For me--No downloads from Shutterstock in six days straight. I don't know why this is happening.  Anyone else having less downloads?  Thanks.

Explore over 300 million royalty-free images, stock footage clips, and music tracks...

Same thing is happening to me, although my port is very small, only 300+ images. But i usually have a download or two almost every day. Past week is the absolute low so far.

Yeah, seems rather dead.

Quote from: fritz on August 21, 2019, 18:35

Explore over 300 million royalty-free images, stock footage clips, and music tracks...

Right

I still can't fathom why people don't understand the concept of more competition, and how that increase will always equal less sales.  More choices, better, newer images, less sales. Is there some kind of denial that ignores that we are producing a commodity which is provided in floods of millions, not like anything was ten years ago. But the question is "why have my sales dropped". 

Agencies keep selling more, we are selling less. What could it be?

Competition, sales dilution.

I think it's the suddenness and longevity of the drought that is throwing some producers for a loop, I do video and it's been at least six days on SS since I had a sale as well but one came in today, could always be worse, could be pond5 and zero sales for longer than six days.

Summer slowdowns have been the norm for years and yes massive increase in competing will make it harder to be found in the search and get sales and this year it looks like a global recession is starting so it's a bit worse across the board but a complete stoppage in all sales for so long kinda has you wondering if there is a technical problem with the site, I guess not because I made a grand today of just over $11 today and my work day started at 6am and it's now 1am.

Quote from: StockDaebak on August 22, 2019, 05:56
I think it's the suddenness and longevity of the drought that is throwing some producers for a loop, I do video and it's been at least six days on SS since I had a sale as well but one came in today, could always be worse, could be pond5 and zero sales for longer than six days.
....

it's not sudden -- sales have been declining for more than a year

Quote from: cascoly on August 22, 2019, 07:56

Quote from: StockDaebak on August 22, 2019, 05:56
I think it's the suddenness and longevity of the drought that is throwing some producers for a loop, I do video and it's been at least six days on SS since I had a sale as well but one came in today, could always be worse, could be pond5 and zero sales for longer than six days.
....

it's not sudden -- sales have been declining for more than a year

My revenue has gone up each year, and I'm not even been uploading much this year...

I really put some effort into my new summer images but only a few sales so far. The good news is that my Christmas images are selling like hot cakes, don't ask why. Is there a Christmas season somewhere in the world at the moment?

Quote from: Ukko on August 22, 2019, 14:38
I really put some effort into my new summer images but only a few sales so far. The good news is that my Christmas images are selling like hot cakes, don't ask why. Is there a Christmas season somewhere in the world at the moment?

Most companies prepare for the seasons months before the actual season. Magazines are likely already planning their Christmas issues now.

I've had a VERY low sales month of August , but the past few days sales have increased quite significantly.
The only thing I can think of when sales go from one extreme to the other is that SS has changed its search algorithm - so it seems now it favours my port and probably in a few weeks it will go the other way.

Life in the fast lane.

Quote from: cascoly on August 22, 2019, 07:56

Quote from: StockDaebak on August 22, 2019, 05:56
I think it's the suddenness and longevity of the drought that is throwing some producers for a loop, I do video and it's been at least six days on SS since I had a sale as well but one came in today, could always be worse, could be pond5 and zero sales for longer than six days.
....

it's not sudden -- sales have been declining for more than a year

People have been reporting falling sales for the 7 years I've been on this site. The trend is accelerating and some will buck it but on average sales will decline.

This thread is not about falling sales. It's about all sales suddenly coming to a complete halt. I'm pretty sure they tweaked their system.

Quote from: morfon on August 23, 2019, 06:22
This thread is not about falling sales. It's about all sales suddenly coming to a complete halt. I'm pretty sure they tweaked their system.

your evidence for such tweaking?

YMMV - but like many others, I still see sub sales every day, tho EL are rarer

sadly every time someone sees reduced sales they assume the search has changed - the simple fact is you're competing against millions of other images

No evidence just a gut feeling. I might even be wrong, since my port is admittedly too small to be considered as representative sample. It's just that the low but steady sales dried up all of a sudden, and i've been totally invisible for over 10 days now on SS. Doesn't make a difference though, i'm lightyears away from making a buck off of micro anyway.

