Author Topic: Something strange happens with Shutterstock (Read 11346 times)

Peruphotoart · « **on:** September 19, 2019, 11:20 »

Since the month has begun and seen my sales collapse in shutterstock (September), I have no sales on demand or invidviduales (which is rare because I always have sales of this type of licenses) I only have a subscription (0.33) my pace of Sales was already bordering 100 dollars a month, but this month to the feha alone and sold 28 dollars (not normal for me) and the sales of my referrals have not reached me (although my colleagues I referred to are selling )
My question is the following:
is this normal? Do I have to send an email for the sales earnings for my referrals that do not reach me?

thanks in advance and I hope someone can help

StockDaebak · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2019, 14:16 »

Hi, I do video on Shutterstock and overall it's been a slower spring and summer and this September is not looking so good so far, I think it's a mix of the global recession, retail apocalypse and a few other things all added up resulting in less demand for the product all while supply is so high.

The slow down is not limited to Shutterstock, it's being felt in other agencies as well.

OM · « **Reply #2 on:** September 22, 2019, 18:55 »

Quote from: Peruphotoart on September 19, 2019, 11:20

Since the month has begun and seen my sales collapse in shutterstock (September), I have no sales on demand or invidviduales (which is rare because I always have sales of this type of licenses) I only have a subscription (0.33) my pace of Sales was already bordering 100 dollars a month, but this month to the feha alone and sold 28 dollars (not normal for me) and the sales of my referrals have not reached me (although my colleagues I referred to are selling )
My question is the following:
is this normal? Do I have to send an email for the sales earnings for my referrals that do not reach me?

thanks in advance and I hope someone can help

Been going down steadily for me in the past couple of years but September '19 is a drama for me too. Also +/- $100/month for the last 3-4 months but September so far is $40 with one week to go....they must have changed the algo....almost always the reason for dramatic changes in sales. Almost no ODDs only subs this month.

(Methinks the SS regulars still have their subs accounts which they buy and use every month. However, the ODDs buyers come more from smaller agencies/independents that go to SS now and again, find what they want and pay for an ODDs package. I reckon these people now search Pixabay and Unsplash first and only go to SS when they can't find what they want. Hence the dramatic drop in $$$ from lack of ODDs.)

davidbautista · « **Reply #3 on:** September 23, 2019, 08:13 »

I didn't have much sales too but maybe because I didn't upload new content?

Enviado desde mi LYA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

StockDaebak · « **Reply #4 on:** September 23, 2019, 08:32 »

Prime suspect I believe right now is the developing global recession, it's affecting all industries, Thomas Cook travel just went bankrupt leaving 600,000 stranded and 21,000 out of work.

The mindset right now if any business I think is to reduce spending. This slowdown became noticeable in April and it's accelerating, I had a decent finish in August believe it or not on Pon5 and SS but September is so far like mid summer, way down on both sites.

georgep7 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 23, 2019, 08:36 »

Quote

Thomas Cook travel just went bankrupt leaving 600,000 stranded and 21,000 out of work.

Offtopic. I was watching the news showing a Thomas Cook airoplane taking off. Perhaps at least all related stock media to have some boost sales. (in other words, one's death is other's survival...)

Clair Voyant · « **Reply #6 on:** September 23, 2019, 09:51 »

My favorite thing about Shutterstock is either 100% acceptance of a batch of work or 100% rejection for ludicrous reason and logic. Waste of time these days.

Deyan Georgiev Photography · « **Reply #7 on:** September 23, 2019, 10:39 »

Quote from: Clair Voyant on September 23, 2019, 09:51

My favorite thing about Shutterstock is either 100% acceptance of a batch of work or 100% rejection for ludicrous reason and logic. Waste of time these days.

Well, you sometimes come across a guy who works as rejector or sometimes on other guy who works as acceptor, that's why lol

eyewave · « **Reply #8 on:** September 23, 2019, 10:52 »

Quote from: georgep7 on September 23, 2019, 08:36

Quote
Thomas Cook travel just went bankrupt leaving 600,000 stranded and 21,000 out of work.

Offtopic. I was watching the news showing a Thomas Cook airoplane taking off. Perhaps at least all related stock media to have some boost sales. (in other words, one's death is other's survival...)

Actually, I sold the Thomas Cook logo (I shot it three weeks ago for Adobe editorial) eight times today... Not that it makes me rich, though.

marthamarks · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2019, 12:22 »

Quote from: Deyan Georgiev on September 23, 2019, 10:39

Quote from: Clair Voyant on September 23, 2019, 09:51
My favorite thing about Shutterstock is either 100% acceptance of a batch of work or 100% rejection for ludicrous reason and logic. Waste of time these days.

Well, you sometimes come across a guy who works as rejector or sometimes on other guy who works as acceptor, that's why lol

That makes as much sense as any other theory I've seen.

medveh · « **Reply #10 on:** September 23, 2019, 13:53 »

Quote from: Peruphotoart on September 19, 2019, 11:20

... and the sales of my referrals have not reached me (although my colleagues I referred to are selling )
My question is the following:
is this normal? Do I have to send an email for the sales earnings for my referrals that do not reach me?

