Finally above $1k thanks to some Arcangel book covers and Pond5 clip sales.

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2025/04/01/march-2025-brutally-honest-earnings-report-finally-above-1k/

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 02, 2025, 03:04
Finally above $1k thanks to some Arcangel book covers and Pond5 clip sales.

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2025/04/01/march-2025-brutally-honest-earnings-report-finally-above-1k/

Congrats Alex.  I follow your earnings, because it gives me relative insight into my own situation.
Arcangel is high quality & you really must know what you are doing;  it can also be dry for extended time.  But when it hits you, it's good.

For adobe it is 13% less than march 24, but last year easter was in march.

the total over all including istock will probably be around 570, again the total is lower than last year.

I am disappointed because the last two weeks were very slow and many of my favorite files could not be uploaded becuase of the review disaster.

They take mostly people and food but this type of content iś a slow seller in my port.

While I haven't been hit with another similars rejection I had two quality declines for files that look fine to me and these were the two files that would actually make me reliable money.

March 2025 was a month worthy of Dario Argento for its horrors! 

an horrible month,I hope I never see anything like this again!

03/2024: 25 Downloads / 19,06 USD
03/2025: 544 Downloads / 427,12 USD

Well done Andrej!!

Quote from: cobalt on April 02, 2025, 15:51
Well done Andrej!!

Thank you, I think luck and hard work were approx. equal.

Finally a better month following three consecutive poor months with $1300 on the microstocks and bit over $500 on YouTube for $1800 USD total for May 2025.

Quote from: Pacesetter on June 01, 2025, 05:54
Finally a better month following three consecutive poor months with $1300 on the microstocks and bit over $500 on YouTube for $1800 USD total for May 2025.

Are you uploading stock video to YouTube?

Quote from: stoker2014 on June 02, 2025, 12:04

Quote from: Pacesetter on June 01, 2025, 05:54
Finally a better month following three consecutive poor months with $1300 on the microstocks and bit over $500 on YouTube for $1800 USD total for May 2025.

Are you uploading stock video to YouTube?

Lately I've been shooting for the primary purpose of YouTube and then taking some clips from this and uploading them to my stock ports. So kind of the other way around really. Most of the clips are editorial so can only go on Shutterstock and Pond5 and to my other ports on iStock and Adobe if suitable.       

Quote from: Pacesetter on June 02, 2025, 12:48

Quote from: stoker2014 on June 02, 2025, 12:04

Quote from: Pacesetter on June 01, 2025, 05:54
Finally a better month following three consecutive poor months with $1300 on the microstocks and bit over $500 on YouTube for $1800 USD total for May 2025.

Are you uploading stock video to YouTube?

Lately I've been shooting for the primary purpose of YouTube and then taking some clips from this and uploading them to my stock ports. So kind of the other way around really. Most of the clips are editorial so can only go on Shutterstock and Pond5 and to my other ports on iStock and Adobe if suitable.     

You need to put a watermark on all the videos you upload to YouTube? After all, this way anyone can download your videos and upload them to stocks.

Here's a link to my monthly brutally honest report after a busy month traveling. 

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2025/06/02/may-2025-brutally-honest-earnings-report/

Quote from: Pacesetter on June 01, 2025, 05:54
Finally a better month following three consecutive poor months with $1300 on the microstocks and bit over $500 on YouTube for $1800 USD total for May 2025.

That is fantastic congrats!

I had a really bad may, especially on Adobe. 7% less than may 24.

Because of rejectiongate I uploaded very little and it is showing.

Trying to do video but I can replace my former roadmap for 25 this easily.

It will take two years to get real results.

Great stuff as usual Alex.  I also travel a lot & enjoyed this cruise narrative.  Missed each other in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for couple of months.  There is actually quite of different things to photograph in the waterfront, incl.  Castillo de San Juan Bautista and Auditorio de Tenerife Adan Martin.  I got lots of shots, still waiting to be processed.

