I think there are some creators that have worked out what sells really well in summer and they have that as their best time of the year. For me it is always the slowest season.

Things will pick up for me in September and then until March it should be ok.

But my report relies a lot on buyers finding me by newest search.

I always have a mix of files, some that are designed for quick uptake and sales and some that often need 2 years to start selling but then sell reliably.

They are carrying the port now.

But no weekly or at least monthly uploads and my sales move down quickly.

Overall I like Adobe very much, I find the sales extremely predictable and reliable.

But I need to get my files in and my very specific files, not random mass uploads and hope something sticks.

Every day Adobe takes masses of amateur images - flowers, pets, sunsets, amateur hobby content.

So...why is my highly specific content being declined??

My files all support each other. Yesterday I sold a new file accepted on Aug 8...together with 3 other files.

A fresh file leading a buyer in who then takes more from the series.

But the next image to expand the range has just been declined as too similar.

So what do I do now?

Does Adobe want to me to start uploading random fashion images, even if fashion is not my genre?

And should th fashion photographer now start uploading easter eggs even if that is not his or her genre??

The most successful ports are highly specialized and have lots of similar looking content.

That is what customers like.

That is why we get bookmarked as a resource.

A portfolio being filled up with random files has no takers.

So, yes, I am very frustrated.

Quote from: cobalt on August 19, 2025, 14:47

The most successful ports are highly specialized and have lots of similar looking content.

That is what customers like.

That is why we get bookmarked as a resource.

A portfolio being filled up with random files has no takers.

So, yes, I am very frustrated.

Yeah, I made that mistake in the past too — trying to diversify my portfolio until I realized I needed to focus on my strength, which has always been travel and landscape photography. Now, about 90% of my portfolio is travel-related shots.

Nice progress, blvdone those rankings can lag even when you add a lot of files, so it's good to see the upward movement.

We're currently building a few lightweight tools for microstock creators: automatic filters for photos/videos (to catch technical issues before upload), a smart shuffle/variety module to avoid flooding portfolios with near-duplicates, and batch QC utilities to speed up curation and exports. The goal is to help folks spend less time sorting and more time creating while keeping acceptance rates healthy.

It's been a very good week on Adobe for my port. There will certainly be a drop next week so long as it isn't a crash or sustained decline which I've seen in the past. 

You always impress me with excellent results pace.

My port is very slow.

But finally I am getting files accepted again and winter is coming...

pos 4940, currently 92 dl for the week

Currently at 4040. yesterday had 37 dl.

Usually sales pick up in december.

Quote from: cobalt on September 03, 2025, 12:15
Currently at 4040. yesterday had 37 dl.

Usually sales pick up in december.

Just out of curiousity how much was the percentage of AI of your downloads last month vs the percentage of your portfolio? Just to understand the effect of AI sales versus AI catalogue versus actual photos of Adobe.

Quote from: SimonSays on September 03, 2025, 17:27

Quote from: cobalt on September 03, 2025, 12:15
Currently at 4040. yesterday had 37 dl.

Usually sales pick up in december.

Just out of curiousity how much was the percentage of AI of your downloads last month vs the percentage of your portfolio? Just to understand the effect of AI sales versus AI catalogue versus actual photos of Adobe.

I don't have an exact number. But if I take into consideration that at the moment roughly 70% of the portfolio is ai, then camera content is still the better seller.

But that is mostly because a lot of the ai content is experimental, I am trying different things, different subjects, while the camera content is a mix of my old bestsellers from istock or just things like objects on white that sell in higher volume.

In practice I see zero difference between ai or camera.

If the file is useful, it sells. If it is an isolated generic thing on white it sells more than the niche image of a happy asian woman with easter bunny ears holding tulip flowers.

Some things are much easier and faster to do with camera, some things are easier and faster to do with ai.

And the next stage is that I will create camera content based on what I tested with ai.

