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Author Topic: How can I make $150k/year from stock photos/videos?  (Read 15246 times)

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« Reply #25 on: March 12, 2019, 14:57 »
+5
Step 1... get yourself a time machine
Step 2... go back to the year 2000 to start shooting editing keywording and preparing for the era of microstock
Step 3... in 2006, start uploading.  pay no attention to the annoying reviewers who are also at the same time, your competitors ;P
Step 4... argue about your RAW workflow at parties in London with Yuri, Andres, and Jon Oringer while sipping on Martinis and talking about how annoying rejected photos and keywording are to your life


« Reply #26 on: March 12, 2019, 17:09 »
+4
The subject line says $150/K a year. So yes, $150 a year is doable. $150K, not so much.

« Reply #27 on: March 12, 2019, 19:58 »
0
shoot in 4:3 15k clips

Rosebud with videolove


rinderart

« Reply #28 on: March 13, 2019, 12:52 »
0
First you have to invent a time machine.  Set it to go back to 2005.  Check your computer's hard drive to see if your photos/videos survived the trip.  Assuming they did, upload them all.  Enjoy a few years of six-figure income until 2012-ish when the tidal wave of competition hits and your income falls by around 20% each year.

Now get back in the time machine, go back to 1980 and buy a bunch of Apple stock.

Brilliant!!!!!!!! so good and so true.


« Reply #30 on: March 13, 2019, 13:14 »
+1
Title says it all. I'm genuinely interested in figuring out how can I make $150/year from stock photos/videos?

It's fun to do - now I'd like to figure out how to reach those numbers. Figured I may as well ask in case anyone has some good ideas. Ideas/suggestions?

Perhaps - hypothetically - imagine you personally *were* currently making $150/year from microstock. What would you have to be doing to acheive that?

Thanks!


$150 a year is quite realistic. You'll need about 150-300 images spread out at at least a dozen agencies. Ideally they'll have excellent technical standards (focus, low noise, even lighting, plenty of copy space). The content should be in-demand and ideally model-released with young attractive people doing fun activities in an authentic manner. Then you'll want to keyword the images to an excellent level using relevant keywords so buyers can find those images.

$150 a year is very reasonable and I hope that answers your question. Good luck!  :P

lol. He want's $150k though (per the title). He just forgot the "k" in the description.

rinderart

« Reply #31 on: March 13, 2019, 13:14 »
0
I don't usually go into detail on my earnings, but here goes anyway.

I make around that amount per year exclusively through microstock. I cleared 7 figures total by mid 2017. I started 2006 but didn't start concentrating full time micro till 2009 ish.

It is possible. My number one tip (for anyone that cares) is don't give your work (especially your newer work, last 5 years-ish) to lower paying sites. By which I mean IStock, Bigstock, Depositphotos, Vectorstock etc. but especially IStock as they are a much bigger fish and constantly trying to find ways to pay us less, or even literally nothing (see free blog usage, Google giveaway, connect etc.).

Those seemingly small cents difference per dl make a big difference in percentage of your bottom line. Restricting the value of those sites content also helps drive customers to the better paying sites.

If anyone argues that they "only care about the total at the end of the month" or whatever I would ask them how long they have managed to sustain a business in the field and how much they make before taking that course.

Also for context. I have a portfolio of less than 20,000 and only rank just inside the top 200 on FL. So there are a few of us doing these sorts of figures and some doing much, much better. Most drug dealers live in their mother's basements then there's Pablo Escobar (or Yuri a few years ago I guess).

Great Post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

« Reply #32 on: March 13, 2019, 13:19 »
0
Title says it all. I'm genuinely interested in figuring out how can I make $150k/year from stock photos/videos?

It's fun to do - now I'd like to figure out how to reach those numbers. Figured I may as well ask in case anyone has some good ideas. Ideas/suggestions?

Perhaps - hypothetically - imagine you personally *were* currently making $150k/year from microstock. What would you have to be doing to acheive that?

