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Author Topic: Wirestock news  (Read 28627 times)

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« Reply #25 on: September 14, 2019, 05:14 »
0
So what is your percentage at the firms you provide our images at? Because if i'm making 50% on selling the image by my self on alamy, will you guys get 50/40 of my image and then give me 85% of that? or you guys got a better deal?

Im actually more interested to hear if you guys have other plans with the whole block-chain concept. I mean full transparency, the copyright management and being able to see who bought what interests me


Brasilnut

  • Author Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock & Blog

« Reply #26 on: January 08, 2020, 07:11 »
+2

« Reply #27 on: January 08, 2020, 07:55 »
+1
If they add a Black Box style revenue share system for collaborators I would set up some shoots and join.  Beyond that I prefer to create my own meta data.  There are also two agencies on their list I do not want to upload to.  Is there an per agency opt out?

Brasilnut

  • Author Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock & Blog

« Reply #28 on: January 08, 2020, 08:40 »
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If they add a Black Box style revenue share system for collaborators I would set up some shoots and join.  Beyond that I prefer to create my own meta data.  There are also two agencies on their list I do not want to upload to.  Is there an per agency opt out?

Yes, it's easily possible to opt out of one or more of the agencies they have listed by ticking a box.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #29 on: January 08, 2020, 09:09 »
+1
If they add a Black Box style revenue share system for collaborators I would set up some shoots and join.  Beyond that I prefer to create my own meta data.  There are also two agencies on their list I do not want to upload to.  Is there an per agency opt out?

One of the first questions I was asking myself. I went to the site and the graphic on the right was showing, Easy Submit 

https://wirestock.io?wvideo=k1ko6tahh0#howitworks

Selecting Agencies. Which I'm guessing instead of Opt Out, it works that we can decide where each upload will go. Also they show Editorial but then say No Editorial. I think that means, no Dateline Editorial but some other kind? Like unreleased, not news? Not very clear to me.

Also looking closer it has upload from computer but also Dropbox and Google Drive. Is there still a Google Drive? Oh hey, look at that, I have a 15gb Google Drive account, with some files. I wonder how I did that? I use Google Images... OK back on topic.  ;)

TOS which they call TOU  https://wirestock.io/terms_of_use

"By selecting agencies for your content in the submission process, you grant Wirestock an exclusive right to license and and distribute your content on the selected agencies and marketplaces on your behalf from our name which means you are not allowed to license the same content on the same agencies. "

I read selecting agencies to answer your question. Also answered one of mine = exclusive content.

So the next is 85% of what? I don't mind giving them 15% for distribution and managing, is this all going to be subs?

Someone else said they thought the agency route would get a higher image rank, better position, than individuals. I've seen nothing to support that, as there are many agency accounts, and all of them couldn't have "better rank", could they?  :)

Looks early on and hopeful?  You can view them on SS if you want.

Wirestock portfolio:  https://www.shutterstock.com/g/wirestock+inc

28,551 stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free.


georgep7

« Reply #30 on: January 08, 2020, 09:38 »
+1
Alex did a good work on reviewing them, although i missed if also istock and pond5 submission is available (seem as options in submiting panel?) In general i am quite suspicious with whatever is pushed through youtubers: BB and wirestock cover "major" agencies without even dealing ...with agencies. On the other hand i believe they are in a good selling path encouraging commercial vs editorial submissions. As for "one gate to all" not sure if this is good for "us".

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #31 on: January 08, 2020, 13:47 »
+2
Alex did a good work on reviewing them, although i missed if also istock and pond5 submission is available (seem as options in submiting panel?) In general i am quite suspicious with whatever is pushed through youtubers: BB and wirestock cover "major" agencies without even dealing ...with agencies. On the other hand i believe they are in a good selling path encouraging commercial vs editorial submissions. As for "one gate to all" not sure if this is good for "us".

While this is interesting reading, I'm not a member. I may consider some files, just to see what happens to them.

Currently, we support the following agencies: "Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, iStock/Getty, Depositphotos, Alamy, Dreamstime and Pond5."

That pretty well covers the places that are on top.