After that, it will probably evolve that I just do a basic photo shoot, but then expand the series by creating new ai content based on the camera images. Which then gets declared as ai.

Ai is just a tool, just like photoshop.

Do images made in photoshop sell better than simple camera content?

The reason I am now going back to make more with camera is mostly for videos, which is much easier to produce with camera and then I will take pictures as well.

And at the moment camera content can go everywhere, but ai only really sells at Adobe.

I do believe 2 years from now, this will change.

Now that I am slowly getting files accepted again, my sales are increasing. Will probably take a few months to balance 3 montsh rejectiongate when I didn't upload.

Approvals are better, now getting around 80% ai accepted.

I have a huge pile that I created for 2025 to work off. Hope I can get more up.

Perhaps the year can be saved.

Quote from: cobalt on September 04, 2025, 17:10

Quote from: SimonSays on September 03, 2025, 17:27

Quote from: cobalt on September 03, 2025, 12:15
Currently at 4040. yesterday had 37 dl.

Usually sales pick up in december.

Just out of curiousity how much was the percentage of AI of your downloads last month vs the percentage of your portfolio? Just to understand the effect of AI sales versus AI catalogue versus actual photos of Adobe.

I don't have an exact number. But if I take into consideration that at the moment roughly 70% of the portfolio is ai, then camera content is still the better seller.

But that is mostly because a lot of the ai content is experimental, I am trying different things, different subjects, while the camera content is a mix of my old bestsellers from istock or just things like objects on white that sell in higher volume.

In practice I see zero difference between ai or camera.

If the file is useful, it sells. If it is an isolated generic thing on white it sells more than the niche image of a happy asian woman with easter bunny ears holding tulip flowers.

Some things are much easier and faster to do with camera, some things are easier and faster to do with ai.

And the next stage is that I will create camera content based on what I tested with ai.

After that, it will probably evolve that I just do a basic photo shoot, but then expand the series by creating new ai content based on the camera images. Which then gets declared as ai.

Ai is just a tool, just like photoshop.

Do images made in photoshop sell better than simple camera content?

The reason I am now going back to make more with camera is mostly for videos, which is much easier to produce with camera and then I will take pictures as well.

And at the moment camera content can go everywhere, but ai only really sells at Adobe.

I do believe 2 years from now, this will change.

Now that I am slowly getting files accepted again, my sales are increasing. Will probably take a few months to balance 3 montsh rejectiongate when I didn't upload.

Approvals are better, now getting around 80% ai accepted.

I have a huge pile that I created for 2025 to work off. Hope I can get more up.

Perhaps the year can be saved.

Thanks for your insights

Quote from: cobalt on September 04, 2025, 17:10

Quote from: SimonSays on September 03, 2025, 17:27

Quote from: cobalt on September 03, 2025, 12:15
Currently at 4040. yesterday had 37 dl.

Usually sales pick up in december.

Just out of curiousity how much was the percentage of AI of your downloads last month vs the percentage of your portfolio? Just to understand the effect of AI sales versus AI catalogue versus actual photos of Adobe.

I don't have an exact number. But if I take into consideration that at the moment roughly 70% of the portfolio is ai, then camera content is still the better seller.

But that is mostly because a lot of the ai content is experimental, I am trying different things, different subjects, while the camera content is a mix of my old bestsellers from istock or just things like objects on white that sell in higher volume.

In practice I see zero difference between ai or camera.

If the file is useful, it sells. If it is an isolated generic thing on white it sells more than the niche image of a happy asian woman with easter bunny ears holding tulip flowers.

Some things are much easier and faster to do with camera, some things are easier and faster to do with ai.

And the next stage is that I will create camera content based on what I tested with ai.

After that, it will probably evolve that I just do a basic photo shoot, but then expand the series by creating new ai content based on the camera images. Which then gets declared as ai.

Ai is just a tool, just like photoshop.

Do images made in photoshop sell better than simple camera content?

