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Author Topic: Uniting contributors for better royalty, price control and safeguarding this industry  (Read 54901 times)

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« Reply #275 on: April 09, 2019, 12:59 »
0
My time is valuable.

Uploading and distributing videos is a lot of work. If I didn't believe this would make me money, do you seriously think I would be doing it??

I am still uploading to all the places, except Vimeo. Does Vimeo take individual artists?

But I am trying to optimize my uploads, some stuff goes into my personal ports, the others go into the Blackbox. I think they are very aptly named.

It works really well for me.

I can understand that it looks strange, but like I said, please avoid them if you don't see any value in it. It is just an option.

I also signed up for an additional exclusive port on pond5...still need to come up with a good concept for that as well.

More options are good, at least for me.
Didn't even know vimeo had stock and more options are good as long as they benefit contributors.


« Reply #276 on: April 09, 2019, 13:02 »
0
I read about Vimeo stock and was then surprised to find my files from blackbox and pond5 there. Not everything, looks like they take a selection.

But from what I read at the moment I cannot join as an individual artist.

If both have the same contract, then my income from BB should be higher than pond5. However..unless I buy my own files I will never know ;)

For a new place it is a good way to source content. They don't have to deal with masses of contributors and just pick and chose what they like.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2019, 13:06 by cobalt »

« Reply #277 on: April 09, 2019, 13:07 »
0
Wonder what they pay, it says up to 70% but doesn't say an average or a minimum.  Maybe it's good maybe it's terrible who knows?

« Reply #278 on: April 09, 2019, 13:18 »
0
Do they sell??

But...one more option...and I don't have to add extra work to find out. :)

« Reply #279 on: April 09, 2019, 13:19 »
0
Do they sell??

But...one more option...and I don't have to add extra work to find out. :)
But you also don't know what they pay, would it be good if you found out they pay 15%?  Not saying that's what they pay but they could.

« Reply #280 on: April 09, 2019, 13:26 »
0
I probably get less than that on one of the many partner portal deals I signed up to. I probably get a lot less from the Eyeem/getty deal? Maybe Eyeem only gets 5% on getty, who knows?

Part of the risk I take.

You have to trust that pond5 and BB negotiate good deals for themselves and their artists. I certainly have more faith in them than Depositphotos...

Otherwise, just sign out of partner deals wherever you can and never upload to gettyimages.

BB and pond5 are not distributing to Istock, so I guess they have some standards.

And vimeo could have sourced from deposit or getty, probably getting 4k for a dollar per sale, but they decided to go with more artist friendly partners.





« Last Edit: April 10, 2019, 03:19 by cobalt »

georgep7

« Reply #281 on: April 10, 2019, 06:16 »
+1
Here is a weird idea.

What if everyone producing video, instead of debating on P5,
made a second exclusive account in P5. No losses till here.
Having earnings as usual from existing footage
but uploading all new stuff in P5 as exclusive.
Having a pattern text email informing all other agencies for this;
"We contributors, etc, etc, because we believe etc.etc.
in order to get my new files in "agency", we ask for etc.etc.etc."

This might worked to pressure all agencies, and P5
with a massive opt out fear from their part
if they start playing with prices and features.

Like I said. Just another non applicable weird idea.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2019, 06:18 by georgep7 »

« Reply #282 on: April 10, 2019, 06:49 »
0
What about starting a new agency with high prices that requires exclusivity and offer 99% to contributors (and take only 1%)? They wouldn't need to do any marketing since they'd own all the content.

 8)

« Reply #283 on: April 10, 2019, 07:20 »
+1
I read about Vimeo stock and was then surprised to find my files from blackbox and pond5 there. Not everything, looks like they take a selection.

But from what I read at the moment I cannot join as an individual artist.

If both have the same contract, then my income from BB should be higher than pond5. However..unless I buy my own files I will never know ;)

For a new place it is a good way to source content. They don't have to deal with masses of contributors and just pick and chose what they like.

I just found a few dozen of my videos at Vimeo via Pond 5.... Surprising because I am opted out of the Pond 5 partner program (and all video partner programs).  They are also showing my real name, not my company / contributor name.  Anyone else "surprised" to be selling there?