Quote from: cascoly on August 23, 2019, 08:42

Quote from: morfon on August 23, 2019, 06:22
This thread is not about falling sales. It's about all sales suddenly coming to a complete halt. I'm pretty sure they tweaked their system.

your evidence for such tweaking?

YMMV - but like many others, I still see sub sales every day, tho EL are rarer

sadly every time someone sees reduced sales they assume the search has changed - the simple fact is you're competing against millions of other images

And then today I get an EL and an OD.  None of this is as predictable as it was in the past. So I guess the tweak was a boost for Pete tweak? 

Quote from: Pauws99 on August 22, 2019, 15:35

Quote from: cascoly on August 22, 2019, 07:56

Quote from: StockDaebak on August 22, 2019, 05:56
I think it's the suddenness and longevity of the drought that is throwing some producers for a loop, I do video and it's been at least six days on SS since I had a sale as well but one came in today, could always be worse, could be pond5 and zero sales for longer than six days.
....

it's not sudden -- sales have been declining for more than a year

People have been reporting falling sales for the 7 years I've been on this site. The trend is accelerating and some will buck it but on average sales will decline.

Looking at all three, I'd say, I can agree. But the drought isn't just one place, it's pretty much everywhere. The drop has been more than a year and seven years is more than a year.

I'm not going to try to point to a cause when I don't know. While people that toss out, search change or a conspiracy, or some other theories about how the agencies manipulate the sales, are just guessing. Over the years, we've heard "a well informed inside source says..." but never any solid facts or proof, or who's that source. Anyone can make up an inside source that confirms what they are guessing.

Pretty hard to cover up the truth across an entire industry. That truth would be that it's all rigged.

I can not like the way sales are going and not like the income drop or not like the way the agencies have changed commissions or levels or ended programs and promises. I don't like those. But I also don't see some trick or game involved. It's just the way this industry has been sorting out and we are the ones who get cut out first. Everything is directed at making buyers happy so they come back. Everything is designed for making the company a profit.

If any agency says they are our friend, they care about us, or they are trying to help us make money, don't believe them. We are the last thought.

Quote from: noodle on August 22, 2019, 15:18
I've had a VERY low sales month of August , but the past few days sales have increased quite significantly.
The only thing I can think of when sales go from one extreme to the other is that SS has changed its search algorithm - so it seems now it favours my port and probably in a few weeks it will go the other way.

Life in the fast lane.

I was getting zero sales, and still getting zero sales 
SS really does not like showing my videos..

the best thing of falling earning is that a lot of contributor who upload terrible stuff will soon stop because it's clear they are not earning nothing....folow the thread in ss forum of that puppet who wanna upload 10 k photos in
a year and he still earning peanuts with 7k snapshots and repetition.
my august is not good but next week i bet will be super and rich the same level as last year at least...
by the way counter in esp is exploding..don't know if it's an error but i have near the same download as ss while always it's like 30 %

I don't want to waste much time about it but I think it's rigged simply because it can be rigged and there are reasons why would they rig it, so I wouldn't count on corporate transparency and morals.
However there are things that probably fall out of rig calculations - asset quality and popularity of subjects which rigged or not contribute to randomness of contributor experience. Port size too, while it can be rigged I don't think they would fiddle with it much in a negative way.

Quote from: qunamax on August 24, 2019, 13:48
I don't want to waste much time about it but I think it's rigged simply because it can be rigged and there are reasons why would they rig it, so I wouldn't count on corporate transparency and morals.
However there are things that probably fall out of rig calculations - asset quality and popularity of subjects which rigged or not contribute to randomness of contributor experience. Port size too, while it can be rigged I don't think they would fiddle with it much in a negative way.

Occam's Razor -- the SIMPLEST explanation for all sites yielding lower sales is supply outpacing demand

Quote from: cascoly on August 24, 2019, 19:38

Quote from: qunamax on August 24, 2019, 13:48
I don't want to waste much time about it but I think it's rigged simply because it can be rigged and there are reasons why would they rig it, so I wouldn't count on corporate transparency and morals.
However there are things that probably fall out of rig calculations - asset quality and popularity of subjects which rigged or not contribute to randomness of contributor experience. Port size too, while it can be rigged I don't think they would fiddle with it much in a negative way.