The reason I am now going back to make more with camera is mostly for videos, which is much easier to produce with camera and then I will take pictures as well.

And at the moment camera content can go everywhere, but ai only really sells at Adobe.

I do believe 2 years from now, this will change.

Now that I am slowly getting files accepted again, my sales are increasing. Will probably take a few months to balance 3 montsh rejectiongate when I didn't upload.

Approvals are better, now getting around 80% ai accepted.

I have a huge pile that I created for 2025 to work off. Hope I can get more up.

Perhaps the year can be saved.

what specifically you do you believe/think will change? (you mean more ai sales?)

Quote from: cobalt on September 04, 2025, 17:10

Quote from: SimonSays on September 03, 2025, 17:27

Quote from: cobalt on September 03, 2025, 12:15
Currently at 4040. yesterday had 37 dl.

Usually sales pick up in december.

Just out of curiousity how much was the percentage of AI of your downloads last month vs the percentage of your portfolio? Just to understand the effect of AI sales versus AI catalogue versus actual photos of Adobe.

I agree with You,  I do not see any ,,mega,, sales from AI, traditional camera is so far winner and I belive will
I don't have an exact number. But if I take into consideration that at the moment roughly 70% of the portfolio is ai, then camera content is still the better seller.

But that is mostly because a lot of the ai content is experimental, I am trying different things, different subjects, while the camera content is a mix of my old bestsellers from istock or just things like objects on white that sell in higher volume.

In practice I see zero difference between ai or camera.

If the file is useful, it sells. If it is an isolated generic thing on white it sells more than the niche image of a happy asian woman with easter bunny ears holding tulip flowers.

Some things are much easier and faster to do with camera, some things are easier and faster to do with ai.

And the next stage is that I will create camera content based on what I tested with ai.

After that, it will probably evolve that I just do a basic photo shoot, but then expand the series by creating new ai content based on the camera images. Which then gets declared as ai.

Ai is just a tool, just like photoshop.

Do images made in photoshop sell better than simple camera content?

The reason I am now going back to make more with camera is mostly for videos, which is much easier to produce with camera and then I will take pictures as well.

And at the moment camera content can go everywhere, but ai only really sells at Adobe.

I do believe 2 years from now, this will change.

Now that I am slowly getting files accepted again, my sales are increasing. Will probably take a few months to balance 3 montsh rejectiongate when I didn't upload.

Approvals are better, now getting around 80% ai accepted.

I have a huge pile that I created for 2025 to work off. Hope I can get more up.

Perhaps the year can be saved.

Yes I agree with You, AI is just a tool in this moment and I believe stay in this position for long time. My images from camera is selling better than AI at this moment. I believe in balance between this two tools.

Well predictably I had a poor week following my good week (see above) where I forecast (see above) a crash due solely to a̶l̶g̶o̶r̶i̶t̶h̶m̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶n̶g̶e̶s̶  dozens of customers from literally any part of the country and world globally conspiring and colluding to buy less from my port. I'm very glad there's no such thing as the "boogeyman algorithm" otherwise we'd see predictable sales trends instead of the normal randomness of consumer buying behavior.

@super

more agencies will take ai, also ai will be deeply integrated into camera software and a much more in depth integration in photoshop or other tools.

so even raw camera files become ai files.

and adobe is making a lot of money with ai, most ports on the bestseller lists are now ai ports. customers just love the stuff.

so I don't think the other agencies can not have a modern media collection forever.

There is legal stuff to sort out, but they will all take ai at some point. might take another 2-3 years, depending on the legal backdrop, but eventually they will all take it.


rank unchanged but more sales this week

Tiny movement up. Last week 121 dl, the week before 93.

The biggest and most depressing thing is the too similar decline. I upload very small and highly selected volume, usually less than 50 files a week. But I make sure they work well with my port and are good add ons.

And if files get accepted they actually sell well. Sales are not my issue with Adobe.

But I just cannot figure out the algo. I get a phase with 90% accepted ai files and then suddenly 50% are declined.