Do those agencies support Wirestock, how many images do they take? 28,000 on SS isn't a huge number?

Going back to the beginning, and making up a hypothetical RPD of 50 at some site. That would become 42 or easier, every dollar someone makes is now $.85 because of the file management, uploading and keep in mind, everything must be exclusive.

How many people remember Deposit starting out upbeat, paying people simply for uploading. Promises of good percentages. Then when they had the collection they wanted and the web presence, drop, drop, drop. Oh they aren't alone, pretty much every agency has been finding ways to cut the expenses of shared revenue. Making levels disappear, changing quotas, lowering commissions, offering different licensing to customers that gets around our higher price downloads. Lower price image packs might seem like a sale, but then the agency makes more sales and we get less in real dollars of a lower number.

What's to say that in a year or two, the 15% becomes "unsustainable" and they change to 25%. fee? The collection is filled, the fish are on the hook, then it's back to leaving and pulling the plug, plus everything was exclusive.

My first activity if I ever upload anything to WS will be to make a folder for those files, so if they change rates, or fail, I have a way of finding everything exclusive and reclaiming it for my own use.

At least WS isn't a race to the bottom, cutting prices to try to get more customers. Eventually that's going to mean many more agency closings when it isn't profitable to stay open. Of course paying us peanuts and 15% is why so many can afford to stay in business. We get the leftovers and scraps, they get the meat.

Maybe someone who has joined will come around and tell us their experience?  8)

« Reply #32 on: January 09, 2020, 04:36 »
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My first activity if I ever upload anything to WS will be to make a folder for those files, so if they change rates, or fail, I have a way of finding everything exclusive and reclaiming it for my own use.


Exactly what I did yesterday, before opening an account and uploading   ;)

Now we wait n see !!   8)

« Reply #33 on: January 10, 2020, 05:31 »
+1
As for me, i've mastered my editing & uploading process,  so i don't need such services anymore.
Scripts, and xpiks do the job pretty fast. Simple as that.

And it is not a big deal if you uploading to 3-4 stocks. Ss, as, is and super secret one:)
« Last Edit: January 10, 2020, 05:40 by spacedrone808 »

« Reply #34 on: January 11, 2020, 14:50 »
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And it is not a big deal if you uploading to 3-4 stocks. Ss, as, is and super secret one:)

Hey, no secrets here! Reveal that highly profitable site immediately or...  ;D

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #35 on: March 05, 2021, 14:53 »
0
Just came = Exciting News?  :)



Hi Peter,

At Wirestock, we are always looking for ways to help creators earn more cash from their content. That is why we recently launched Wirestock Extra Channels. Images submitted to Extra Channels will be distributed and monetized through additional marketplaces, platforms and API integrations. We will be adding more channels over time to maximize your earnings. As part of Extra Channels, we will also be licensing images directly to brands and creative agencies for premium non-exclusive licenses ($100-400/per use). Wirestock contributors will be paid a 50% royalty from premium licenses and 85% from standard licenses. Your rates on the existing channels will not change.

To participate in Extra Channels, you dont need to do anything. If you would like to opt out, please reply to this email by March 11, 2021.

Best regards,
Team Wirestock

My question is, what kind of license. Remember if you are with WS and you don't want you images to be licensed for eternity on some free site, Opt Out of Instant Downloads. You may get $3.40 but that's a one time, lifetime use.

If anyone knows more about this one, please add something. Extra Channels, why am I suspicious? Oh I know, this is Microstock.


« Reply #36 on: March 05, 2021, 23:10 »
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For me, writing captions & tags is the most time consuming task (i have thousands of images from last year alone) so wirestock looked like a reasonable alternative  But it's a really mixed bag - some images go through very easily especially when it's a batch of similars.   although they refused to comment it looks like Ai is doing an initial review.  For some reason rejects are handled within a day of uploading even though the actual review of the same batch may take 4-5+ days after that.  And those reviews have some very annoying results
-we all know that images of buildings do not have all vertical lines yet the Ai rejects images that are perfectly acceptable to all the agencies
-images are rejected for exposure even when it's intentional; for example, light & if shadow, or many night scenes (!)
-then there's the subjective LCV rejections when again this varies greatly among agencies.  These have an actual reviewer who claims to know better just because of their " experience"

 Finally their editorial submission process is ridiculous.  They want a 15%cut but to submit you have to enter all the information individually using separate boxes for title, caption, byline Date, country, city, category (!!) and keywords.