When did your referrals register to Shutterstock? You only receive your 4 cents for 2 years after their registration.

Peruphotoart · « **Reply #11 on:** September 23, 2019, 14:42 »

Quote from: medveh on September 23, 2019, 13:53

Quote from: Peruphotoart on September 19, 2019, 11:20
... and the sales of my referrals have not reached me (although my colleagues I referred to are selling )
My question is the following:
is this normal? Do I have to send an email for the sales earnings for my referrals that do not reach me?

When did your referrals register to Shutterstock? You only receive your 4 cents for 2 years after their registration.

If it is correct, 2 years have passed, but the sime shutter seems strange, it was always uphill every month, going up little by little and spending almost 100 dollars a month loading content every week (approximately 20 to 30 photographs) just style life and suddenly .... out below !! I only have 32 dollars so far, hopefully and I will hit the 35 to collect them and add to that the disappointing income of Istock (Bad month)

Pauws99 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 24, 2019, 07:50 »

Quote from: eyewave on September 23, 2019, 10:52

Quote from: georgep7 on September 23, 2019, 08:36
Quote
Thomas Cook travel just went bankrupt leaving 600,000 stranded and 21,000 out of work.

Offtopic. I was watching the news showing a Thomas Cook airoplane taking off. Perhaps at least all related stock media to have some boost sales. (in other words, one's death is other's survival...)

Actually, I sold the Thomas Cook logo (I shot it three weeks ago for Adobe editorial) eight times today... Not that it makes me rich, though.

I sold an image of a statue of James Cook.....no relation yesterday. Wonder if someone is confused?

Ukko · « **Reply #13 on:** September 24, 2019, 08:15 »

Quote from: Pauws99 on September 24, 2019, 07:50

Quote from: eyewave on September 23, 2019, 10:52
Quote from: georgep7 on September 23, 2019, 08:36
Quote
Thomas Cook travel just went bankrupt leaving 600,000 stranded and 21,000 out of work.

Offtopic. I was watching the news showing a Thomas Cook airoplane taking off. Perhaps at least all related stock media to have some boost sales. (in other words, one's death is other's survival...)

Actually, I sold the Thomas Cook logo (I shot it three weeks ago for Adobe editorial) eight times today... Not that it makes me rich, though.
I sold an image of a statue of James Cook.....no relation yesterday. Wonder if someone is confused?

Fox News probably bought it, they are not too precise about facts and names, lol.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #14 on:** September 24, 2019, 09:15 »

Quote from: davidbautista on September 23, 2019, 08:13

I didn't have much sales too but maybe because I didn't upload new content?

Enviado desde mi LYA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

Wait, I thought only old photos sold?

Of course: Yes there is objective truth if you accept the paradigm of an objective environment that is being assessed by an organic machine made to integrate with it. The objective truth is the environment and the closest thing that the organism can get to assessment of this truth is the signals produced by its perceptual machinery.

In a world of alternate, personal reality: blame the agency "they changed something".

Quote from: StockDaebak on September 19, 2019, 14:16

The slow down is not limited to Shutterstock, it's being felt in other agencies as well.

I think I agree, too much competition, slow down in world economy, excessive abundance of the product. Supply and demand works for my thoughts.

Or an alternate theory, closer to home:

Maybe just:

davidbautista · « **Reply #15 on:** September 24, 2019, 09:22 »

For me, only old photos are sold but only if I upload new content. I recently uploaded a few photos to try this. Suddenly 6 sales made! (that's a lot for me since I'm not a pro).

Enviado desde mi LYA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

OM · « **Reply #16 on:** September 24, 2019, 10:44 »

To my mind most changes in market conditions happen relatively slowly (except in the case of total market meltdown...not yet evident). My sales dropping over the last 3 years from an average of $300/month to $100 in August 2019 is entirely due to market forces and to be expected as I haven't added much of 'commercial value' in the last 2 years.

A drop from $100 last month to (maybe) $50 this month is not something I would expect to be caused by market forces and more likely to be due to 'algo/searchmessing'.

'Algo/searchmessing' at FT was the reason for my joining SS in 2012.....sales at FT were progressing nicely and one image in particular had sold 500X in a couple of years and was selling almost every day. Then suddenly within a period of 2 weeks all my sales dried up and my best-seller never sold again. It had been on the first page of search and suddenly it was gone (beyond page 20).
I deleted that best-seller there and went to SS where it also quickly became my best-seller and has now had 3,500 dls. It still sells regularly at SS which leads me to conclude that there was nothing wrong with the quality of the image or that it was just 'hot' for a short period of time. FT simply messed with their algo/search and ruined my sales. As everything in those days was onward and upward, I'll assume that FT replaced the sales I lost with more sales from someone else...which I assume to be the case now at SS.