I already try to offer "sacrifice files", nice looking fluffy content with much lower sales value alongside the strong files I really need to grow my sales.

I also still do test searches to make sure I upload something into a niche or at least different.

But the algo keeps selecting the weaker files.

Longterm my sales will drop, because the good content for my clients is not reaching my port.

And of course Adobe continues to refuse any communication about the subject with creators.

They treat us like we are all idiots.

How long will the discord stay open?

Perhaps they want to go full Shutterstock and block all communication as the next step.

But if you cannot communicate with the creative community...what is the future for a creative company that has lost their voice?

They are making it really easy for competitors.

I wonder if istock/shutterstock will start to make more of an effort to create the talent that generates the money files.

Quote from: cobalt on September 08, 2025, 10:09
.......But I just cannot figure out the algo. I get a phase with 90% accepted ai files and then suddenly 50% are declined.....

Could this be simply attributed to different reviewers? I can't help but think there is likely a large variability between reviewers.

Quote from: wds on September 08, 2025, 13:57

Quote from: cobalt on September 08, 2025, 10:09
.......But I just cannot figure out the algo. I get a phase with 90% accepted ai files and then suddenly 50% are declined.....

Could this be simply attributed to different reviewers? I can't help but think there is likely a large variability between reviewers.

If it was the same humans that reviewed before we would not all experience such unpredictable results.

No, if you look at the Adobe forums you see that Adobe is now running a two step system, first inspection by a software and then later by humans.

And that is where you get all the too similar declines.

The name of the decline is misleading, it has nothing to do with uploading unique files.

I am getting ai images of grey cats and squirrels accepted, while truly unique content, first of its kind in the library, is declined.

On the contrary, I have the impression the more mediocre and uncreative the file, the higher the acceptance rate.

It really feels like a random lottery.

Also keywords and image description seem to have a strong effect, many believe having a similar description to other files in the Adobe library leads to declines.

Many resubmit the files and then they are accepted. Which again shows there us nothing basically wrong with the files.

It is incredibly frustrating and a problem I have never encountered on an agency.

Quote from: cobalt on September 08, 2025, 20:13
It is incredibly frustrating and a problem I have never encountered on an agency.

Just to get it clear. You try to submit AI material but Adobe says it's identical to their catalogue. You say that you don't have these problems with other agencies. Maybe I missed something but the other two big agencies, being Shutterstock and Istock/Getty's still don't accept AI at all. So with which other agencies you don't have these issues regarding submitting AI content?

It is not about ai content.

This too similar decline affects all files, irrespective of media type. People are getting normal camera photos, handmade vectors and normal videos declined. Just look into the adobe discord.

It seems to affect ai more, but without any logic.

I am having ai toilet paper roll, ai grey cat on white, ai squirrel in nature accepted but very specific people content or other content that simply does not exist on Adobe is declined. This content was actually added as "sacrifice files" so the algo can meet its rejection quota or however it works. But they seem to prefer these very oversupplied images.

Contributors have proven through many tests that if the file is unique or exists by the thousands it has zero effect on this decline type. The name is wrong and we have absolutely no idea what it is looking for.

If anything, it seems to be programmed to accept more content that is near identical to what already exists in the collection.

And if it is more on the boring side, not creative.

There is zero communication or guidance from Adobe.

Everytime I think I have worked it out and get a 90% acceptance, then the next batch just gets 50%.

For others it is even more extreme,  200 files accepted fully, next batch 200 declined.

There also seems to be a strong effect of metadata and kws and many suspect if you have a title that is too similar to what others use it can lead to more declines. But not in the way you would think it works.

Which is why I have personally started doing very short generic titles instead of very long explicit titles. That seems to have improved my acceptance rate.

Others swear on using compound 2-4 keywords instead of single kws.

The whole thing is a useless mystery.

If you resubmit the files with only changes to the kws, not the image, it apparently usually gets accepted. Which brings even more confusion.

