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Agency Based Discussion => Adobe Stock => Topic started by: News Feed on July 27, 2009, 18:00

Title: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: News Feed on July 27, 2009, 18:00
Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan


NEW YORK, NY, July 27, 2009 – When a membership of over one million speaks; Fotolia listens. The result: Fotolia is the first microstock company to launch a premium subscription plan, which gives members all-inclusive main collection access to high resolution vectors and images, and high definition videos. Fotolia users now have millions of reliable videos, vectors, and images at their fingertips for as little as $249/month.

 

Oleg Tscheltzoff, co-founder and president of Fotolia, LLC, explains, “We made downloading high-definition videos along with high resolution images and vectors easy for our customers by simply introducing a plan that makes these highly demanded files accessible and affordable.”

 

The client’s ability to customize the premium subscription plan is what sets it apart from other competitive options. Subscriptions range from monthly to yearly commitments and can include unlimited users. Options for subscribers range from 25 to 250 royalty-free downloads/day. Fotolia's premium subscription is simply the best access plan to high-resolution photos, vectors, and HD videos. For more information visit www.fotolia.com/Info/Subscription

 

More than one-million people have signed up for free on Fotolia to access affordable, royalty-free images, vectors, and videos. Fotolia, LLC was the first worldwide microstock organization to offer members access to both professional and crowd-sourced image contributions. Based in New York City, Fotolia spans the globe with websites in 10 languages and offices in 11 countries. With over six-million images to choose from: Find it on Fotolia. www.fotolia.com
   
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http://blog.fotolia.com/us/news/fotolia/fotolia-_subscription-_microst.html
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on July 27, 2009, 18:03
Translation: Fotolia are idiots... ;)
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: KB on July 27, 2009, 18:27
The headline was mistaken. It should have read:

NEWS - Fotolia Buyers Get It All with Premium Subscription Plan (Fotolia Video Contributers Get The Shaft)

 ;D
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: George on July 27, 2009, 18:38
Of course they aren't idiots. They've simply understood that most contributors will accept whatever terms are offered.
They're applying Barnum's Law - "There's a sucker born every minute".
Yes, I am exclusive on IS.
Whenever I think about giving it up, I only have to think about Fotolia, and the madness passes.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: bittersweet on July 27, 2009, 18:43
 :o

Is this for real??

 
Standard: Large JPEG images.
Premium: Images, vectors and videos.

Premium - 1 month
25 downloads per day
Downloads:   750
Price per file:   $ 0.33
Price    $ 249.00

What percentage of .33 per file do the contributors get??
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: PeterChigmaroff on July 27, 2009, 18:48
Despite a portfolio of around 2000 I pulled all my images off their site for exactly these reasons. Why doesn't everyone do the same?

Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on July 27, 2009, 19:02
They've simply understood that most contributors will accept whatever terms are offered.
They're applying Barnum's Law - "There's a sucker born every minute".
Yes, I am exclusive on IS.
Whenever I think about giving it up, I only have to think about Fotolia, and the madness passes.

Sorry, yes, good summation.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: cthoman on July 27, 2009, 19:13
I'm not a huge fan of Fotolia's tactics, but I don't see what the big freak out is all about. Isn't this the same deal that Shutterstock and Dreamstime have?
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: snaprender on July 27, 2009, 19:27
I'm not a huge fan of Fotolia's tactics, but I don't see what the big freak out is all about. Isn't this the same deal that Shutterstock and Dreamstime have?
No, actually it's not.  SS pays much better for full resolution videos on their subscription plan.  For that reason, I pulled my video portfolio as soon as I heard about the "Premium Subscription" on Fotolia. Then I decided to pull my pics too.  I spend way too much time investigating every couple of months on how they are going to screw me over next that I could spend creating more images/videos.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: madelaide on July 27, 2009, 19:30
What percentage of .33 per file do the contributors get??
Photos get 36c.  Videos and vectors more, I think, but still little.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: PixelBytes on July 27, 2009, 19:38
I don't contribute video, but if I did, this would cause me to worry.  I can't figure out from the press release what royalty the contributor will get for a subscription video download.  Is it really going to be as low as what photos get??

