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Author Topic: Any programmer who wants to make a new stock agency?  (Read 2238 times)

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« on: June 12, 2020, 02:17 »
+2
Hello,

I think it is time to try something new. If you are a programmer and you would like to make a stock agency that pays 50% to contributors send me a private message and we will talk. Isn't a job offer, I don't have money to invest in this. I can take care of server management and very basic programming or design.

Some initial ideas:

- 50% for the contributor.
- Upload by FTP very easy.
- Without categories.

I am not sure if with or without exclusivity. The problem would be to ask for exclusivity if at the beginning when there will be any sale.

Please share any comments about this idea.

Thank you.


PaulieWalnuts

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« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2020, 08:32 »
+5
Not trying to deflate your idea but there have been dozens of posts like this. They all have the same problem. No mention of a plan to attract buyers. How would it compete against companies who have millions of dollars in marketing budgets? What's unique that would cause a buyer to use it over one of the big agencies?

I would love for a grassroots movement to take off. But there needs to be a totally new concept that replaces the stock model instead of competing against it. 


« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2020, 08:42 »
0
I don't have any revolutionary idea, sorry. Perhaps doing it, we can find one.

« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2020, 08:50 »
+1
You both have valid points!
I do have some ideas but idea without validating and investment are useless. I am digital
image curator(reviewer), I'll be happy to contribute if needed to be.

All the best!

steheap

  • Author of best selling "Get Started in Stock"

« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2020, 09:10 »
+1
There already is such software available - symbiostock at https://www.symbiostock.org/

There is also a community agency that is built on all the various artists using the symbiostock code - http://www.symzio.com/

I used to have a site with 6500 images on it using this code and it worked very well, but I really screwed up the database somehow and couldn't really recover it. If you are interested, I wrote the whole history (as I remembered it) of this project here: https://backyardsilver.com/do-self-hosted-stock-photo-sites-ever-work/

These are self hosted sites which isn't what is being discussed here, but I believe the developer also came up with a multi-artist solution that someone could manage on behalf of multiple artists.

The biggest issue in all this is not the site or the hosting - it is getting customers to pay. Illustrators seemed to do better than photographers in this respect, but I'm not sure anyone really made it work financially.

Steve

« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2020, 09:17 »
0
Hello Steve, I read you since some years ago. Nice to meet you here. I used it too for sell some images with similar poor result. The configuration was also a pain. I'm thinking about something like picfair.

Sales are for sure the main factor, but without a platform we can't search for customers.

« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2020, 09:43 »
+1
Can i explain how absurd this is about making yourself a rivalry to Shutterstock by simply setting up a new stock agency... like youre a 5yo?

How long will it take to have the first 1000 photos in your stock agency... how long after that to have the first 10000 and 100000 and your first 1 million... and the first 10 million? Even you have 10 mil, it is nothing standing in front of 123rf which has 65 million images. Lets just say to give you the benefit of doubt that the website will eventually have a library that size... Your agency will still be like a baby in the eyes of big guys like adobestock or Shutterstock.

I know you want to make a huge change, who doesnt want things to go better for contributors?  You just gotta realise its never about getting any programmers who voluntarily help building a new stock agency and voila you have yourself a rival to these big guys.


« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2020, 09:47 »
0
What solution do you propose?

whtvr

« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2020, 09:50 »
0
No contributor will like this but the only catchy idea might be only brand new never else appearing content as exclusive and when a library of many is ready to go for individual bargains and agreements with some medium to large imagery consumer companies. The problem is not retail clients to end up to sub packs. The problem is to have a good multi subject growing strict curated exclusive library.

« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2020, 10:16 »
0
I agree that something should change.

But I doubt that a new stock agency will be our saviour. We all have seen this too often. Non sellers that offer 90%, new agencies even paying welcome fees etc.

There should be a game change - not only a player change.

All the rights management must go back to the artists. One way to do this could be a combination of the media data with the payment. This could (roughly) work like this:
The media is in some blockchain. Access to this piece of memory (... the link ...) works as long as the payment/booking permits. It is up to us to sell this per use, per server, per period of time etc. 
No agency inbetween - just a little dashboard, where we select the rights and prices for them. We have 2020 and I don't understand why there is no media blockchain for this purpose. As far as I got it that is what "smart contracts" are made for.

After some of us being out of this stock cages I assume that customers only will find low quality stuff in todays everything stores.

As mentioned - this is not a final approach. A lot of details needs to be refined. ... and this is just a short post and not the place for huge research presentations.
If you think it is convincing I can (... and will ...) contribute conceptual work. But I need more expertise, manpower and budget.

« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2020, 10:23 »
0
What solution do you propose?

Forget SS. Move on.

Change your focus and have a new strategy by try something that potentially bring you more income like start a youtube channel or podcast or anything you good at.

You can do it!

Snow

« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2020, 11:12 »
0
Who says we need to compete with them? Obviously that would never work. Is Stocksy trying to compete with the big shots? Well create a Stocksy type of agency for microstock images.

It's not joining some other contributor friendly stock agency, it's creating our own. We start by using this forum as a guide how to set it up.
If we get a dozen $0,10 sales at SS or an occasional $1 sale at our new agency this is a bad thing?
So when trying something it has to pay off right away, get rich fast? That's why we joined Microstock? That's why people are now moving to DT and FT? scrape in all the lost money from SS?
No startup money? Patreon anyone? if we all donate min a dollar a month to get started, now multiple by 1000 people, when things start to go well 10000 people? I'm sure that would cover the costs for a small agency.

If we stick with this "nothing will ever work" mentality we surely get what we want won't we.
Again acting like cattle ready to be milked. Like I said in another post there are plenty of people amongst us who are more then capable setting this whole thing up.

Worst case scenario we lose our dollar (if we even have to do that) and some of our precious time, best case scenario, well think about it!

Alright I'm going to leave it at that because like I mentioned before I'm not even half as smart as you guys but smart enough to know that this could be possible without the pressure of trying to compete with other agencies or losing a huge investment.

Have a great weekend peeps and be well!

« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2020, 11:25 »
0
It is not only about programming abilities... and i dont know if 50% payment to contributors is good for the company

Some people will try to upload stolen content, and even when your intentions are good and your philosopy is fair play, sues will go to the company, so you will need a good lawyer department that is more complicated that programming website and also so more expensive.

You will need ads in order to promote images and eventually made sales... these ads are so expensive too... and of course you will need a lot of people to matain the site and give support to both contributors and buyers.

In the other hand you start under disadvantage with SS due to the deal they made with google some years ago... google control big ammount to images exposition in the net so this deal gives SS a big competitive advantage that is not easy to fill...

So, to start a MS agency in this way is more an issue of getting big amount of money to start that just develop a pretty website, and in order to pay all expenses, maybe contributors need to get less that 50%... not 10 cents of course, but an amount that could be significant and fair but also allows the company to being cometitive in this industry
« Last Edit: June 12, 2020, 11:27 by Mrblues101 »


 

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