With camera content it often declines unique locations that do not exist in the database.

So anyone looking for specific travel content is out of luck, but generic beach or tree in landscape is accepted without problems.

The reason why Adobe is not giving guidance is obvious though, their algo is a random lottery selection.

They do not give guidance because they simply cannot.


So...in 20 years of doing stock I have NEVER seen an agency that declines content that is of good quality, irrespective of media type, if there is nothing wrong with it.

And why should they.

No other agency uses a random algo software to give a thumbs up or down based on a digital dice roll.

Agencies strive for consistent reviews to keep the quality or style they want to have in their collection.

This makes working with them very simple, you get to know what they like, your acceptance is usually 90%.

Ai is not the problem on Adobe, it is an out of control algo that prefilters files before it reaches a human that simpy does not work.

Quality and IP declines come after the algo lottery.

Just do a search for newest content on Adobe and look at the large batches of near identical series coming in with hardly any variations. Some contributors seem to enjoy a special privilege for that.

Nobody understands why.

I upload very small and extremely diverse batches, usually less than 50 files a week. But when I do a search for newest I really get upset if I see what kind of crap gets in, and my tightly edited files are declined.

Perhaps Adobe now wants me to be a spammer and upload 500 unedited files a week?

I really don't know.

So I am mostly focussing on video for BB and have started new video/camera series.

But to save this year and complete my "project" I need to get as many files from the batches prepared for 2025 accepted as possible.

Starting new projects, ai or camera,  will give me good results in 18 months, not this year.

It is a very unprofessional work environment and has no logic.

I know many camera only creators that have for now stopped uploading to Adobe and focus on other agencies.

Perhaps in a year that weird rejection algo has been fully trained or is finally abolished.

After all, all they have to do is lower the upload limits to match review capacity and then get back to high quality human inspections they had before.

When my acceptance rate was over 90% for all media types, ai, or camera.

eta

currently still is over 90% accepted.

8200 files accepted 800 declined in total.

Obviously I do not submit ai images to agencies that do not take ai.

Don't understand where that question even comes from.

Quote from: cobalt on September 10, 2025, 10:00
Obviously I do not submit ai images to agencies that do not take ai.

Don't understand where that question even comes from.

Because of this sentence: "I am getting ai images of grey cats and squirrels accepted, while truly unique content, first of its kind in the library, is declined." followed later by the fact that you never had any issues with other agencies. But I guess the latter remark was about all types of content and not specifically AI.
Have to say though that these similarity rejections doesn't affect me to much (I don't do AI). From the last batch of around 50 photos they just saw one as similar to their database. It was indeed a common photo to take. But maybe I was just lucky with the others aceepted

I also don't submit ai. I submit both photos and videos. Since the beginning of the year, I've only had one video rejected for too similar. Everything else has been accepted.

I must add that I always try to write unique titles and keywords even for similar content.

Having similar titles and keywording on AS or within one's portfolio or submission might be one of the culprits for such rejections.

I take considerable time to write individual titles and keywords.

Quote from: danielvisuals on September 11, 2025, 01:39
I take considerable time to write individual titles and keywords.

Same here. Maybe that is also the best trick not to trigger these rejections.

The "Firefly Contributor Bonus" winnings were deposited on September 17, 2024.

Will the same payment be made this year?

Quote from: BT1976 on September 11, 2025, 17:05
The "Firefly Contributor Bonus" winnings were deposited on September 17, 2024.

Will the same payment be made this year?

An offered finger, to put wherever we want...

Quote from: cobalt on September 10, 2025, 09:42
It is not about ai content.

This too similar decline affects all files, irrespective of media type. People are getting normal camera photos, handmade vectors and normal videos declined. Just look into the adobe discord.

It seems to affect ai more, but without any logic....

please format your posts - hard to follow your thoughts when presented as single lines when they should be in coherent paragraphs. there's no logic to a bunch  of isolated lines