Author Topic: What is the future for microstock in 2014? (Read 8297 times)

StockMania · « **on:** February 04, 2014, 15:40 »

I am very interested in hearing your thoughts?

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2014, 15:49 »

Goofy · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2014, 15:59 »

so, now we get punished (negative heart) for posting a question especially from a newbie? What's up with that? Isn't this a site for folks to ask questions and not be fearful no matter what they ask?

Thus I was address their question-

What is the future in the business for 2014- still has opportunities for those that have a special niche or willing to put on the effort to bring in quality images that have a good commercial concept.

cthoman · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2014, 16:07 »

Maybe some sort of Hunger Games... I'm not really sure.

JPSDK · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2014, 16:21 »

The question is legitimate and relevant, and quite easy to answer:
Competition will be tougher and returns will fall for most people.

Because:

Beppe Grillo · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2014, 16:25 »

I can't answer, my crystal ball is broken…

Red Dove · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2014, 18:02 »

Give me a year to think about it.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2014, 20:48 »

It's fair to ask questions, but if you make the questions amazingly general and offer nothing about your own situation - illustrations, photographs, 3D renders, video etc. - you'll get an answer that's largely useless or at best, funny (I assume that was a magic 8-ball?).

ArenaCreative · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2014, 22:06 »

It's the same as it was in 2006, when they said this "wave" was soon to crash and the sky was falling... similar to what was said in 2008, and 2010, and 2012, etc, etc...

What's the latest doom and gloom?

Here's what I have noticed. RPI has dropped incredibly. That's a given, and it will continue to fall like a stone as the number of images in the photo pile continue to increase, as your production rate does not. Is it all doom and gloom? I don't know, as me again in a few more years. I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.

Keep making images, keep making money, branch out into things you've never tried before like stock footage (your camera probably does that now), constantly test the waters with new agencies to spread your work out and sell more places (yeah i know, it's a pain but you have to unless you want to be a lazy schlub and go exlusive with big G)

onward and upward.

Rinderart · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2014, 01:05 »

Well said.

grey1 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2014, 03:48 »

Nothing wrong with Wun-tung soup and noodles.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2014, 06:14 »

Quote from: grey1 on February 05, 2014, 03:48

Nothing wrong with Wun-tung soup and noodles.

still here?

old crow · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:01 »

""I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.""

One small can of decent tuna fish is 6 shutterstock downloads ! ! ! !

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:08 »

Quote from: old crow on February 05, 2014, 10:01

""I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.""

One small can of decent tuna fish is 6 shutterstock downloads ! ! ! !

or...

Six cans of tuna fish is one decent shutterstock download.

Beppe Grillo · « **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:12 »

Quote from: old crow on February 05, 2014, 10:01

""I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.""

One small can of decent tuna fish is 6 shutterstock downloads ! ! ! !

I have sold mine only 5 times…

ArenaCreative · « **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:25 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on February 05, 2014, 10:08

Quote from: old crow on February 05, 2014, 10:01
""I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.""

One small can of decent tuna fish is 6 shutterstock downloads ! ! ! !

or...

Six cans of tuna fish is one decent shutterstock download.

Heck, I can afford to buy a grocery bag full of nice lobsters with what I just earned off two "single & other downloads" sales today. $105 on two sales, can't complain when we have those, though they can sometimes be elusive. The image was just a photo texture I must have shot 7 years ago when I was back in my "shoot anything and everything for microstock" mode. EL's seem to have picked up a bit this month on SS as well.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2014, 15:41 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on February 05, 2014, 10:08

Quote from: old crow on February 05, 2014, 10:01
""I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.""

One small can of decent tuna fish is 6 shutterstock downloads ! ! ! !

or...

Six cans of tuna fish is one decent shutterstock download.

or...

A case of 48 cans of tuna fish is a nice Shutterstock SOD. Today's haul in return for a picture of Aruba

ArenaCreative · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2014, 16:20 »

Good stuff, Jo Ann

More incentive to book your next cruise! I still have a decent chunk of Bermuda photos to edit and submit from last October. Never enough time in the day.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2014, 17:41 »

If I were to take a cruise I'd be taking pictures of people ill with norovirus - not such a great seller probably

But I am heading for the Caribbean again this year, though not Aruba - lots more SODs needed before it pays for the trip though!