"de een zijn dood is de ander zijn brood"

MadPhotos · « **Reply #17 on:** September 26, 2019, 11:29 »

Well for me august is little bit slower on shutterstock. Right now im at $144 for 235 downloads. August was $253 for 264 dls. But still better than June $117 for 238 dls... Overall shutterstock this year averages around $20 more every month. But Adobe got crazy this month from 100 a month to $200...

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #18 on:** September 30, 2019, 12:36 »

Quote from: davidbautista on September 24, 2019, 09:22

For me, only old photos are sold but only if I upload new content. I recently uploaded a few photos to try this. Suddenly 6 sales made! (that's a lot for me since I'm not a pro).

Enviado desde mi LYA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

All my old photos were new photos at one time?

Part of the old and new as I see it, is we only know after time, which "new" photos have caught on and sold. So if I upload 100 new photos and a year later 4 are selling, that means 96 are not, but I see sales for the 4 and say, old photos are selling.

Old photos that sold this week included the usual personal best that sell over and over, plus a snow throwing tractor in the Winter, a Christmas design and another Winter holiday related image. Some buyers plan ahead pretty far. If you sell calendar type images, they are at the printers by now. Christmas ads are being created and set up.

An out of date 2013 image sold twice last week and one from the same series did also. I don't try to predict even sales, and what's funny is, when someone does well and has level sales, they complain it's rigged? I'd see level sales as a compliment that I figured out how to get a good flow from a variety, instead of the peaks and valleys that I experience, because I'm limited.

New photos in the last couple weeks, one sold in two days, which means I guessed right. Otherwise, in January I'll be the same as many others with the three good months of Fall being nice and suddenly the New Year slump will fall on me.

davidbautista · « **Reply #19 on:** September 30, 2019, 13:47 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on September 30, 2019, 12:36

Quote from: davidbautista on September 24, 2019, 09:22
For me, only old photos are sold but only if I upload new content. I recently uploaded a few photos to try this. Suddenly 6 sales made! (that's a lot for me since I'm not a pro).

Enviado desde mi LYA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

All my old photos were new photos at one time?

Part of the old and new as I see it, is we only know after time, which "new" photos have caught on and sold. So if I upload 100 new photos and a year later 4 are selling, that means 96 are not, but I see sales for the 4 and say, old photos are selling.

Old photos that sold this week included the usual personal best that sell over and over, plus a snow throwing tractor in the Winter, a Christmas design and another Winter holiday related image. Some buyers plan ahead pretty far. If you sell calendar type images, they are at the printers by now. Christmas ads are being created and set up.

An out of date 2013 image sold twice last week and one from the same series did also. I don't try to predict even sales, and what's funny is, when someone does well and has level sales, they complain it's rigged? I'd see level sales as a compliment that I figured out how to get a good flow from a variety, instead of the peaks and valleys that I experience, because I'm limited.

New photos in the last couple weeks, one sold in two days, which means I guessed right. Otherwise, in January I'll be the same as many others with the three good months of Fall being nice and suddenly the New Year slump will fall on me.

I agree!

Enviado desde mi LYA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

xphi · « **Reply #20 on:** October 11, 2019, 06:31 »

Hello, about me I uploaded 500 photos in June (and nothing after) and I had a few sales there a week but since 2 weeks, nothing, do you think it's due to the fact that I have nothing uploaded since 3 mouth, chance or a history of algorithm change? Thank you, I am new to the field

(i am french)

morfon · « **Reply #21 on:** October 11, 2019, 14:05 »

The algorithm may take your inactivity into account. At least that's my experience but i might be totally wrong. When i take a longer break from uploading (weeks, months) all sales dry up, but when i upload stuff again, my images start selling too. Since i have a tiny portfolio the difference is not significant but noticeable.

davidbautista · « **Reply #22 on:** October 11, 2019, 14:07 »

For me it's noticeable... My advise is to constantly upload.

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StockDaebak · « **Reply #23 on:** October 11, 2019, 21:39 »

Same here (editorial video), I think the key might be to upload something every day, not necessarily a whole week's worth in one day but spread it out, it may be co-incidence but I've noticed when I keep uploading then sales come in so maybe active accounts get a little boost from the algorithm because they now have new content available for the customer.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #24 on:** October 13, 2019, 17:43 »

Quote from: davidbautista on October 11, 2019, 14:07

For me it's noticeable... My advise is to constantly upload.

Enviado desde mi LYA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

Whether it's real or superstition, uploading on a regular basis can't hurt.

I think there have been some people who stopped uploading and their sales have dropped just like people who have continued. What I mean is, a perceived cause and effect from a short time, individual observation or forum wisdom and mythology, doesn't make it fact.

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Author Topic: Something strange happens with Shutterstock (Read 11346 times)

Peruphotoart

StockDaebak

OM

davidbautista

StockDaebak

georgep7

Clair Voyant

Deyan Georgiev Photography

eyewave

marthamarks

medveh

Peruphotoart

Pauws99

Ukko

Uncle Pete

davidbautista

OM

MadPhotos

Uncle Pete

davidbautista

xphi

morfon

davidbautista

StockDaebak

Uncle Pete

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