I've mentioned all of these thru emails, spending time to provide individual image numbers but the basic response is "we reviewed all of these and we were right", offering no other information

The process does make some submission easier so while continue but I've limited my submissions to about 30% of new images available,  concentrating on images I know will pass easily.

caveat venditor!!

Brasilnut

  • Author Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock & Blog

« Reply #37 on: March 06, 2021, 08:23 »
0
Finally their editorial submission process is ridiculous.  They want a 15%cut but to submit you have to enter all the information individually using separate boxes for title, caption, byline Date, country, city, category (!!) and keywords.

Agreed.

Apparently they have plans to start keywording those in-house but for the time being not worth uploading editorials to them.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #38 on: March 06, 2021, 10:36 »
0
I don't think they take editorial at all. The have read my metadata, I don't know why someone else would have to enter it all manually. Their reviews are flaky. I caused one of them... if an illustration or drawing is submitted as a photo it will get rejected for artifacts.

Their in house keywording and fields, started out pretty bad. I mean, generic would be a compliment. Now they read the data embedded in my files. Edit, I re-read: Editorial we have to add all the data manually. Correct.

Oh that horizon thing is terrible. The AI misses the real horizon and if I shoot something tilted intentionally, it's rejected.

Never had an exposure or LCV... yet. I'm sure I will if I keep sending more files. I did get this one: "Image found on one or more stock agency sites and may infringe on another person's intellectual property rights." which was humorous.

Reminder anyone new, Opt Out of Instant Downloads if you don't want a lifetime license to some other site like the free ones.

Anyone understand Extra Channels any better? I searched the site, I still can't find more details like who that is?
« Last Edit: March 06, 2021, 10:42 by Uncle Pete »

« Reply #39 on: March 06, 2021, 11:18 »
+2
Wirestock user here, and these are my two cents.

I primarily signed up with them to "unlock" the Adobe Stock Editorial section for me (as my personal account doesn't allow me to upload editorials).
I also try to use them to upload to 123RF where I don't have a personal account and started to submit to Alamy via Wirestock instead of my own (pretty much dead) personal account. Every now and then I give them an image for distribution to all agencies, for various reasons.

The first is a success. Most of my sales at Wirestock are Adobe editoral sales.
123RF is a disaster as they don't seem to bother reviewing Wirestock submissions. Only a fraction of my submissions is in the stagnating Wirestock collection at 123RF.
Wirestock also gave me some Alamy sales, which is great.

So yeah, it seems to work, and I can tell you from experience that they do pay.

I still have some reservations though.
Their interface can be quite buggy every now and then, and you still have to "trust" them being honest in reporting sales.
I also miss some basic features like being able to search your Wirestock portfolio or un-licensing content.
I tried their beta version for video but they were never submitted due to a bug in their system and didn't bother afterwards (they claim it's fixed now)

They added a link to your content on the agencies which accepted the upload. Happy with that although also this feature seems to be lagging behind a lot or is still quite buggy.
Not struggling with their reviewing system here, it seems to be pretty much on par, but their own keywording service (which I rarely use) is basic and more miss than hit.

Regarding extra channels: it feels like they are trying to lure you in with $$$ sales perspectives, but I'm afraid most of the sales will be 0.$ or 0.0$.
You don't know to which obscure agencies or buyers your content will be submitted and for which price. Again: trust issue and no control.

Instant Pay is a different option, which for obvious reasons I don't recommend using, unless maybe for images that never sold before.