Thanks!

Upload to 10 different agencies, and aim for 15K on each agency.

Then diversify by making photo + video + vectors and aim for 5K in each category per website.

Seems doable now  8)


« Reply #33 on: March 13, 2019, 14:46 »
0
With video, it's incredibly tough. Too much production time and content gets outdated too quickly. A few years ago, people were happy with 1080p and now everyone is downloading 4K. It's not that sustainable in the long run so you constantly have to upload.

With images, you have a better chance, but like many have said...you need time to build a portfolio and establish your position in the search rankings. You have to be among the best at what you do and you have be willing to spend thousands of hours on your work. It gets harder everyday with so much content in the market, but it's not impossible. Just don't expect immediate results and don't get discouraged.

I have a mixed portfolio with a strong focus on design. I'm not close to $150k, but it's a reachable goal provided the market doesn't change too much in the next 5-10 years.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2019, 14:50 by Minsc »

« Reply #34 on: March 13, 2019, 15:01 »
+5
With video, it's incredibly tough. Too much production time and content gets outdated too quickly. A few years ago, people were happy with 1080p and now everyone is downloading 4K. It's not that sustainable in the long run so you constantly have to upload.

With images, you have a better chance, but like many have said...you need time to build a portfolio and establish your position in the search rankings. You have to be among the best at what you do and you have be willing to spend thousands of hours on your work. It gets harder everyday with so much content in the market, but it's not impossible. Just don't expect immediate results and don't get discouraged.

I have a mixed portfolio with a strong focus on design. I'm not close to $150k, but it's a reachable goal provided the market doesn't change too much in the next 5-10 years.

The problem is the market is changing.  My yearly return per shot is half what it was 5 years ago and will likely drop by half or more again in the next 5 years.  Eventually the cost per shot will exceed the average lifetime earnings per shot...     


« Reply #35 on: March 13, 2019, 15:10 »
+4
"but it's a reachable goal provided the market doesn't change too much in the next 5-10 years." Ten years is a long time in this industry.

georgep7

« Reply #36 on: March 13, 2019, 15:30 »
+3
Quote
This recent blog post has some valuable insight on how to find success as a stock contributor:

Mat, the person that was interviewed stated starting stock around year 2000.
Oh, wait, there is a previous post talking for a timeback machine!
Ok, got it now!

:D :P

Offtopic: Not a native English speaker, but, shouldn't "one man show" be an one man "band"??

« Reply #37 on: March 15, 2019, 06:07 »
+2
according to that stats site with the bird logo (I forgot the name), I am above the 93 percentile in earnings of all stock contributors. So I make more than 93% of photographers and videographers.

I have 20,000 videos and about 50,000 photos (half online, rest are pending upload).

I make about $35,000 a year from stock.

good luck

« Reply #38 on: March 15, 2019, 06:39 »
+2
according to that stats site with the bird logo (I forgot the name),

Sounds like a waterproof way to get the facts. ;)

I have 20,000 videos and about 50,000 photos (half online, rest are pending upload).

I have a million images, but unfortunately, 99% are pending upload. But just know I have a million images.

And also remember that all images and videos are created equal. If someone has 20,000 videos and earns X, you will earn exactly the same when you get to 20,000. It couldn't get any easier to predict earnings, really.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #39 on: March 15, 2019, 06:48 »
+2
according to that stats site with the bird logo (I forgot the name),
Sounds like a waterproof way to get the facts. ;)
I can't think of the site unonimous meant, but how do they know what all stock photographers earn?

« Reply #40 on: March 15, 2019, 07:14 »
+3
according to that stats site with the bird logo (I forgot the name), I am above the 93 percentile in earnings of all stock contributors. So I make more than 93% of photographers and videographers.

I have 20,000 videos and about 50,000 photos (half online, rest are pending upload).

I make about $35,000 a year from stock.

good luck

twitter?  ;D ;D

georgep7

« Reply #41 on: March 15, 2019, 07:19 »
+1
To enter the joke,
I have hundrends of handheld shaky clips that are not been rejected yet!

