MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => Dreamstime.com => Topic started by: luissantos84 on August 03, 2011, 18:34
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latest 20 sales, 19 subs
this month 12 sales, 11 subs
P.S: since I have opened this topic havent got a single sale, yeh paranoia! (it was paranoia)
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latest 20 sales, 12 subs
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latest 20 sales, 7 subs... not here :)
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I would much rather prefer the sub sales than the credit sales I've been getting. I've been getting a few 19 cent, and 23 cent one credit extra small sales. Wish they would have been subscription sales.
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15 of the last 20 have been subs for me.
Although I was happy to see a 26 credit sale this evening. Biggest one file sale for me so far.
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No not here!, contrary I have some big sales, in fact for me DT, is really coming on strong.
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I would much rather prefer the sub sales than the credit sales I've been getting. I've been getting a few 19 cent, and 23 cent one credit extra small sales. Wish they would have been subscription sales.
On the + side, a file with a mere 5 sales will net in the region of $1.70 instead of $0.20 and ALL sales count ;)
Seems to be swings and roundabouts with subs, for me only 7 of the last 20 but overall reckon about 50/50.
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latest 20 sales, 9 subs.
The average amount of credits used for each of the credit sales is just over 7 credits.
There was a period though a while back, I would have nothing but subs, so yeah it's just swings and roundabouts.
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9subs too
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12/20 were subs.
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Not just DT, but FT and IS too. Very frustrating and does not sit well with motivation to shoot more.
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If they started bringing in the same amount of money as SS does, I wouldn't mind at all;)
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Guess I spoke too soon with relation to the extra small sales. Just had an extra large U-EL license for $5.47 (25 credits).
I'm happy again. LOL
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Guess I spoke too soon with relation to the extra small sales. Just had an extra large U-EL license for $5.47 (25 credits).
I'm happy again. LOL
I just want to clarify if you are being sarcastic or not.
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20% is very cool :)
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Guess I spoke too soon with relation to the extra small sales. Just had an extra large U-EL license for $5.47 (25 credits).
I'm happy again. LOL
I just want to clarify if you are being sarcastic or not.
Either sarcastic or stupid ;D
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That's a bit harsh Slovenian. Each to their own and what whatever makes you happy. It doesn't do it for me though.
I once dated a Singapore Airlines flight attendant, even without uniform (I mean with other clothes on), a simple smile would get me more excited than a $5 EL.
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^Reality is harsh sometimes. I'm pretty sure Ed gets it the right way ;)
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I once dated a Singapore Airlines flight attendant, even without uniform (I mean with other clothes on), a simple smile would get me more excited than a $5 EL.
thatīs what is called love, too bad when it ends :/
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^Reality is harsh sometimes. I'm pretty sure Ed gets it the right way ;)
I get it...no worries. $5.47 is better than 19 cents though. Not as good as other places but better than a swift kick in the rear. ;D ;D
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Latest 20, 13 subs. But then also 3 level 4 and 5 credit sales each earning me over US$6.
Previous 20, 15 subs. One level 5 credit sale earning me over US$8.
These credit sales raise my RPD to aroud US$2, despite the subs. It's the only good thing.
One year ago it was more a 50-50 split between subs and credits. Subs have totally taken control.
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^Reality is harsh sometimes. I'm pretty sure Ed gets it the right way ;)
I get it...no worries. $5.47 is better than 19 cents though. Not as good as other places but better than a swift kick in the rear. ;D ;D
Well that was a good response considering the stick you got. Nice one. :)
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Yes indeed. Well played ;D
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No complaints here. About half subs, and half PPD. Since April RPD each month is $1.90 - $2. That's the highest I get on any site, so I am very happy.
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As a newbie at DT, my RPD for July was 60 cents, so that doesn't come close to the $2 at IS. If DT could just get its sales volume up (and let me upload more than 53 images a week) I'd be somewhat happier.
I should never have used my old account , but even so, with a new account I'd still only be able to upload 106 images a week.
Once some images start to earn more than 35 cents for subs download, I might not mind them so much :)
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^Reality is harsh sometimes. I'm pretty sure Ed gets it the right way ;)
I get it...no worries. $5.47 is better than 19 cents though. Not as good as other places but better than a swift kick in the rear. ;D ;D
Well that was a good response considering the stick you got. Nice one. :)
Oh come on! I made a mental note after reading a couple of Ed's posts that showed he is both smart (enough) and has a sense of humour to understand it the way It was meant to be understood. Don't be disappointed he didn't get offended, because of my "rude" behaviour ;) . I just wish there were more ppl like that over here ;)
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16/20 subs and plenty of 1 credit level 0 too, my RPD is a whopping .85 so far this month, usually it is between 1 and 1.50. It seems bimodal with larger higher level sales and .35 and under sales.
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^Reality is harsh sometimes. I'm pretty sure Ed gets it the right way ;)
I get it...no worries. $5.47 is better than 19 cents though. Not as good as other places but better than a swift kick in the rear. ;D ;D
Well that was a good response considering the stick you got. Nice one. :)
Oh come on! I made a mental note after reading a couple of Ed's posts that showed he is both smart (enough) and has a sense of humour to understand it the way It was meant to be understood. Don't be disappointed he didn't get offended, because of my "rude" behaviour ;) . I just wish there were more ppl like that over here ;)
I wasn't disappointed, I was simply remarking at a good response from him after being got at.
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My last 20 shows 10 are subs and 10 are credits.
Now if August could turn out like April did for me I won't be complaining not that I'm complaining now since it's only August 5th. Give me about two weeks though :P
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With their new weekly subscribtions there will only be more and more subs on DT as buyers old credits run out - smart move from DT to intransparent cut contributers commision and keep a larger cut to them selves...
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With their new weekly subscriptions there will only be more and more subs on DT as buyers old credits run out - smart move from DT to intransparent cut contributors commission and keep a larger cut to them selves...
When I used to calculate the value of credits from the royalties, I was surprised to find that most of my sales come from the 100 or 200 credit pack size. That still holds true for most of my credit sales. There has always been a monthly sub that is cheaper than a 200 pack, yet people were still buying those credit packs. All the evidence we have is anecdotal (since we have no idea if overall sales are up or down, how many of our sales are actually weekly subs, etc.), but one could just as easily argue that the availability of weekly subs will mean fewer monthly subs, and that sub use will go down overall. There will always be credit sales as people need them for extended licenses, and then they need to use up the rest.
We can be cynical about DT's motives, but if the weekly sub is more attractive than the monthly, they may well be paying out MORE royalties - I have to think someone can make better use of the subscription over a shorter time frame. Much harder to log in every day for a month and use the whole sub than for a week. I still think the jury is out on whether a weekly sub is more attractive to a monthly sub buyer, or a credit buyer. I can see people in both groups who would be attracted by the option, and people in both groups who wouldn't. The question is how many and in which group.
The proof in the pudding is what happens with RPD and sales. Since credit packs expire in a year, and subs could expire monthly or yearly, it may be a while before we really know the impact of this change. Since they brought in the weekly subs, I still haven't had a month that was lower than the previous year for both revenue and RPD - but I can also see that if one is non-exclusive with a lot of level 0 images that would likely be a much different story....
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Hey, I just had a nice "extralarge (upsized)" sale. I got 35 cents.
What did DT receive on this particular sale? With subscriptions there's no simple answer. What did the buyer pay, up-front, for the subscription? How many images did he actually download in return? We have no way of finding out.
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What would you get on other sites??? Seems the only difference with DT is that the size is specifed and this rubs salt into the wound...
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Only 9 out of my last 20 were credit sales but 5 of them were over 15 credits so no complaints here as my RPD is still much higher than anywhere else that I upload to. I love the 1.20$ subs compared to credit sales that net you a few cents at other sites.
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17 subs out of 20 :(
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17 of last 20, subs.
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17/20 here too , WTH ? I had a long streak of large credit sales in July - I guess they are trying to compensate :D
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12 subs out of 20. Normal.
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Yes, an unusual high percentage of subs lately.
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In my last 20 I've had 9 subs.
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It is odd the way credit sales come in a wave, followed by a wave of subscription sales. I have even wondered if buyers see different search results depending on whether they have credit or subscription accounts, with portfolios moving up and down the different searches. I guess that's too weird to be so, but it certainly feels like it sometimes.
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May be a lot of subs, but 2x $ than IS, 9 x $ FT this month and ahead of SS so far.
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12/20 were subs.
Wow, things at DT really took a wrong turn. Out of the last 20, 17 were subs :o
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.
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a week after now I am 10 subs and 10 credits.. it picked up nicely
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It seems to go in waves. I had 20 straight sub sales, followed by a couple of large credit sales. Just had a sale with an $11.00 commission a few minutes ago. That one sale bumped my RPD this month quite a bit.
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10 and 10 for my last 20. It does seem to go in waves. My RPD so far this month is 2X what it was last month (lots of subs and level 0 small sales last month).
I wish all my subs were of level 0 images.
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15 subscription and five credit sales and I have a RPD of 83 cents. In June I had almost only credit sales and had a RPD 2.07. Maybe it comes and goes
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More worrying then subs, is that DT, seems to have gone really quiet. I had a brillant two weeks there and now its kind of just dried up, well, apart from a few here and there.
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My RPD for September was only 33 cents ::)
How bad was that then :o
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DT has always been a bit of an on/off site. It really seems to go in surges. This seems to apply to subs/credit sales too, although it could just be my mind trying to find order in chaos.
In August I had more sales than ever before there, but the RPD was pretty miserable. Lots and lots of sub and low level small sales. In Sept. I had a very bimodal set of sales. Plenty of double digit higher level larger size sales and lots of subs and low level little sales. My RPD was nearly twice August and it was my BME there. At least with lots of sub sales the images move up levels. I do wish all my subs were level 0 though.
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My RPD this September was $0.73, but only 15 sales! On SS i have similar portfolio, ONLY sub sales, but 100 sales/month and 5 times higher earnings. DT is my second earner, but it have not enough buyers...
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My RPD for September was only 33 cents ::)
How bad was that then :o
Yeah - it's not so much the subs as the single credit level 0 downloads ;D ;D On the bright side these knock subs into the shade when tjhey climb a level or 2
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It's been cyclic for me ever since I joined. Waves of subs then a smaller wave of $2-$10 dl's.
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This month was cleary low ( 0,35 ), but nothing compared with FT...
By other side, if i look back ( 1 Year ), DT showing some progress, and i'm puting some faith on them.
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With their new weekly subscriptions there will only be more and more subs on DT as buyers old credits run out - smart move from DT to intransparent cut contributors commission and keep a larger cut to them selves...
When I used to calculate the value of credits from the royalties, I was surprised to find that most of my sales come from the 100 or 200 credit pack size. That still holds true for most of my credit sales. There has always been a monthly sub that is cheaper than a 200 pack, yet people were still buying those credit packs. All the evidence we have is anecdotal (since we have no idea if overall sales are up or down, how many of our sales are actually weekly subs, etc.), but one could just as easily argue that the availability of weekly subs will mean fewer monthly subs, and that sub use will go down overall. There will always be credit sales as people need them for extended licenses, and then they need to use up the rest.
We can be cynical about DT's motives, but if the weekly sub is more attractive than the monthly, they may well be paying out MORE royalties - I have to think someone can make better use of the subscription over a shorter time frame. Much harder to log in every day for a month and use the whole sub than for a week. I still think the jury is out on whether a weekly sub is more attractive to a monthly sub buyer, or a credit buyer. I can see people in both groups who would be attracted by the option, and people in both groups who wouldn't. The question is how many and in which group.
The proof in the pudding is what happens with RPD and sales. Since credit packs expire in a year, and subs could expire monthly or yearly, it may be a while before we really know the impact of this change. Since they brought in the weekly subs, I still haven't had a month that was lower than the previous year for both revenue and RPD - but I can also see that if one is non-exclusive with a lot of level 0 images that would likely be a much different story....
The point being made was not about what will actually happen but what the intent was.
If a buyer is doing a project that requires a certain number of extra large images and the cost of a subscription is less than the cost of buying the shots with credits then the buyer gets a subscription. If they don't use the entire subscription (and they rarely do) then they win and the agency wins because they're still only paying 25 to 35 cents per shot to contributors.
Weekly subscriptions work the same way but on a smaller scale. It allows the agency to make more money without cutting commissions. If it also resulted in more sales then everyone wins but so far, it hasn't.
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I hate it that we have become skeptical about a good thing, but I've had so many huge credit sales today (16-20 credits each) that I wonder if the mad thief is at it again. Usually subs equal sales and these ones are all max size. Anyone else?
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I hate it that we have become skeptical about a good thing, but I've had so many huge credit sales today (16-20 credits each) that I wonder if the mad thief is at it again. Usually subs equal sales and these ones are all max size. Anyone else?
No, but I did manage to clock up a W-EL a few days ago. Hope that doesn't disappear then. ;)
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16 from the last 20 sales are subs and my RPD this month is a whooping 0.36 :o - the lowest from all the agencies I submit to . Just for comparison my RPD at SS last month was 0.62 . Talking about a sub agency ...
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Subs and their nonsense rule about "similars" aren't compatible: subs buyers want to download many pictures and then choose. I think this is one of the (many) reason why sales are good at the major subs site, and actual return is higher than calculated RPD: they give buyers what they want.
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just got another refund, 3 subs, just insane, 3 pictures from the exact same subject, same buyer
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I thought all subs at DT were 35 cents or higher (I have one level 3 image that nets me 70 cents each; can't wait for a few more images to cross that threshhold). This morning I saw a sub at 28 cents commission to me. Is that some new price tier or a discounted subs package or?
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From their FAQs -
I received unusual royalties for images sold. What could the explanation be?
Royalties different from the ones you see displayed on the Sell Your Images page are due to various factors.
The most common explanation is the actual credit value per each package a buyer purchases. The more credits the package has, the lower the price/credit. Each credit's value and hence royalties are now calculated at the real value paid by the buyer.
For example, 8 credits purchased with the $9.99 package, will bring the contributor a reference of $1.25/credit: the royalties for a 8 credits image will vary between $3 (non exclusives, level 1) or $6 for exclusives. A $99.99 credit-package will bring the buyer 108 credits, which translates into $0.93/credit. Royalties for a 8 credits image are $2.23 (non exclusives, level 1) and $4.46 for exclusives. Add to the above the possibility of having third party downloads through our alliances program (if you're opt-in), that can also affect the percentages as well as value of withholding taxes for non-US contributors and you will understand why royalties values are so diverse.
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I get the credit variation spiel - but in all the subscription sales I've received from DT since June, it's been 35 cents per for images at levels 0-1-2.
Credit sales are often less than subs (for small sizes), but are below 35 cent subscription sales common for other people and I've just been lucky so far?
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just got another refund, 3 subs, just insane, 3 pictures from the exact same subject, same buyer
3 for me just this week.
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I get the credit variation spiel - but in all the subscription sales I've received from DT since June, it's been 35 cents per for images at levels 0-1-2.
Credit sales are often less than subs (for small sizes), but are below 35 cent subscription sales common for other people and I've just been lucky so far?
I think the original subs payout was .30 (back in 2008 or so). I haven't gotten a sub that wasn't .35 (or .70 or 1.05) in years. I can't think of anything good about it. Either they aren't reporting things right or else there is the possibility of under .35 subs, neither is a good thing.
The credit variation spiel is their canned response to any question about why was I paid X for a sale (I've gotten as low as .17 for a credit I think, although I could be wrong about that. - whatever it was it was pretty low).
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I thought all subs at DT were 35 cents or higher (I have one level 3 image that nets me 70 cents each; can't wait for a few more images to cross that threshhold). This morning I saw a sub at 28 cents commission to me. Is that some new price tier or a discounted subs package or?
Yeah, that is odd. Perhaps it should have been listed as a credit sale instead of a subscription. I guess you should ask.
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When I get a response back from support I'll post here.
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I've had the opposite experience this month at DT - almost all credit sales with an average RPD this month of $1.45. I'm non-exclusive and most photos are still at the lowest level so while it's small potatoes for those with more experience, it's been a nice jump for me this month.
FT on the other hand has been dismal. I've had better credit sales there in the past, but this month it's almost all sub sales paying a whopping $0.18 each. My one credit sale brought me a very nice $0.14 for the image. 11 sales this month and I haven't even topped $2.00 ::)
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I just had subscription sale for $0.32 (level 1 - additional format).
Some third party sale? Special price for someone who bought millions of credits? Or just another ordinary commission cutting?
I've never seen such an amount for sub sale at DT.
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I had a 59 cent level 4 and they are usually 70 cents.
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I get the credit variation spiel - but in all the subscription sales I've received from DT since June, it's been 35 cents per for images at levels 0-1-2.
Credit sales are often less than subs (for small sizes), but are below 35 cent subscription sales common for other people and I've just been lucky so far?
I have had thousands of sub sales and only recently have I had a few of the sub 35 cent variety - maybe five or so. Support told me they were partner sales... Apparently they don't sell a lot of subscriptions through partners!
On a semi-related note I find it 'interesting' that despite the sites having very different royalty rates and so on, Shutterstock is the only one where I feel I actually know what to expect to get from a sale. I don't know why DT bothers to list maximums - it is very misleading and just plain wrong when you consider the likelihood of a buyer purchasing credits at the 8-pack rate to buy a level 5 image for 19 credits :( Wouldn't be so bad if they listed minimums as well... All that said they are still providing my highest RPD...I'm getting $0.60 per subscription sale on my last 50.
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I just sold my largest image, at maximum size. Subscription, 35 cents. How can I properly express my enthusiasm for this marketing plan?
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I just sold my largest image, at maximum size. Subscription, 35 cents. How can I properly express my enthusiasm for this marketing plan?
thats microstock and it happens on the top5 agencies
SS - 25 to 38
IS - 28 (thinkstock non-exclusive)
DT - 35 to 70, dont know if more never had
RF - 36
FT - 25 to 40
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thats microstock and it happens on the top5 agencies
SS - 25 to 38
IS - 28 (thinkstock non-exclusive)
DT - 35 to 70, dont know if more never had
RF - 36
FT - 25 to 40
FT at 0.25? last subs i'm getting 0.20.
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thats microstock and it happens on the top5 agencies
SS - 25 to 38
IS - 28 (thinkstock non-exclusive)
DT - 35 to 70, dont know if more never had
RF - 36
FT - 25 to 40
FT at 0.25? last subs i'm getting 0.20.
thats a XS :P
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Dreamstime pays $1.05 for the level 5 subs. As per the above comment, though, you can get less than those amounts.
What is crazy is that as low as the sub prices are most sites will pay even less for a small or extra-small size credit download:
RF: $0.20
FT: $0.20
DT: $0.25-ish
SS: $0.81 (is that right? I've never received less)
IS: ??
When you look at it this way it kind of makes the actual claimed royalty percentage almost meaningless :(
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had a few 7 cents at IS
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Dreamstime pays $1.05 for the level 5 subs.
I just had one a few hours ago of 1.26$ (level 5, exclusive). Many of my level 4-5's are exclusive. (I started a thread on the DT forum some time ago as to why it pays off to make your level 4-5's exclusive there if (and only if) they don't sell well elsewhere). For instance yesterday: Editorial, exclusive : 17 credits (2010) $9.35 = 55% but I had cases of 60% too.
In all these subs discussions there is an elephant in the room as to DT. The elephant is the level system. This is quite unique in the microstock world (as far as I'm aware). In fact, it is a Darwinian "Vetta", determined by sales on an image per image base, not by some editor's decision. On other sites, you'll just have to live with subs and hope for PP sales that deliver the largest share of our revenue anywhere. On DT, a sub sale is a sale that makes the image also climb up on the level scale. Not to mention the recent introduction of the level 0 (still 1 credit to buy) that becomes level 1 (3 credits to buy) just after one single sale (included a subs sale).
So imho, the subs system on DT can't be compared with any subs system anywhere else. To address the concern of OP : DT seems to handle the subs temptation (for buyers) well, especially in view of the recent introduction of the 1-week subs plan. My subs are still around 50-60% but not increasing, and my RPD (I'm not an illustrator) has been around 1.5-1.6$ the past 3 months, more than before the 1-week subs plan.
Apparently DT runs a tight ship with 1 captain-photographer in control while other sites fell to the multi-headed "corporate" temptation, a temptation that brought us in the economic mess in the financial world we are currently in.
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Dreamstime pays $1.05 for the level 5 subs.