So yeah, mixed feelings here. Their buggy interface and failure to submit video's makes me suspicious regarding the sales reporting system.
Trust is key, and from my point of view they need to work on that (more transparency and get rid of the bugs) to fully convince me.
In addition, I like seeing them further developing their interface. 
But I'm glad with the extra opportunities they give me (e.g. Adobe Editorial) and the fact that I can upload "in one go" to agencies where I didn't submit to (anymore) previously.                             
« Last Edit: March 06, 2021, 11:23 by Roscoe »

« Reply #40 on: March 06, 2021, 13:20 »
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Extra Channels:

Canva (standard)
Science Photo Agency - can anybody tell me more about them?

Wirestock Direct Sales with Brands/Agencies

In the next few months they will adding more marketplaces. A List of Wirestocks Extra Channels partners will be add soon too.

So there will be standard AND premium non exclusive sales on Extra Channels! (Which makes it again difficult to decide! BUT: We can decide for each image, if we want or not want to use the Extra Channels - like clicking on the agencies right now).
Premium images will be SELECTED (like on eyeEm) for the premium partners.

So with my words and what I understand:

If we click on Extra Channels, I guess ALL will go straight to Canva, where we get a share , just might be wirestock sells more there, but does it means that we get more than if we upload to Canva on our own?

Premium: They will select - no idea, if we get informed if we got selected!

So Extra Channels offers more possibilities, but also that low pennies on Canva and who knows who will also a standard partner in the future? A kind of Getty - connect comes in my mind.

So do not just think, you might get a premium sale, where we get 50% instead of 85%! But Cheapest would be from 100 USD, means 50 USD (50%) and could be even much more.
On the other side it could be pennies!
If Wirestock would separate it and we would have tow decisions: pennies / premium, it would be easier to decide! But that is of course their strategy to get many many many for Canva and the very very best for the premium. But do they really automatically send ALL premium images to Canva too?

HUMM

The information above I got via email after I asked about Extr5a Channel.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #41 on: March 07, 2021, 14:30 »
0


I still have some reservations though.
Their interface can be quite buggy every now and then, and you still have to "trust" them being honest in reporting sales.

They added a link to your content on the agencies which accepted the upload. Happy with that although also this feature seems to be lagging behind a lot or is still quite buggy.

Instant Pay is a different option, which for obvious reasons I don't recommend using, unless maybe for images that never sold before.
         

Yes, the interface seems to be a work in progress. Sometimes it looks great, others it looks broken.
There's a link for my content on agencies where accepted? I haven't seen that. Thanks

I think Instant Pay is IN or OUT so there's no choice which images are included. Unless they changed that also? But you hit it. Images that have never sold anywhere, might be good for that.

I think they track sales and earnings just fine. There's nothing to gain by cheating someone out of pennies and losing the trust of a whole larger group of potential artists.

Extra Channels:

Canva (standard)

Science Photo Agency - can anybody tell me more about them?

Wirestock Direct Sales with Brands/Agencies

If we click on Extra Channels, I guess ALL will go straight to Canva, where we get a share , just might be wirestock sells more there, but does it means that we get more than if we upload to Canva on our own?

So Extra Channels offers more possibilities, but also that low pennies on Canva and who knows who will also a standard partner in the future? A kind of Getty - connect comes in my mind.

Adobe you have to be Silver to upload Illustrative Editorial. Then Bronze and now it's open, so you probably could upload direct if you wanted. Problem with Wirestock is uploading IEd you have to enter all the data manually. At least it was that way last I looked.


We will have to wait and see for Canva but interesting questions. If the total from WS is the total for Canva, then each download will be a co-op payment, based on the greater total. There's no pay per image on Canva anymore?

I suspect that Science and Canva will be offered our images. Science can pick what they want and Canva can select what files they want. Not anything like "everything" will go to those places. Their choice.

Direct and brands will most likely also be selected images, not everything from everyone.

I still upload my own to Alamy, AS, and SS. The "other" images go to Wirestock, which makes it easy to get something for very little effort. I haven't tried video, I can't say anything about that. P5 exclusive.