« Reply #284 on: April 10, 2019, 10:03 »
+3
I don't have time to write all that I went over with this new Storyblocks deal. I feel this is very important to this community! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyeQmy3BV70

« Reply #285 on: April 10, 2019, 10:18 »
0
I don't have time to write all that I went over with this new Storyblocks deal. I feel this is very important to this community! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyeQmy3BV70
I'll go out on a limb and predict this will not be optional in a year.

swisschocolate

« Reply #286 on: April 10, 2019, 10:46 »
0
I don't have time to write all that I went over with this new Storyblocks deal. I feel this is very important to this community! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyeQmy3BV70

Brilliant :D

georgep7

« Reply #287 on: April 10, 2019, 11:26 »
+2
Quote
I don't have time to write

Here is an offtopic quick tip, everything you say in the video, it can be added in video description tab.
Helps with search and ranking options in Youtube. Words in description work also as keywords.
I dunno if you can extract it from auto translation feature as .srt or similar form of text.

:)

« Reply #288 on: April 10, 2019, 12:10 »
0
I read about Vimeo stock and was then surprised to find my files from blackbox and pond5 there. Not everything, looks like they take a selection.

But from what I read at the moment I cannot join as an individual artist.

If both have the same contract, then my income from BB should be higher than pond5. However..unless I buy my own files I will never know ;)

For a new place it is a good way to source content. They don't have to deal with masses of contributors and just pick and chose what they like.

I just found a few dozen of my videos at Vimeo via Pond 5.... Surprising because I am opted out of the Pond 5 partner program (and all video partner programs).  They are also showing my real name, not my company / contributor name.  Anyone else "surprised" to be selling there?

.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2019, 15:00 by trek »

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #289 on: April 10, 2019, 13:16 »
+1
I don't have time to write all that I went over with this new Storyblocks deal. I feel this is very important to this community! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyeQmy3BV70

That made my day, almost as much as the free pizza truck handing out samples. I'd never get that letter, but at least you warn anyone who might, to read carefully and consider what they are really saying.

« Reply #290 on: April 10, 2019, 14:49 »
+2
Here is a weird idea.

What if everyone producing video, instead of debating on P5,
made a second exclusive account in P5. No losses till here.
Having earnings as usual from existing footage
but uploading all new stuff in P5 as exclusive.
Having a pattern text email informing all other agencies for this;
"We contributors, etc, etc, because we believe etc.etc.
in order to get my new files in "agency", we ask for etc.etc.etc."

This might worked to pressure all agencies, and P5
with a massive opt out fear from their part
if they start playing with prices and features.

Like I said. Just another non applicable weird idea.

Not weird at all, many people are doing just that.

I would however, point out that it is in our interest to support several agencies to have options.

You are not an owner on pond5. If the company is sold or there are new managers and they decide to only pay out 20% for exclusive content...

It is what happened to us at istock, so, I truly recommend to always spread your risk.

You simply dont know what can happen in the future.

« Reply #291 on: April 10, 2019, 15:01 »
+1
It's not in our interest to support lots of sites fighting to see who can be the cheapest or take the biggest cut to increase market share.  The problem is exactly that, all these sites have the same content so they compete on price adding more to the mix doesn't do anyone any good. If Pond5 changes you can always leave.


« Reply #292 on: April 10, 2019, 16:26 »
+2
Just FYI I just sent my video to the CEO of Storyblocks via private message on LinkedIn

« Reply #293 on: April 10, 2019, 17:25 »
+2
If Pond5 changes you can always leave.

Have you ever left a place where you were exclusive for years??

I have.

You cannot just take your 10 000 files, place them elsewhere and immediately earn the same as before.

All your files and your entire portfolio need to build up their individual rankings, get light boxed by customers for future use etc...etc...

The Istock exclusives did a large scale practical experiment and most needed several years to regain their original income. Some never even made it, and gave up.

I only know of one person who regained his income in 6 months, but he was exceptionally well prepared before leaving, got himself into specialized exclusive places to help boost his sales etc...and probably got very little sleep.