I just had one a few hours ago of 1.26$ (level 5, exclusive). Many of my level 4-5's are exclusive. (I started a thread on the DT forum some time ago as to why it pays off to make your level 4-5's exclusive there if (and only if) they don't sell well elsewhere). For instance yesterday: Editorial, exclusive : 17 credits (2010) $9.35 = 55% but I had cases of 60% too.
That's a good idea. Thank's for the tip and I agree the Level System at DT is excellent.
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Dreamstime pays $1.05 for the level 5 subs.
I just had one a few hours ago of 1.26$ (level 5, exclusive). Many of my level 4-5's are exclusive. (I started a thread on the DT forum some time ago as to why it pays off to make your level 4-5's exclusive there if (and only if) they don't sell well elsewhere). For instance yesterday: Editorial, exclusive : 17 credits (2010) $9.35 = 55% but I had cases of 60% too.
In all these subs discussions there is an elephant in the room as to DT. The elephant is the level system. This is quite unique in the microstock world (as far as I'm aware). In fact, it is a Darwinian "Vetta", determined by sales on an image per image base, not by some editor's decision. On other sites, you'll just have to live with subs and hope for PP sales that deliver the largest share of our revenue anywhere. On DT, a sub sale is a sale that makes the image also climb up on the level scale. Not to mention the recent introduction of the level 0 (still 1 credit to buy) that becomes level 1 (3 credits to buy) just after one single sale (included a subs sale).
So imho, the subs system on DT can't be compared with any subs system anywhere else. To address the concern of OP : DT seems to handle the subs temptation (for buyers) well, especially in view of the recent introduction of the 1-week subs plan. My subs are still around 50-60% but not increasing, and my RPD (I'm not an illustrator) has been around 1.5-1.6$ the past 3 months, more than before the 1-week subs plan.
Apparently DT runs a tight ship with 1 captain-photographer in control while other sites fell to the multi-headed "corporate" temptation, a temptation that brought us in the economic mess in the financial world we are currently in.
You can compare Dreamstime subs to other sites and I think you will find they pay a lot more due to the level system, as you suggest :) On the 'exclusive' tab on the earnings page (http://www.dreamstime.com/exclusivity.php (http://www.dreamstime.com/exclusivity.php)) it shows you your last 50 credit and sub sales, and makes it easy to see what you are actually getting from sub sales on DT. Personally, I'm getting $0.61 per sub on average which handily beats any other site by almost double... I didn't see a drop in RPD after the introduction of the weekly sub, either.
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what is the "upload bonus"?
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what is the "upload bonus"?
If you go exclusive with dt, you get 20 cents for each accepted image and this bonus includes the images you already have online.
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my average of the last 50 subsales at dt: 0,884 $
my average of the last 50 creditsales at dt: 7,651 $
my average of sales 2011 at dt: 2,76 $
So, for me the pricesystem at dt is the best of all microstockagencies.
They are solid and stabil for me since 2007.
And also very important for me is, I feel they are much more respectful and fair to the contributors than istock or fotolia.
For me dt is a fair businesspartner. Or better, they try really to be fair.
And also I don't understand why the majority like ss so much.
My average at ss is always under 60 cent.
When people buy my illustrations at ss, they buy the illustrations not at agencies who pay much more to me.
My totally average is something like 1,30 $.
And I hope the agencies see in future, that they can earn more money without subscriptions. ;D
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You can compare Dreamstime subs to other sites and I think you will find they pay a lot more due to the level system, as you suggest :) On the 'exclusive' tab on the earnings page ([url]http://www.dreamstime.com/exclusivity.php[/url] ([url]http://www.dreamstime.com/exclusivity.php[/url])) it shows you your last 50 credit and sub sales, and makes it easy to see what you are actually getting from sub sales on DT. Personally, I'm getting $0.61 per sub on average which handily beats any other site by almost double... I didn't see a drop in RPD after the introduction of the weekly sub, either.
Thanks for confirming my remarks. I would have gone from microstock for over a year if it wasn't for DT. The only problem with their exclusive plan is that it is too harsh as to RM.
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I am getting 0.32 - 0.70 per sub sale on Dreamstime and stable 0.35 per sale on Shutterstock, but this month i had 22 sales on DT and 80 on SS! Where i earn more? Yes, DT pay a bit more, but they have too low sales...