 

I think we risk driving buyers away due to higher prices.

I have just one level 5 image. It sold four times in 2010 and 13 times in 2007 (if I remember it right, that's when they started the levels). Of course it is hard to say whether the price was the culprit, or changes in search results, or the arrival of better images in the site. In either case, in both years I made almost the same $ from it.

idspopd

« Reply #94 on: April 03, 2011, 20:36 »
0
A year ago, I sold the rights of 1 image on DST.  I had not changed the default price, so it was sold at 350 dollars.  It was not a popular image, so 350$ was a good deal, and I managed to get it off the other sites very quickly.
However, I was not asked by DST to sell the rights, I was told that the rights were sold, so I realised that - if this had happened to one of my bestsellers, I would NOT have been very pleased at all.
After that day, I changed all my sell-the-rights prices into 2000 dollars.

Now my question is :   if a person buys the exclusive use for 1 year, what will the price be?   A percentage of my 2000$ ?  Or a price fixed by Dreamstime? 
I think I prefer to switch off that choice for all my images now.  Can this be done in one move?  Anyone now how?

the default price at the start is 250 dollars. with each download the price creeps ups to 300, 350, and so on. the last record sale of SR-EL is 5100 dollars.. so i guess your $2000 default price is to low :)

« Reply #95 on: April 04, 2011, 02:38 »
0
Are you also upset with the new price changes?  If so, can you tell me what the down side is, because it looks good from my perspective. 

I think we risk driving buyers away due to higher prices.

I have just one level 5 image. It sold four times in 2010 and 13 times in 2007 (if I remember it right, that's when they started the levels). Of course it is hard to say whether the price was the culprit, or changes in search results, or the arrival of better images in the site. In either case, in both years I made almost the same $ from it.

It's quite likely that buyers will choose a cheaper level for a generic file - an isolated object, for example - but files that have something genuinely different about them should still be very salable at level 5.

« Reply #96 on: April 04, 2011, 06:48 »
0
My level 5 images sell quite well.

digitalexpressionimages

« Reply #97 on: April 04, 2011, 08:37 »
0
Ok. I just had an image approved on April 2nd and it's being called a level 1. When does the level 0 kick in? Or was it all a joke?

« Reply #98 on: April 04, 2011, 08:42 »
0
Ok. I just had an image approved on April 2nd and it's being called a level 1. When does the level 0 kick in? Or was it all a joke?

At least week subscriptions are unfortunately reality.

« Reply #99 on: April 04, 2011, 08:49 »
0
Ok. I just had an image approved on April 2nd and it's being called a level 1. When does the level 0 kick in? Or was it all a joke?

It looks like it is in effect. If you logout and surf the site, you'll get the new prices. It said something about for new customers only in the announcement. I'm still not entirely sure what that means. New credits purchased after April 1st? New customers signed up after April 1st?  ???


 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
8 Replies
5680 Views
Last post February 12, 2009, 21:52
by DanP68
New Pricing from Dreamstime

Started by WarrenPrice « 1 2  All » Dreamstime.com

42 Replies
24673 Views
Last post January 12, 2010, 20:54
by rene
New DT 2012 Pricing Structure

Started by red « 1 2 ... 5 6 » Dreamstime.com

135 Replies
33734 Views
Last post May 02, 2012, 03:39
by Microbius
4 Replies
3370 Views
Last post February 04, 2013, 16:35
by gillian vann
65 Replies
24293 Views
Last post April 19, 2017, 16:19
by increasingdifficulty

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors