Hi everyone

The only agency that not only haven't cut commission but even raised them is Dreamstime and what's interesting to me, and this is my personal experience, it's the only agency that I keep selling more and much better more higher single photo sales then before. I more often see 2.20, 3.65, 1.92 and 1.72 sales then last 2-3 years.

Thank you Dreamstime, you proved it can be done without taking advantage on your contributors!

I really hope you won't be bought by some greedy giant agency.

We contributors will never forget it!

Mee too! always liked them but as above says they dont sell enough. I have been with them since the start and the revenue used to be Ok untill they embarked on this "fair" game route.

Dreamstime have cut commissions a number of times. They started with 50% Royalty, but cut it twice within a space of a few years if I remember correctly. They cut commission on subs as they took away the levels for subs. I know they introduced a $2 sub but that was at the expense of taking away non sub options with higher payments. They cut the commission for their exclusive photographers also.

I've not been with Dreamstime for a few years and all the above is based on my memory. But they definitely have cut commissions a number of times, there will be plenty of threads of people raging in their forums each time it happened, it just wasn't very big new outside of their forums.

I am with them for about 10 years, and compared to all the others agencies in last 10 years, they are saints. They did introduce those subs but it's nothing like getty 0.02, ss 0.1, 123rf (cut for more sales, experienced less and less sales), now deposit with same excuse, Fotolia tried dollar photo club, no success, now adobe is much better.

They don't have many sales, but it least they are not ripping us with same excuses like others.

Dreamstime have cut commissions a number of times. They started with 50% Royalty, but cut it twice within a space of a few years if I remember correctly. They cut commission on subs as they took away the levels for subs. I know they introduced a $2 sub but that was at the expense of taking away non sub options with higher payments. They cut the commission for their exclusive photographers also.

I've not been with Dreamstime for a few years and all the above is based on my memory. But they definitely have cut commissions a number of times, there will be plenty of threads of people raging in their forums each time it happened, it just wasn't very big new outside of their forums.

In 2017 they made the Google deal, one time payment under the $2 plan, for a year of unlimited use in Google Ads. I'd call that some kind of cut? Or maybe just a deep discount, that gives away your images for a year?

all-at-once subscriptions
These plans are now available at $39 and $69, giving access to five or ten files. The files can be downloaded anytime throughout the next 30 days. The royalties awarded are $2.00 for non-exclusive contributors and $2.20 for exclusives.

Without deep math, this is 25% for us, $39 = 5 DLs at $2, or 28% for the larger pack. No matter if someone buys a ten pack and downloads one image. (as people have argued forever about SS subs)

DT made RF downloads unlimited:
"Our Royalty Free goes Limit Free! We're happy to premier a new, limitless Royalty free license that allows you unlimited print copies for any media downloaded under our standard RF, commercial or editorial. Previously acquired RF licenses can be upgraded by the purchase of a new license for the same media."

Before that there was a commission cut, which was followed by a price per level adjustment down. These where two different cuts.

 The royalties we award remain in place, however, high-level files will no longer award 2-3 times the download value.

Meaning if you had a higher level image that got 2x or 3x the download value, in 2012, DT decided that all files would be the same credit value for contributors. As in - A Cut!

DT didn't avoid the cuts, they led the pack in the race to the bottom.

I'd sure like it if I got more sales there at the 35c or 38c or whatever we get now. I wouldn't even mind the $2 downloads, because that's at least something instead of 10 cents, or 2 cents from some other "top" sites? Problem is, limited activity from DT lately?