So, if you really depend on your income and it pays your family bills...no...you cannot just hop up and go elsewhere.

if you do stock as more of a hobby and have a steady day job, that is a different thing.

But if you have well running portfolios, to just abandon them completely, is extremely risky.

For me supporting several places is a life insurance for my business.

Also I do not EVER want tobe  fully dependent on just one management team and their investors. No matter how nice they are.

But to each his own, those who would prefer to just have a system like when Getty totally dominated everything...good luck to you...

« Reply #294 on: April 10, 2019, 17:35 »
+1
I did it! and yes it takes a ton of work but for 60% to me it is worth the risk!

« Reply #295 on: April 10, 2019, 17:48 »
+2
I don't have time to write all that I went over with this new Storyblocks deal. I feel this is very important to this community! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyeQmy3BV70

"I did it! and yes it takes a ton of work but for 60% to me it is worth the risk!"

Good for you!

I opened an additional exclusive account and will add content...but...I will continue to upload elsewhere. Maybe in time my best content will all go to pond5, who knows.

But I am not giving up my freedom. I also don't want to abandon Blackbox, especially now that pond5 and BB together support Vimeo.

However, between the 40 000 members of Blackbox and the new exclusive option on pond5...I think the video people have excellent choices.

And Getty will have a hard time getting content for their 60 cent sales. If the BB people only upload 10 files a year to BB, that is 400 000 files a year Getty is not getting.

I really love your video.

While in the original micro stock model very high volume sales for 50 cent downloads did work for quite a while, Istock worked hard to in time increase sales price and offer higher quality content.

For stockvideo, I really do not see a high volume market ever coming along. Looking at pond5 more closely, even ports with 20 000 files sometimes just have an str of 2%.

So for content that is expensive to produce like yours, there will never ever be an option for cheap downloads with high volume.

So, I am very willing to support pond5 and Blackbox...but...after what happened with Istock and also experiences at other places, I am simply too burnt for another symbiotic stock relationship.

« Reply #296 on: April 10, 2019, 18:17 »
+2
By the way, pond5 also has a subscription service where customers can chose from over 400 000 thousand digital files.

They sell that content for far less than regular producers are allowed to set their own prices. 4-8 dollars is what I heard for 4k video. Not sure if that is true, but it is definitely lower than I could price my stuff, if I wanted to compete with membership prices for high volume sales, but still keep my 40% share.

But they don't tell producers how many times their files have sold in the member ship program. You have no way of knowing, if what you are getting is really 50% (or 40%) of what the customers are paying.

And the normal contributors cannot nominate content for membership. Invite only.

Now...what if pond5 tries to aggressively expand this offer?

« Reply #297 on: April 10, 2019, 18:22 »
+1
Well, I won't be supporting that either, I know they have one and have had one but you can opt out of it or not join. What Storyblocks is doing is much more underhanded as they will not limit the # therefor the payout will be a lot less. You have to value your content!

« Reply #298 on: April 10, 2019, 18:41 »
+1
I think story blocks should have been more honest from the start and maybe paid out 70% or something for non membership content. Everyone knew the 100% model wouldn't last. Running an agency is extremely expensive.

To abruptly change it all, was going to result in a terrible backlash.

If they want content for their subs library, be upfront and honest how much people can make.

A lot of places do not understand how crowd sourcing works. They seem to think the crowd is completely stupid and unthinking.

Instead people are deeply connected and the upload streams of the important content is usually very smart. The rest follows them.

For me sales at story blocks have disappeared.

« Reply #299 on: April 10, 2019, 18:58 »
+1
Yes, that is the big difference, they said they would promote the market more once they cut our rate. That was a full-blown lie! With pond5 they promote all our content we are not punished by not having our work in the membership. I understand the limited membership and for some it has worked well. Pond5 is also going to focus on advertising Exclusive work. If Storyblocks were honest they would have promoted the market a lot more but they chose to be sneaky and try to get artist to move to the membership plan for peanuts where you have zero control on your earnings!


 

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