Kind more seriously, as an example i never would imagine that exist a site allowing search of small youtube channels (millions of them as you know), where you can define parameters as subs, country and niche query and get true narrowed relevant results without third party or Youtube's interaction or interference.

Perhaps this bird logo site exist? Maybe he ment that according to a chart, graph whatever he saw/read online there that he/she is in x category under y and over z contributors?

Similar as e.g. in this poll at the right ShutterStock can claim being the best contributors earnings agency?

:)
« Last Edit: March 15, 2019, 07:23 by georgep7 »


« Reply #42 on: March 15, 2019, 08:09 »
+1
according to that stats site with the bird logo (I forgot the name),
Sounds like a waterproof way to get the facts. ;)
I can't think of the site unonimous meant, but how do they know what all stock photographers earn?
It would be great if such a site existed with reliable stats but I can't see if its even possible for even the KGB to get that information. (I hope)

« Reply #43 on: March 16, 2019, 12:35 »
+1

marthamarks

« Reply #44 on: March 16, 2019, 13:46 »
0

« Reply #45 on: March 16, 2019, 14:06 »
0
With video, it's incredibly tough. Too much production time and content gets outdated too quickly. A few years ago, people were happy with 1080p and now everyone is downloading 4K. It's not that sustainable in the long run so you constantly have to upload.

With images, you have a better chance, but like many have said...you need time to build a portfolio and establish your position in the search rankings. You have to be among the best at what you do and you have be willing to spend thousands of hours on your work. It gets harder everyday with so much content in the market, but it's not impossible. Just don't expect immediate results and don't get discouraged.

I have a mixed portfolio with a strong focus on design. I'm not close to $150k, but it's a reachable goal provided the market doesn't change too much in the next 5-10 years.

The problem is the market is changing.  My yearly return per shot is half what it was 5 years ago and will likely drop by half or more again in the next 5 years.  Eventually the cost per shot will exceed the average lifetime earnings per shot...   

Most buyers are still downloading 1080 not 4K.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #46 on: March 16, 2019, 16:14 »
0
https://www.stockperformer.com/pricing

Aha! So that's where the little birdies are!  ;D

I think we've been through this before. I wonder how stockperformer knows the downloads and incomes, without passwords. That would be some pretty valuable information for the agencies to know about each other. I really couldn't see much more than their promotional claims, and I'd really wonder what some subscribers say from their actual experience?

I also don't know why the link was to the pricing page instead of the features? https://www.stockperformer.com/features Anyone have more details about this place?

« Reply #47 on: March 16, 2019, 16:16 »
0
I tried the free month and I liked it a lot. The graphs are kind of outdated but complete. They obtain the access through a Chrome or Firefox extension as far as I know

Enviado desde mi ALP-L29 mediante Tapatalk


« Reply #48 on: March 16, 2019, 18:39 »
+1
Follow this simple formula:
Divide 150K by your current yearly earnings.
Multiply that by your current number of images.
Subtract your current number of images from that number.
The result is how many you have to upload.
But you have to that within the next couple of weeks or the formula will be obsolete.


ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #49 on: March 16, 2019, 18:56 »
+1
https://www.stockperformer.com/pricing

Aha! So that's where the little birdies are!  ;D

I think we've been through this before. I wonder how stockperformer knows the downloads and incomes, without passwords. That would be some pretty valuable information for the agencies to know about each other. I really couldn't see much more than their promotional claims, and I'd really wonder what some subscribers say from their actual experience?

I also don't know why the link was to the pricing page instead of the features? https://www.stockperformer.com/features Anyone have more details about this place?
There's a forum here on msg, but it is mostly threads started by stockperformer with no or very few replies. One post in the whole of 2018, none this year.
Does that suggest that most msg-ers aren't interested in the software?   Or ...?

How can it gather the stats of individual stock artists and rank them? Does it even have access to iS's API, for example?


 

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