Just wondering if it's possible for those who joined in later.


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You??


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Or Australia. Probably couldn't afford to live there, especially as a 20 a day smoking habit will set you back $900 a month... before you even start thinking about rent and general living costs!

I can get my rent, bills, food, half a dozen beers a day, and cigarettes in Cambodia for less than $900 a month!

Just wondering if it's possible for those who joined in later.


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It is possible, but will take some time for things to take off.

Those who can survive on microstock alone, are an endangered species.

Like animals threatened with extinction, they can survive for some time in areas with the most favourable conditions (i.e. "low costs of living") or if they are very strong.
But I am afraid that at some point in the future, they will all go the way of the dodo, nevertheless. Unfortunately.

I can just about pay my rent 

That's already a great benefit.


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Those who can survive on microstock alone, are an endangered species.

Like animals threatened with extinction, they can survive for some time in areas with the most favourable conditions (i.e. "low costs of living") or if they are very strong.
But I am afraid that at some point in the future, they will all go the way of the dodo, nevertheless. Unfortunately.

I belong to this endangered species (doing vectors only).  In my case the low cost of living helps me to achieve this. On the other hand I get what you mean, it makes me wonder how long could this work too, wouldn't expect to go on forever, but I'm not panicking either. Succesful people always stand on more "feet" and it's always better to be prepared,  so even though I manage for now, I'm already thinking of finding other income sources beside microstock.

2.5 times minimum wage is not good enough for decent living in an expensive US state, but it is a nice enjoyable bonus.

I have worked a bit on what I need to sell it for granted that I do not have any overhead. My place on Earth is in Scandinavia, which means that about 5600 US dollars per month is required to deal with living expenses and taxes. There is a long way to go yet.

To achieve this required that I work full-time with photo and recruit models I pay and have a studio and great location to photograph. This drives  cost (tax deductible in taxation).

It is probably more profitable to sell photography services as the main job and let the unbooked time be used for the production of stock images.

That makes sense as of course you can do the stock anytime......Scandanavia is a very expensive country to live in I guess.

Quote from: Pauws99 on March 28, 2017, 12:49

Scandanavia is a very expensive country to live in I guess.

No such country ... 

Yes well spotted if it was a country it would be expensive! Scandinavian countries I guess are expensive.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp For those that want to  delve.

I earn a living from only microstock. Video, photo, and some audio.

On the whole, most countries in Scandinavia are more expensive than the UK, France and the US. Even for big cities... according to Numbeo, there are five Scandinavian cities that are more expensive than New York, which is the most expensive out of the whole 'London, Paris, New York, Monaco etc' selection.

A few years back I lived solely on income from microstock, lived in UK and an expensive part too. Supported me and my wife.
Now I live in North Africa and still survive on microstock.

In a few years I guess I will be living in the Antarctic.

Quote from: SpaceStockFootage on March 29, 2017, 04:43

On the whole, most countries in Scandinavia are more expensive than the UK, France and the US. Even for big cities... according to Numbeo, there are five Scandinavian cities that are more expensive than New York, which is the most expensive out of the whole 'London, Paris, New York, Monaco etc' selection.

Specially if you like a drink or two!!! Its really property prices that kill it in London......if you avoid posh restaurants bars etc.

I do like a drink! Cheapest drink on my travels was $0.25 for half a pint of beer at happy hour... normal price was $0.50. Most expensive was $11.50 a pint, with cocktails approaching $20 (that was a cheap'ish' pub - clubs would have been a lot more). Crazy!

Although, I think I paid 9 Euros for a pint in Sweden in 2002, which would have been nearly $11 at the time, so it's possible it's a lot more than $11.50 there these days.

My current pad in Cambodia. Free wi-fi, free water, free cable TV, electricity is less than $100 a month, even with the air-con on 75% of the time, small garden out the back... $375 a month. You wouldn't get that in London!

My current pad in Cambodia. Free wi-fi, free water, free cable TV, electricity is less than $100 a month, even with the air-con on 75% of the time, small garden out the back... $375 a month. You wouldn't get that in London!

Been many times in south east asia...with 900 dollar u live basic life even if you have a 10 dollars day ypulive of basicstuff.

As i said many times this is an industry for people who move in poor country mostly, and especiallyeasterneruope where with 800ypu can live.
Butwith 900 you have zerolexibility. So its clear you have savi gs a d the. Survive in a country so poor.
Uneed probably a healtcarei sirance policy, air ticket to come back where u live...if some unexpectedthings jappen 9000 dollar yearswill cover kt?
Most of peopledoing microstock arehjust living. The days. This is not business its survival.

I may have confused the matter with the cost of cigarettes in Australia being $900 a month, and then explaining what you can get in South East Asia for that same $900. I don't earn $900 a month... I earn around $2800 to $3850 a month selling stock, plus my freelance earnings on top.

So yes, $9000 a year (when living in a country, time period, or on a planet that has and/or had a ten month year), would be a bit of a stretch... but having a minimum of $33,000 (and a realistic amount of $40K+) a year, gives me a lot more flexibility.

4000 dollar wirh a bunch of video animation?
Be serious man we are not coming from the monkey tree). 900 dollar were also strange to me...4500 dollar? I
Yes and i am superman.

Good find on the numbers, that's pretty much spot on! But just to clarify, I said $2,800 to $3,850... not $4000. Not a massive difference, but it can add up over a year. I do make extra money doing freelance work though (custom space shots here and there, logo animations, a bit of editing and VFX from time to time), but I'm 39 in a few months, so I'm trying to take it easy at my age. Don't want to over do it.

So that could mean an extra $250 a month or an extra $5,000 a month... or $0 a month. Depends on the gig and how motivated I am to work, which usually isn't very much. There are horses to be ridden, seas to dive, balls to pot, temples to explore, shots to putt, PS4 games to play... and the world's scotch supplies aren't going to drink themselves.

Yeah, that's no worries. Adds a bit of context!

Sure....

Quote from: SpaceStockFootage on March 29, 2017, 12:49

Sure....

ok i understand.
so u are earning 2000% what u earn in shutter stock in envato?
sounds good i never considered envato or video.

is nevato selling so good? strange i never taken this agency in account.
good to know.

Actual video footage doesn't do very well there, but motion graphics do well. That's mainly what VideoHive is known for. I also have some After Effects files which do well.

I've always made around $100 to $150 at SS, a bit less at iStock, around $200 to $300 at Pond 5, up to $450 at VideoBlocks, $50 to $100 at Artbeats Express, $50 or less at Fotolia, $25 if I'm lucky at MotionElements, $35 to $70 at CG Trader, $10 at Dreamstime... it all adds up, but not as much as VideoHive.

Right, buyers are usually the people or companies who look for the source files which gives them more flexibility. I appreciate you for sharing those numbers and good luck with more sales. Your work is amazing and challenging.

I'm almost there!  Started just over 2 years ago, got serious about a 1 1/2 years ago doing videos and photos part-time.  I've reduced my day job to 2 days a week with plans of quitting by the end of the year to do microstock and freelance full time.  Freelance work actually comes secondary only when I'm motivated to deal with clients.  There's plenty of money to still be made.  I live in an expensive area outside Seattle and can just about pay bills from microstock alone doing it just part-time.  There's no way I could do that if it was just photos though.