Approximately, what do you think your current annual RPI is?

If I�m not mistaken, even somebody as prolific as Yuri Arcus is only claiming an annual RPI of about $5 these days.

So how does that work?

Yuri pays, expensive model fees, stylists, makeup artists, location fees, travel costs, props, retouchers, keyworders, uploaders, etc etc and more.

After a days shoot, he has maybe what 50 unique images to sell?
(or more?)

Based on 50 �

50 images at $5 RPI = $250/year

x 5 year life = $1250

This is surely a massive financial loss!
Or is my Math all wrong?
Where�s the profit?

I can just about understand that if you keep production cost to zero (don�t pay models, blag locations, borrow props etc) and still produce first class images, then possibly/maybe I can see a modest living to be made. However, and I�m genuinely intrigued, how can the big boys (and girls) spend all that money on production?

I try to keep production costs near zero so I can't comment about costs.

But - contrary to my own expectations when I started 6 years ago - I am seeing almost no fall in sales of old pictures (except in case of dramatic changes in search engines). So the life span of pictures is well over 5 years.

My RPI is per month... not per year.
Probably the same for Yuri.

There is no way that Yuri's RPI is only 5$ a year.  Possibly 5$ a month.
I made 5$ a month RPI a few years ago but it is now not much more that 2$

Yuri has been quoted saying his RPI was $5.00 .. and many anti-microstockers love to jump on that assuming it is per year.  He has said however it was per month.  That was a few years ago now.. who knows what it is now.

Interesting posts � thanks.

I'm not anti-microstock really, on the contrary, I'd like to make it work for me

I'd just like to understand the Math and figure out if it's really feasible to make a return � especially if you fork out loads of wonga on production?

I just re-read John Lunds 2011 interview with Yuri and indeed, it�s not clear whether the RPI figures in question 11 (ish) are yearly or monthly.

http://blog.johnlund.com/2011/01/yuri-arcurs-leading-microstock.html

If it�s monthly, then clearly that helps with the Math quite considerably.

On the other hand, it does lead to yet another curios �. where on earth do all these downloads actually get used?

Quote from: SLP_London on March 13, 2013, 16:30

On the other hand, it does lead to yet another curios �. where on earth do all these downloads actually get used?

Yes, on earth.

It all depends on you.  Your costs, your subject, your production rate, etc.  Don't judge yourself by Yuri or anyone else.

... and a lot of them don't get used. Microstock is so cheap that a designer can purchase several images and only use the one that works the best.  When they are on subscriptions they can just download everything that looks good and use what works when they are putting their project together.