Lets see how the extra channels play out, and not jump ahead. If I start getting anything from Science Photo or Canva, it's more than I get now with no access to either?  :)


« Reply #42 on: March 07, 2021, 23:45 »
0

...
Their interface can be quite buggy every now and then, and you still have to "trust" them being honest in reporting sales.
I also miss some basic features like being able to search your Wirestock portfolio or un-licensing content.
I tried their beta version for video but they were never submitted due to a bug in their system and didn't bother afterwards (they claim it's fixed now)..           
That's being kind! I've reported numerous bugs that they claim they've never heard about before -  some they've fixed.   the main interface for submission is very flaky.  For example, when you click to submit it it shows one number for images is available a different number actually get displayed.  That's bad enough but it often displays the same images twice.  That leads to duplicate submissions and eventual rejections for submitting twice.  The supposedly default selections select on and off-for example, easy submissions and what should be a default acceptance of the alternate submission possibilities.  Sometimes they're on, sometimes not.  Doesn't look like they really care about submissions and don't really care that it costs of submitters extra work.  I'm looking to send them images where I don't need to add explicit descriptions of keywords  -that's what I'm paying them for.

I've learned what goes through easily and for these it's been worthwhile but for many images I'LL continue to submit myself.



« Last Edit: March 09, 2021, 12:25 by cascoly »

« Reply #43 on: March 08, 2021, 03:25 »
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I think Instant Pay is IN or OUT so there's no choice which images are included. Unless they changed that also? But you hit it. Images that have never sold anywhere, might be good for that.


I'm very sure that I never opted in for extra channels or instant pay in the account settings.
I'm also very sure that I did had the option to select it per image, which I also did for a few.
When checking again today, I see all of my images are selected for instant pay!


I think they track sales and earnings just fine. There's nothing to gain by cheating someone out of pennies and losing the trust of a whole larger group of potential artists.


I don't say that there is a problem with sales reporting, or if there is a problem it's on purpose, but for sure their interface is full of (intermittent) bugs and this makes me suspicious.
After I just found out about the sneaky enablement of instant pay for all my images, I'm even more suspicious.

There's clearly something fishy going on there (on purpose or not) and it creates a lot of confusion.
I currently have the feeling of having no control at all, and would recommend halting uploads to WireStock until they cleared the air.



Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #44 on: March 08, 2021, 10:59 »
0

I think Instant Pay is IN or OUT so there's no choice which images are included. Unless they changed that also? But you hit it. Images that have never sold anywhere, might be good for that.


I'm very sure that I never opted in for extra channels or instant pay in the account settings.
I'm also very sure that I did had the option to select it per image, which I also did for a few.
When checking again today, I see all of my images are selected for instant pay!


I think they track sales and earnings just fine. There's nothing to gain by cheating someone out of pennies and losing the trust of a whole larger group of potential artists.


I don't say that there is a problem with sales reporting, or if there is a problem it's on purpose, but for sure their interface is full of (intermittent) bugs and this makes me suspicious.
After I just found out about the sneaky enablement of instant pay for all my images, I'm even more suspicious.

There's clearly something fishy going on there (on purpose or not) and it creates a lot of confusion.
I currently have the feeling of having no control at all, and would recommend halting uploads to WireStock until they cleared the air.

Everyone was added to Instant Pay when it was introduced, this is all or none. As far as their side, everyone was sent an email saying all of your images are now enrolled in Instant Pay. Just like this latest announcement that everything is included in Extra Channels. For instant Pay you have to opt out, and everything will be opted out. Everyone who was a member of Wirestock in July of last year, got the notice (or was supposed to) via email, that they added a new distribution = Instant Pay. The details weren't very clear, and especially that it was Pexels and forever.

I think that we are discussing this again is good, because many people will not want their images sold Instant Pay and enabled on Pexels forever. I don't.

The same for Extra Channels, everyone is automatically included. You have to opt out. I wouldn't say any of this was "sneaky"
To participate in Extra Channels, you dont need to do anything. If you would like to opt out, please reply to this email by March 11, 2021.
If you wish to opt out of the Instant Pay Program, please email us by 08 July 2020.


The same was in the email about Instant Pay, although some might say that 7 days notice isn't enough time?

Yeah, the system is flaky, what casoly said too about uploads disappearing and suddenly there are two of the same file. I wrote to them they said it was being looked into.  ::) Sure I know that one and it means We Don't Know, but we'll give you some answer to make you feel like we actually care?

I see nothing "fishy" or "suspicious" I just see errors and possibly incompetence. There is nothing to support accusing them of not reporting income, in any case?

By the way, way back someone asked why use this service. Why pay them 15% if I could upload and get the full amount. In my case I have no account at 123RF, none at Deposit, no Pond5 for photos and when I make the next payout at DT I'm closing that. I'm also not on Canva, no Science Photos and who knows what Extra Channels might mean. So instead of waiting for any one those or their limits for payments, I get paid from Wirestock, any time, I accumulate $35 in earnings.

I upload to SS, AS and Alamy myself, because I want 100% of what I earn.  :) The rest are not important and I can throw whatever I have on the hard drive up to WS and forget about that. This doesn't have to be an all or nothing association.

Example: Rejected by SS and AS and it would never fly on Alamy. I uploaded to WS.



They can have 15% for distribution, because my share of nothing would have been nothing.

« Reply #45 on: March 08, 2021, 15:02 »
0
Everyone was added to Instant Pay when it was introduced, this is all or none. As far as their side, everyone was sent an email saying all of your images are now enrolled in Instant Pay. Just like this latest announcement that everything is included in Extra Channels.
Well, I really can't recall that email. Maybe it ended up in my spam folder, or I didn't get it, or... yeah, I just missed it. I joined them around May/June last year.
I remember instant pay was discussed earlier and thought, what the heck are they talking about, I never got an email and I never opted in or out and nothing about instant pay was visible in their interface or FAQ's for me. (I didn't re-read the terms of service though). Maybe I should have dug deeper back then and contacted their support. 

I found an article by Robert Kneschke about Wirestock discussing instant pay and advising to opt out before December 20th. https://www.selling-stock.com/Article/is-wirestocks-instant-pay-program-a-scam
. Again, I can't recall receiving that email. Seems that they didn't sent out the instant pay notification to everyone at the same time and maybe some of us even never got it?

(and you also might be interested in this: https://www.selling-stock.com/Article/who-is-behind-wirestockio-founders-funding-an)

Anyhow, I find it quite confusing altogether. You can check instant pay and extra channels separately per image since a few weeks now (none of my images were opted-in when they added the functionality) and suddenly find out everything is changed to opted-in. Never sold anything so far via Instant Pay since they enabled it in ... July 2020? December 2020? Not yet?  Maybe my content is good enough to to pay for on regular stock sites but not good enough for a one-time fee and distribution on Freepik :)

I think that we are discussing this again is good, because many people will not want their images sold Instant Pay and enabled on Pexels forever. I don't.
Exactly. But for contributors who (like me) missed the email and are now opted in there's no way back I guess, unless manually request removal of the images from your portfolio you don't want to put for sale as instant pay. Which can take ages if you have a big portfolio. I contacted their support, let's see what they have to say.

Once Wirestock receives your request in accordance with this provision, Wirestock shall have 90 days to remove all your Content hosted by content marketplaces so long as you have uploaded to Wirestock no more than 100 items of Content. For each additional 100 items of Content, Wirestock shall have an additional 30 days to remove all your Content.

The same for Extra Channels, everyone is automatically included. You have to opt out. I wouldn't say any of this was "sneaky"
To participate in Extra Channels, you dont need to do anything. If you would like to opt out, please reply to this email by March 11, 2021.

The same was in the email about Instant Pay, although some might say that 7 days notice isn't enough time?

Well, I did get that one, and opted out. Let's see if I can enable it for some images afterwards, but I don't want all my content available for extra channels.
Again, I might be fine with it for a chunk of my content, but not for everything!

Yeah, the system is flaky, what casoly said too about uploads disappearing and suddenly there are two of the same file. I wrote to them they said it was being looked into.  ::) Sure I know that one and it means We Don't Know, but we'll give you some answer to make you feel like we actually care?

I see nothing "fishy" or "suspicious" I just see errors and possibly incompetence. There is nothing to support accusing them of not reporting income, in any case?