Occam's Razor -- the SIMPLEST explanation for all sites yielding lower sales is supply outpacing demand

I'd agree but I'm talking about the way demand comes and goes and how it cycles between weeks of never sold assets and bestsellers. 

Quote from: qunamax on August 24, 2019, 20:55

Quote from: cascoly on August 24, 2019, 19:38

Quote from: qunamax on August 24, 2019, 13:48
I don't want to waste much time about it but I think it's rigged simply because it can be rigged and there are reasons why would they rig it, so I wouldn't count on corporate transparency and morals.
However there are things that probably fall out of rig calculations - asset quality and popularity of subjects which rigged or not contribute to randomness of contributor experience. Port size too, while it can be rigged I don't think they would fiddle with it much in a negative way.

Occam's Razor -- the SIMPLEST explanation for all sites yielding lower sales is supply outpacing demand

I'd agree but I'm talking about the way demand comes and goes and how it cycles between weeks of never sold assets and bestsellers.

Just because they are changing algorithms doesn't necessarily mean they're rigged (though on at least one occasion years ago iS did just that)

Quote from: Uncle Pete on August 24, 2019, 03:16

Quote from: cascoly on August 23, 2019, 08:42

Quote from: morfon on August 23, 2019, 06:22
This thread is not about falling sales. It's about all sales suddenly coming to a complete halt. I'm pretty sure they tweaked their system.

your evidence for such tweaking?

YMMV - but like many others, I still see sub sales every day, tho EL are rarer

sadly every time someone sees reduced sales they assume the search has changed - the simple fact is you're competing against millions of other images

And then today I get an EL and an OD.  None of this is as predictable as it was in the past. So I guess the tweak was a boost for Pete tweak? 

Quote from: Pauws99 on August 22, 2019, 15:35

Quote from: cascoly on August 22, 2019, 07:56

Quote from: StockDaebak on August 22, 2019, 05:56
I think it's the suddenness and longevity of the drought that is throwing some producers for a loop, I do video and it's been at least six days on SS since I had a sale as well but one came in today, could always be worse, could be pond5 and zero sales for longer than six days.
....

it's not sudden -- sales have been declining for more than a year

People have been reporting falling sales for the 7 years I've been on this site. The trend is accelerating and some will buck it but on average sales will decline.

Looking at all three, I'd say, I can agree. But the drought isn't just one place, it's pretty much everywhere. The drop has been more than a year and seven years is more than a year.

I'm not going to try to point to a cause when I don't know. While people that toss out, search change or a conspiracy, or some other theories about how the agencies manipulate the sales, are just guessing. Over the years, we've heard "a well informed inside source says..." but never any solid facts or proof, or who's that source. Anyone can make up an inside source that confirms what they are guessing.

Pretty hard to cover up the truth across an entire industry. That truth would be that it's all rigged.

I can not like the way sales are going and not like the income drop or not like the way the agencies have changed commissions or levels or ended programs and promises. I don't like those. But I also don't see some trick or game involved. It's just the way this industry has been sorting out and we are the ones who get cut out first. Everything is directed at making buyers happy so they come back. Everything is designed for making the company a profit.

If any agency says they are our friend, they care about us, or they are trying to help us make money, don't believe them. We are the last thought.[/b][/b]

This is the truth.

Quote from: Uncle Pete on August 22, 2019, 03:40

Quote from: fritz on August 21, 2019, 18:35

Explore over 300 million royalty-free images, stock footage clips, and music tracks...

Right

I still can't fathom why people don't understand the concept of more competition, and how that increase will always equal less sales.  More choices, better, newer images, less sales. Is there some kind of denial that ignores that we are producing a commodity which is provided in floods of millions, not like anything was ten years ago. But the question is "why have my sales dropped". 

Agencies keep selling more, we are selling less. What could it be?

Competition, sales dilution.

Depends on the situation.  For me I typically make $800 + each month.  All of a sudden I will make $250 this month. The is not the addition of a bazillion images.  It is something else. Probably summer slump together with search changes.  Either way I have about 5,000 assets and to see a drop like this is not related to the influx of images per se.

My sales are within the month's average but yesterday I had my first zero day since 2012. I hope it's just a fluke.