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2014, 18:19 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on February 05, 2014, 10:08

Quote from: old crow on February 05, 2014, 10:01
""I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.""

One small can of decent tuna fish is 6 shutterstock downloads ! ! ! !

or...

Six cans of tuna fish is one decent shutterstock download.

Wow! That's a sharp reappraisal!

oxman · « **Reply #20 on:** February 05, 2014, 18:20 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on February 05, 2014, 10:08

Quote from: old crow on February 05, 2014, 10:01
""I'm still not down to eating ramen noodle soup and cans of tuna fish for dinner just yet.""

One small can of decent tuna fish is 6 shutterstock downloads ! ! ! !

or...

Six cans of tuna fish is one decent shutterstock download.

And remember, if you take photos of the tuna fish (and your groceries in general) and upload it, you can use it as a tax deduction

YadaYadaYada · « **Reply #21 on:** February 05, 2014, 19:00 »

Straight and level flight. Downloads up, uploads up, RPI down.

Mantis · « **Reply #22 on:** February 05, 2014, 21:11 »

No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013

The way I see it is that the same number of buyers are going after a larger and larger pool of content, which spreads those sales to a broader range of contributors. You can take it from here.

Goofy · « **Reply #23 on:** February 05, 2014, 21:24 »

"No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013"

Than you better produce better images than what is currently in the inventory. And find a niche as well that gives you the edge...

Mantis · « **Reply #24 on:** February 05, 2014, 21:31 »

Quote from: Goofy on February 05, 2014, 21:24

"No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013"

Than you better produce better images than what is currently in the inventory. And find a niche as well that gives you the edge...

This is totally correct. Produce work that is needed, different and hard to recreate (copy).

dirkr · « **Reply #25 on:** February 06, 2014, 04:30 »

Quote from: Mantis on February 05, 2014, 21:11

No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013

The way I see it is that the same number of buyers are going after a larger and larger pool of content, which spreads those sales to a broader range of contributors. You can take it from here.

Well, at least for the only microstock company that does publish such data (shutterstock) the situation does not look exactly like that.
While supply has been growing steeply in the recent years, demand has kept the pace. The number of downloads per image in the library has not changed too much although the library size has been growing rapidly.

Take a look at shutterstock's investor presentation, page 21 shows the comparison from 2009 to 2012 (to be found here).

What that means for each of us individually is a different question. I don't see the same pattern, my downloads are going down, but I have not uploaded really much in recent years. And if that would be the reason (old files lose search position and don't sell as well as they used to) then new files must get an over-proportional boost - somewhere these rising numbers of downloads must go.

It's not all doom and gloom, but maybe it is getting more difficult to be amongst those who are successful in this business...

Red Dove · « **Reply #26 on:** February 06, 2014, 04:44 »

I see demand growing as the use of mobile devices accelerates and even the smallest of companies/organizations understand the need to establish a marketing presence in that arena - using imagery that gets the message across without volumes of text.

BTW I got this from my 18 year old niece and her peers. I'm sure you've all seen it for yourselves - they get all their news/gossip/culture and even education from mobile devices and they practically live on them and by them.

Also, 'tis about time the agencies got off their arses and broke the emerging markets - they can't all be getting their stuff via domestic outlets or piracy surely.

MxR · « **Reply #27 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:27 »

Shutterstock: 73827837283 new images added per week

Istock: 0,0077% new independients comission

Fotolia: Opening "Fotolia 1 cent club"

Karen · « **Reply #28 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:44 »

Quote from: Mantis on February 05, 2014, 21:11

No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013

The way I see it is that the same number of buyers are going after a larger and larger pool of content, which spreads those sales to a broader range of contributors. You can take it from here.

Istock will be flooded with ~~crap~~ low quality content.
Looks like control over the flow has already been lost.

Mantis · « **Reply #29 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:00 »

Quote from: dirkr on February 06, 2014, 04:30

Quote from: Mantis on February 05, 2014, 21:11
No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013

The way I see it is that the same number of buyers are going after a larger and larger pool of content, which spreads those sales to a broader range of contributors. You can take it from here.