I didn't say I accuse them for not reporting sales Pete, but allow me to have some reservations here. If they are pretty sloppy with their front-end functionality and are holding back on transparency... why should I trust them on not having the same issues in their back-end? Of course, the same same can be said about some other agencies too.

By the way, way back someone asked why use this service. Why pay them 15% if I could upload and get the full amount. In my case I have no account at 123RF, none at Deposit, no Pond5 for photos and when I make the next payout at DT I'm closing that. I'm also not on Canva, no Science Photos and who knows what Extra Channels might mean. So instead of waiting for any one those or their limits for payments, I get paid from Wirestock, any time, I accumulate $35 in earnings.

I upload to SS, AS and Alamy myself, because I want 100% of what I earn.  :) The rest are not important and I can throw whatever I have on the hard drive up to WS and forget about that. This doesn't have to be an all or nothing association.

Example: Rejected by SS and AS and it would never fly on Alamy. I uploaded to WS.



They can have 15% for distribution, because my share of nothing would have been nothing.

I'm fully with you here, and that's also the reason why I joined WS. One might even consider uploading to Shutterstock via Wirestock, certainly when you're at lower levels. The Wirestock commission can be compensated by their higher earning levels. For the record: I don't do that.

« Reply #46 on: March 09, 2021, 07:20 »
0
#To participate in Extra Channels, you dont need to do anything. If you would like to opt out, please reply to this email by March 11, 2021.#

So I thought it would be the same like with instant - opt in or out for ALL images all time.
But after I asked them, they told me that for Extra Channels I can opt in each image separately! I hope, they did not lie! Even the words above tells us only for all and all time.

Instant: I do not know, why they "offer" a link for each image to opt in. They should just show it as in or out as decided without any possibility to click on it.

And I also critic them about the emails for opt in / out:
1. TOOOOO short time
2. It should be the other way around: If you want to opt in, tell us. If you do nothing, you will not get opt in.

But I think and hope, they just did not think to the end - no way to fish us or something else.

I was surprised:
I had many many images I did not yet want to submit to SS, but yesterday I saw nearly ALL submitted to SS. I will check it out today again and if I need them to get away from SS, then I will ask them to delete them on SS. Much extra work again for the team only cause of bugs and errors.


Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #47 on: March 09, 2021, 11:47 »
0
#To participate in Extra Channels, you dont need to do anything. If you would like to opt out, please reply to this email by March 11, 2021.#

So I thought it would be the same like with instant - opt in or out for ALL images all time.
But after I asked them, they told me that for Extra Channels I can opt in each image separately! I hope, they did not lie! Even the words above tells us only for all and all time.

Instant: I do not know, why they "offer" a link for each image to opt in. They should just show it as in or out as decided without any possibility to click on it.

And I also critic them about the emails for opt in / out:
1. TOOOOO short time
2. It should be the other way around: If you want to opt in, tell us. If you do nothing, you will not get opt in.

But I think and hope, they just did not think to the end - no way to fish us or something else.

I was surprised:
I had many many images I did not yet want to submit to SS, but yesterday I saw nearly ALL submitted to SS. I will check it out today again and if I need them to get away from SS, then I will ask them to delete them on SS. Much extra work again for the team only cause of bugs and errors.

Yes, we've seen this before on other agencies. We should be allowed to Opt In and not be included and forced to Opt Out as a choice.

7 Days notice is an opinion, what's too short? OK so make it 14? Someone will say that's still not enough time. How long does it take to read "your images will be licensed for eternity, and given away on a free site, for a one time payment" and decide if that's a good deal or not. Minutes or seconds?  ;)

Yes I understood that all images would be added, so going back to the first point, if we have to add images, we are not actually opted in automatically, which is more in line with, we choose. However, it would be nice to be able to click ALL if someone wanted?

So now we have the opt in should have been a choice for Instant Pay and now an issue that we aren't opted in until we choose? I'd think that would mean they adjusted for the first problem and we aren't automatically included for something we might not want?