Did you have time for Teide hike?  I went Teleferico up, but hiked down via Montana Blanca & it was the awesome day.  Canary Islands panorama from 3718m summit is stupidly beautiful!

($45.57 from Nov '23 cruise?  Maybe you should ask TikTok Jade for advice how to make 5-6K instead ;=)

Quote from: zeljkok on June 02, 2025, 21:57
Great stuff as usual Alex.  I also travel a lot & enjoyed this cruise narrative.  Missed each other in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for couple of months.  There is actually quite of different things to photograph in the waterfront, incl.  Castillo de San Juan Bautista and Auditorio de Tenerife Adan Martin.  I got lots of shots, still waiting to be processed.

Did you have time for Teide hike?  I went Teleferico up, but hiked down via Montana Blanca & it was the awesome day.  Canary Islands panorama from 3718m summit is stupidly beautiful!

($45.57 from Nov '23 cruise?  Maybe you should ask TikTok Jade for advice how to make 5-6K instead ;=)

Thanks! Will def be back in Tenerife (with the drone of course this time), wasn't there for long and was mainly doing shopping looking for a VR headset which in the end I didn't purchase. Cruises can be frustrating since I only got a few hours at land before heading back.

haha my first cruise was a disaster (financially speaking), not holding out much hope for the second one.

Loved Madeira too, next on my list to explore.

Travel for the purpose of microstock is no longer a consideration for me. In 2023 it was a different story when adding to ports translated to increased sales and income but that's no longer the case for me (others' experience might be much different).

Quote from: Pacesetter on June 01, 2025, 05:54
Finally a better month following three consecutive poor months with $1300 on the microstocks and bit over $500 on YouTube for $1800 USD total for May 2025.

You made $500 on youtube, in adsense in a month? How many clips? That would be like... 71k views only?

Quote from: SuperPhoto on June 03, 2025, 23:27

Quote from: Pacesetter on June 01, 2025, 05:54
Finally a better month following three consecutive poor months with $1300 on the microstocks and bit over $500 on YouTube for $1800 USD total for May 2025.

You made $500 on youtube, in adsense in a month? How many clips? That would be like... 71k views only?

Yes around high 70k views ended up at $530 which I think is pretty good  for second month monetized. I added 4 videos to the channel during May. I'm doubtful I will make 500 this month as RPD has fallen some and don't know why but we'll see how it goes as only early days in the new month.

Not bad and can't complain but there is always room for improvement. I just need more time to create and uplaod.

May and June were better months for me in the stocks with overall combined earnings of $1300 in May and $1105 in June. I found out on 29 May I was accepted in Storyblocks partner program and have managed to upload over 2100 videos to the platform over the month of June. Will be much slower now with fewer videos in my collection. This is good for adding another revenue stream. Can't say much for earnings at this stage as only early days with estimated earnings of $55 in June (not included in the above earnings for June). Hopefully will pick up in time. 

A great month all-around

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2025/07/01/june-2025-brutally-honest-earnings-report-all-in-on-drone-mapping/

When istock comes in, June will be around the same result as last year June, which is disappointing.

But mostly due to rejectiongate and me thus uploading very little for the summer season and my roadmap plan.

Over all agencies combined will probably be 450 dollars, so really very low.

I hope acceptance improves on Adobe.

July and August are always slow months for me, but it is an important time to upload content for winter spring 25/26.

Very slow month stock agencies wise, a little over 500$ across all agencies. Similar to June 2024. Also PODs very weak. But other revenue streams were not bad (direct licensing, client work, etc).

3K+, June was a little bit over a normal month

June was slightly less than June 2024, around 500 or so. 

I'm still working on my Diploma in Photography course, as time allows, I feel I've slowed down when I'm taking shots trying to get more quality and less volume, which has always been a problem to me. The course also has a business module on how to make money from photography (although I do video as well). 

I have a big video port and make less than others with smaller ports so I'll concentrate more on quality for now see if it makes any difference. 

July so far is encouraging with 2 video sales $70 and $75.  And quite a few around $7 or so.