Well, at least for the only microstock company that does publish such data (shutterstock) the situation does not look exactly like that.
While supply has been growing steeply in the recent years, demand has kept the pace. The number of downloads per image in the library has not changed too much although the library size has been growing rapidly.

Take a look at shutterstock's investor presentation, page 21 shows the comparison from 2009 to 2012 (to be found here).

What that means for each of us individually is a different question. I don't see the same pattern, my downloads are going down, but I have not uploaded really much in recent years. And if that would be the reason (old files lose search position and don't sell as well as they used to) then new files must get an over-proportional boost - somewhere these rising numbers of downloads must go.

It's not all doom and gloom, but maybe it is getting more difficult to be amongst those who are successful in this business...

I am talking generalities, not specifically about SS. There are usually exceptions to every rule, one-offs, etc. But in general my post is accurate.

JPSDK · « **Reply #30 on:** February 06, 2014, 10:44 »

Quote from: Mantis on February 05, 2014, 21:31

Quote from: Goofy on February 05, 2014, 21:24
"No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013"

Than you better produce better images than what is currently in the inventory. And find a niche as well that gives you the edge...

This is totally correct. Produce work that is needed, different and hard to recreate (copy).

Well, it is not all agencies who squeeze commissions. SS keeps them steady and add higher paid licences as well.

cthoman · « **Reply #31 on:** February 06, 2014, 10:57 »

Quote from: JPSDK on February 06, 2014, 10:44

Well, it is not all agencies who squeeze commissions. SS keeps them steady and add higher paid licences as well.

Speak for yourself. I lost a quarter to a third of my revenue there when they changed the affiliate program. Not to mention that they actually run Bigstock.

Goofy · « **Reply #32 on:** February 06, 2014, 11:23 »

'What is the future of Microstock in 2004?'

Well, close your eyes and tell me what do you see?

PS
That is what a past boss told me when I ask him if I had a future in the company.

Rinderart · « **Reply #33 on:** February 06, 2014, 12:37 »

Soon , the sites are gonna charge us a fee to Host our Images....LOL

Batman · « **Reply #34 on:** February 06, 2014, 12:38 »

Quote from: Mantis on February 05, 2014, 21:11

No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013

The way I see it is that the same number of buyers are going after a larger and larger pool of content, which spreads those sales to a broader range of contributors. You can take it from here.

+1

niche and new better pictures

Mantis · « **Reply #35 on:** February 06, 2014, 21:08 »

Quote from: JPSDK on February 06, 2014, 10:44

Quote from: Mantis on February 05, 2014, 21:31
Quote from: Goofy on February 05, 2014, 21:24
"No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013"

Than you better produce better images than what is currently in the inventory. And find a niche as well that gives you the edge...

This is totally correct. Produce work that is needed, different and hard to recreate (copy).

Well, it is not all agencies who squeeze commissions. SS keeps them steady and add higher paid licences as well.

Please see my post:
Quote from: dirkr on Today at 04:30
Quote from: Mantis on Yesterday at 21:11
No matter what you upload, there are several factors that won't go away.

1. pricing/commissions will continue to be squeezed
2. Supply will be way higher than in 2013
3. demand will probably be similar to 2013

The way I see it is that the same number of buyers are going after a larger and larger pool of content, which spreads those sales to a broader range of contributors. You can take it from here.

Well, at least for the only microstock company that does publish such data (shutterstock) the situation does not look exactly like that.
While supply has been growing steeply in the recent years, demand has kept the pace. The number of downloads per image in the library has not changed too much although the library size has been growing rapidly.

Take a look at shutterstock's investor presentation, page 21 shows the comparison from 2009 to 2012 (to be found here).

What that means for each of us individually is a different question. I don't see the same pattern, my downloads are going down, but I have not uploaded really much in recent years. And if that would be the reason (old files lose search position and don't sell as well as they used to) then new files must get an over-proportional boost - somewhere these rising numbers of downloads must go.

It's not all doom and gloom, but maybe it is getting more difficult to be amongst those who are successful in this business...

I am talking generalities, not specifically about SS. There are usually exceptions to every rule, one-offs, etc. But in general my post is accurate.