Well, I really can't recall that email. Maybe it ended up in my spam folder, or I didn't get it, or... yeah, I just missed it. I joined them around May/June last year.
I remember instant pay was discussed earlier and thought, what the heck are they talking about, I never got an email and I never opted in or out and nothing about instant pay was visible in their interface or FAQ's for me. (I didn't re-read the terms of service though). Maybe I should have dug deeper back then and contacted their support. 

I found an article by Robert Kneschke about Wirestock discussing instant pay and advising to opt out before December 20th. https://www.selling-stock.com/Article/is-wirestocks-instant-pay-program-a-scam
. Again, I can't recall receiving that email. Seems that they didn't sent out the instant pay notification to everyone at the same time and maybe some of us even never got it?

(and you also might be interested in this: https://www.selling-stock.com/Article/who-is-behind-wirestockio-founders-funding-an)

Anyhow, I find it quite confusing altogether. You can check instant pay and extra channels separately per image since a few weeks now (none of my images were opted-in when they added the functionality) and suddenly find out everything is changed to opted-in. Never sold anything so far via Instant Pay since they enabled it in ... July 2020? December 2020? Not yet?  Maybe my content is good enough to to pay for on regular stock sites but not good enough for a one-time fee and distribution on Freepik :)


My Mistake, good correction it's Freepik and Adobe.

No it wasn't sent to everyone at the same time. I got my notice in July. That's when the new Instant Pay program was added. The article you linked to was also in an alert posted here using that December date. Someone new will be notified shortly after joining, as they are new. Logically impossible to be notified before they joined. He joined in November or December, he was notified in December.

Yes maybe it wasn't sent, maybe you got it in spam and maybe it just looked like spam? Look at July 1, 2020?

I thought the article you linked to was interesting. Facts mixed with opinion, but at least he took the time to find real information before jumping to some presumptions. I'd have to say, I did look around when I joined and did find the Armenian connection. Nothing unusual about someone starting a company and being in a few places for tax reasons or other benefits.

Deposit Photos, pretended to be a US company incorporated in Florida, has a NY address, but they are really, Kyiv Ukraine, and Limassol Cyprus.

Part of my assumption about Wirestock that wasn't in the German blog, was they are trying to mask the identity of the investors as well.

The terms being lifted from SS was pretty amusing. Not saying it's a good idea, but that's not the first one to do the same and miss words like Shutterstock or some other agency name, Getty was in one, or the wrong country. Welcome to Microstock? There have been self hosted that did the same thing. Nice to copy some legal boilerplate, which is common, but there needs to be better proof reading.

Hopefully more people will read your questions and answers, and those from kall3bu, and be able to make an informed decision for themselves.

I think I've added this to every post but I don't know any reason why anyone would enable Instant Pay, unless they only uploaded non-selling images to Wirestock.

I use Wirestock to have access to agencies that I don't want an account. I use Wirestock because the automatic payment is $35 accumulated earnings and I don't have to deal with the agencies. I upload on my own to SS, AS and Alamy, because I want 100% not 85%.

There are some hypothetical advantages like placement, maybe higher earnings because the agency will be at the highest level and rank. That could possibly make up for the 15% fee for distribution. I don't think it does.

#1 reason I upload to some agencies using Wirestock for distribution? I'm Lazy, but also because I don't care about those agencies.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #48 on: March 09, 2021, 11:55 »
0
#To participate in Extra Channels, you dont need to do anything. If you would like to opt out, please reply to this email by March 11, 2021.#

So I thought it would be the same like with instant - opt in or out for ALL images all time.
But after I asked them, they told me that for Extra Channels I can opt in each image separately! I hope, they did not lie! Even the words above tells us only for all and all time.

Much shorter answer = waiting for a clear answer.

"If you opt into the program, all your previously approved images will be submitted to Extra Channels. The agencies later can choose the images submitted to the program and you will receive a payment each time a photo is sold."

We're getting two different versions. And yes, mine all show as Extra Channels, Not Submitted and a submit button. So what they tell us is not the same as what shows.

« Reply #49 on: March 09, 2021, 12:30 »
0
I suspect most of the flakiness in the interface is due to poor  or no regression testing.  So when they make a change in one place,   errors crop up in others.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2021, 19:14 by cascoly »


 

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