Have to agree with the IS exclusives here - of all the major micros Fotolia definitely seems to be the one leading the race to the bottom.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: madelaide on July 27, 2009, 20:24
This has been explained in another thread before:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/premium-subscription/ (http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/premium-subscription/)

Quote
White        0.35 Credits
Bronze        0.36 Credits
Silver        0.37 Credits
Gold                0.38 Credits
Emerald        0.39 Credits
Sapphire        0.40 Credits
Rubis         0.41 Credits
Diamond        0.42 Credits

For vector images 3x and videos 10x this royalty.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: eric.zx on July 27, 2009, 20:41
The question is: now that Fotolia has done it, can we expect other agencies implementing similar tactics in order to keep up the competition?
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: photoshow on July 27, 2009, 20:49
Content providers you better get your Astorglide out and lube up because this translates into someone taking it up the ass and it won't be Fotolia. At the rate they are going the next thing you know Fotolia will be charging you to upload your images for them to sell and you will not even get a royalty!
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: m@m on July 27, 2009, 21:10
WOW! at the rate this is going, I'm seriously considering quitting stock photography and becoming a KY lubricant distributor, I have a feeling there's going to be a big demand for the product.
Boy, I'm glad I'm not a Fotolia contributor!
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: cthoman on July 27, 2009, 21:28
This has been explained in another thread before:
[url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/premium-subscription/[/url] ([url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/premium-subscription/[/url])

Quote
White        0.35 Credits
Bronze        0.36 Credits
Silver        0.37 Credits
Gold                0.38 Credits
Emerald        0.39 Credits
Sapphire        0.40 Credits
Rubis         0.41 Credits
Diamond        0.42 Credits

For vector images 3x and videos 10x this royalty.



Ah, so it is actually better than Dreamstime and Shutterstock for subscription vectors. I didn't see the 3x and 10x the first time I looked at their royalty page: http://us.fotolia.com/Info/Contributors (http://us.fotolia.com/Info/Contributors)
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: cthoman on July 27, 2009, 21:35
3 times royalty is really not all that different than the 4 credit vector which is what made me stop uploading to Fotolia in the first place. They definitely are keeping us on our toes over there.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: puravida on July 27, 2009, 21:39
Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan


NEW YORK, NY, July 27, 2009 – When a membership of over one million speaks; Fotolia listens.


Ben Dover

Translation: Fotolia are idiots... ;)

naw Sean, you're pointing in  the wrong direction (idiots)... not Fotolia. they're not the ones taken , we're the idiots. ::)
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: willie on July 27, 2009, 21:50
WOW! at the rate this is going, I'm seriously considering quitting stock photography and becoming a KY lubricant distributor, I have a feeling there's going to be a big demand for the product.
Boy, I'm glad I'm not a Fotolia contributor!

No kidding.  ::)
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: rene on July 27, 2009, 22:12
Yesterday I got 27.5$ for HD video at Pond5. The same sale at Fotolia makes me 3.7$. Seven time less! It would be a suicide to keep footage portfolio here. I've deleted all my videos.
My old photos at FT are hi-res - subs were limited to 4mp. Now it's not true anymore. So my new files will be downsized for FT (like for SS and DT). Maybe it's stupid but it makes me feel better.
I'm not referring FT any more.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: Phil on July 27, 2009, 22:29
I'm not a huge fan of Fotolia's tactics, but I don't see what the big freak out is all about. Isn't this the same deal that Shutterstock and Dreamstime have?

I thought so too ?? no??

I prefer istock to FT but think it is amusing the comments re istock as they tried to bring 22.5% commission on subs (when 50% elsewhere scores $0.02 commissions) and it got wooyays until a few people pointed how bad it was, and it's kind of amusing / ironic or perhaps coincendental ?? that this and other changes (lower commissions, pushing free images etc) have happened since FT has some ex-istock people in key positions??  :):):) (of course istock did listen and make changes which is probably the key difference and let's say I do not know if would that have happened at FT :) (or even if it is an issue on their forums because I got banned on their forum a year or so ago when I spoke up for other changes :))  

Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: puravida on July 27, 2009, 23:59
I'm not a huge fan of Fotolia's tactics, but I don't see what the big freak out is all about. Isn't this the same deal that Shutterstock and Dreamstime have?

I thought so too ?? no??

I prefer istock to FT but think it is amusing the comments re istock as they tried to bring 22.5% commission on subs (when 50% elsewhere scores $0.02 commissions) and it got wooyays until a few people pointed how bad it was, and it's kind of amusing / ironic or perhaps coincendental ?? that this and other changes (lower commissions, pushing free images etc) have happened since FT has some ex-istock people in key positions??  :):):) (of course istock did listen and make changes which is probably the key difference and let's say I do not know if would that have happened at FT :) (or even if it is an issue on their forums because I got banned on their forum a year or so ago when I spoke up for other changes :)) 



Well Phil, as the opening statement said: When a membership of over one million speaks; Fotolia listens
Maybe then it's time Fotolia  listens to the contributors as well  .
If not for the contributors Fotolia would not have membership of over one million , would they?  8)
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: fotografer on July 28, 2009, 00:15
RPD this month on IS   1.20
RPD this month on fot  1.37
With over 100 earnt more this month on Fotolia.
I'm another one that doesn't see the problem compared to other sites. The only site that gives me a better RPD is DT but I get less dls there.
larger size subs  SS  38c
Larger size subs Fot 39c
Larger size subs DT 35c
The only one where I get more for larger sized subs is IS but I regularly get subs there for 19, 22 and 24c etc for the smaller ones.
I don't like subs anywhere but don't know why Fot is being singled out for this.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: Carla on July 28, 2009, 03:08
Its easy for me- no vectors and no videos from me on fotolia. As for the rest, I have half the files on fotolia as on shutterstock, but fotolia makes about the same money, despite their weird ways of doing business.

Which means that Im not bashing any of them- or all.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: sharpshot on July 28, 2009, 03:16
I removed the few videos I had on FT.  Luckily most of mine were over their low 300mb limit, so that wasn't so bad.  I don't mind the large size subs so much.  They are paying similar amounts to SS and DT.

What about istock?  Non-exclusives can no longer supply photos.com through StockXpert for $0.30 subs, all we can get is $0.25 cents if we opt in through istock.  So who is screwing us here :)

I will stick with FT for subs but I will not accept $0.25 from istock.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: gostwyck on July 28, 2009, 03:56
RPD this month on IS   1.20
RPD this month on fot  1.37
With over 100 earnt more this month on Fotolia.
I'm another one that doesn't see the problem compared to other sites. The only site that gives me a better RPD is DT but I get less dls there.
larger size subs  SS  38c
Larger size subs Fot 39c
Larger size subs DT 35c
The only one where I get more for larger sized subs is IS but I regularly get subs there for 19, 22 and 24c etc for the smaller ones.
I don't like subs anywhere but don't know why Fot is being singled out for this.

My RPD for IS is fairly consistently the same as yours but at FT it is 90c. It seems surprising that your RPD at FT should be 50% higher (although EL's have dried up there for me).

It occurs to me that you must be at Emerald level or above which, assuming you've re-priced your images to 2 credits minimum, does skew the equation somewhat. For the vast majority of FT contributors that would not apply.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: Phil on July 28, 2009, 05:42
oops forgot to mention earlier re istock, that they kept the max size of subs on photos.com that was brought in with StockXpert. But at the time JIunlimited slipped under the radar (I wasnt 100% sure at the time and couldnt be bothered fighting anymore) and allowed "file sizes up to 75mb" for the subs price.

StockXpert & istock deal was your images go on both (& customers can pay at JI for full access to both libraries).  Now IS cut this to $0.25 so istock pay $0.25 for any image up to 75mb

and it is same $0.25 for vectors, wheras FT offers around $1
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: snaprender on July 28, 2009, 08:46
oops forgot to mention earlier re istock, that they kept the max size of subs on photos.com that was brought in with StockXpert. But at the time JIunlimited slipped under the radar (I wasnt 100% sure at the time and couldnt be bothered fighting anymore) and allowed "file sizes up to 75mb" for the subs price.

StockXpert & istock deal was your images go on both (& customers can pay at JI for full access to both libraries).  Now IS cut this to $0.25 so istock pay $0.25 for any image up to 75mb

and it is same $0.25 for vectors, wheras FT offers around $1

IStock has an opt out for exclusive and non-exclusive contributors who do not want to sell their photos for so cheap, Fotolia only has an opt out for their exclusives.  That there makes a big difference to me.  Fotolia is forcing their 'Premium Subscription' down their contributors throats. IStock give you the option.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: dirkr on July 28, 2009, 08:58
The Istock subscription model doesn't compare to the others in the industry at all, since it has size-dependent pricing - and that is the main reason (my guess) why it hasn't reached any significant volume and never will... The only thing subscription buyers really want is huge discounts, and that's what they get at Shutter, Dreamstime, StockXpert, Fotolia...
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: PixelBytes on July 28, 2009, 12:12
The Istock subscription model doesn't compare to the others in the industry at all, since it has size-dependent pricing - and that is the main reason (my guess) why it hasn't reached any significant volume and never will... The only thing subscription buyers really want is huge discounts, and that's what they get at Shutter, Dreamstime, StockXpert, Fotolia...

I think the istock subscription model can effectively be said to be dead, or at least on life support.  Too bad because it was the most fair in the industry to contributors.  

I would consider the Jupiter/Photos.com deal to be the "new" istock subscription model, and I agree with Phil that .25 for sizes up to 75mb is highway robbery (to contributors).  Of course I am opted out of that, and glad for the option.

As for Fotolia, I can't see how anyone with a footage portfolio would continue to sell through them for those rates.  I don't have footage, so this one doesn't really affect me much, but if I shot mainly video I would definitely consider video exclusivity with istock.

The smartest idea in this thread seems to me to be M@m's idea to start up a lube franchise  :P
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: madelaide on July 28, 2009, 17:03
RPD this month on IS   1.20
RPD this month on fot  1.37
(...)
The only one where I get more for larger sized subs is IS but I regularly get subs there for 19, 22 and 24c etc for the smaller ones.
I don't like subs anywhere but don't know why Fot is being singled out for this.

My numbers are VERY different:
RPD 87c at IS and 63c at FT (40% dlds are subs)
19-24c at IS are XS images, sold at US$0.95-1.20 each - not comparable at all with subs.

I agree with you on DT only, because subs have increased there - 70% of downloads this month - but even there RPD is 70c.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: Phil on July 28, 2009, 23:41
oops forgot to mention earlier re istock, that they kept the max size of subs on photos.com that was brought in with StockXpert. But at the time JIunlimited slipped under the radar (I wasnt 100% sure at the time and couldnt be bothered fighting anymore) and allowed "file sizes up to 75mb" for the subs price.

StockXpert & istock deal was your images go on both (& customers can pay at JI for full access to both libraries).  Now IS cut this to $0.25 so istock pay $0.25 for any image up to 75mb

and it is same $0.25 for vectors, wheras FT offers around $1

IStock has an opt out for exclusive and non-exclusive contributors who do not want to sell their photos for so cheap, Fotolia only has an opt out for their exclusives.  That there makes a big difference to me.  Fotolia is forcing their 'Premium Subscription' down their contributors throats. IStock give you the option.

yes that is a very big difference, it is things these sort of things that make a difference when dealing with and perception of sites.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: fotografer on July 29, 2009, 00:18
Yes, you're right, I am emerald level and hadn't thought about that when I posted.  Obviously for the people that haven't had a chance to double prices their RPD won't be as high.

RPD this month on IS   1.20
RPD this month on fot  1.37
With over 100 earnt more this month on Fotolia.
I'm another one that doesn't see the problem compared to other sites. The only site that gives me a better RPD is DT but I get less dls there.
larger size subs  SS  38c
Larger size subs Fot 39c
Larger size subs DT 35c
The only one where I get more for larger sized subs is IS but I regularly get subs there for 19, 22 and 24c etc for the smaller ones.
I don't like subs anywhere but don't know why Fot is being singled out for this.

My RPD for IS is fairly consistently the same as yours but at FT it is 90c. It seems surprising that your RPD at FT should be 50% higher (although EL's have dried up there for me).

It occurs to me that you must be at Emerald level or above which, assuming you've re-priced your images to 2 credits minimum, does skew the equation somewhat. For the vast majority of FT contributors that would not apply.
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: dirkr on July 29, 2009, 04:02
Yes, you're right, I am emerald level and hadn't thought about that when I posted.  Obviously for the people that haven't had a chance to double prices their RPD won't be as high.

I'm only bronze, no exclusive files, so everything at the minimum price level.
Still my RPD at FT this month is at 1 (big advantage that I'm being payed in Euros).
IS is at $1,49, so slightly above that.
DT is at $0,54 (too many subs)...
Title: Re: NEWS - Fotolia Members Get it All with Premium Subscription Plan
Post by: a.k.a.-tom on July 30, 2009, 20:47
The problem I see is this.... yeah we can yank all our ports off of FT....
but where's the gaurantee that all our pix will be pulled off of all the so-called 'partners/affilates' of FT?  A partial list of their outfits was posted yesterday on another thread... agencies with names sounding like the 2nd graders at Johnny JoeJoe elementary school made 'em up.... again, why are we all in this handbasket and where are we going..??

Exlcusive.... It's still a maybe/if  IMO.  Problem is in my case, I pull in as much from SS due to pure volume as I do on IS...  not to mention, many of the pix I have on the micros,  I sell free lance at obscene prices.  Does that conflict with 'exclusive' agreements?
   I'm shooting a free lance job for a regional magazine right now (for publication in an early 2010 issue).  Those pix are also already being prepped for upload to IS, SS, BigStock & DT.   A one day free lance shoot earns me 4 digits from the mag's publisher (current standard rate in my area).... exclusive with IS,  how long will it take to make that?  I'm pretty sure that as an exclusive I am not able to sell my own pix... does anyone know if that is factual??  I'd like to know.
    I tell all my local photog friends to get out there and sell themselves. And some have. The work is there, you just have to go out and grab at it. Of course it helps to be based inbetween NYC and Philly, but, the work is there.

And by the way, I DO NOT consider myself a world-class photog, Im just a regular guy with over 40 years exp with SLR's. Please dont take this as bragging or tooting my horn. Im not like that. Everyday I am blown away by work soooooooo much better than mine on the micros.
   I only started selling a little over 4 years ago.  Once you get your foot in the door, it starts to snowball. I reccomend it to everyone.

Heck, pick up any magazine and see the photo credits,  Getty, Alamy, Jupiter and on and on.    It's much nicer and much more profitable and rewarding to see YOUR NAME or YOUR company's name alongside the pic and even better to see your name in the info column as a contributing photographer.  Not to mention the digits on the check you take to the bank.

Get out there and start knocking on some doors, what's to lose? You'll find you may be making a 'few' bucks more than microstock pays. 8)=tom

p.s.  I'd be happy to give tips on how I did it if any want to PM me. It might work for you and it's not rocket science.