MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: fotorob on September 27, 2008, 05:27

Title: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: fotorob on September 27, 2008, 05:27
During the German photography fair "Photokina" the istock-founder and CEO Bruce Livingstone held a speech titled "The Future of Microstock.
I wanted to record it and put it on my blog but I only got the permission to write about it:
http://www.alltageinesfotoproduzenten.de/2008/09/27/the-future-of-microstock-vortrag-von-bruce-livingstone/ (http://www.alltageinesfotoproduzenten.de/2008/09/27/the-future-of-microstock-vortrag-von-bruce-livingstone/)

The review is in German, Babelfish might be your friend.
Here a micro translation:
- 2009 is more localized content in planning
- FTP uploads won't be there in the future, but they are working on a bulk upload program for PC
- a "German payment service" is in planning
- istock has the highest rejection rates in the microstock-market

bye, Robert
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on September 27, 2008, 06:28
Odd.  We already have a bulk upload program for the PC.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: fotorob on September 27, 2008, 06:57
Which program do you mean? If you refer to ImageManager, that is still a beta und it does not seem to be originating from istock itself, right?
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on September 27, 2008, 06:59
Odd.  We already have a bulk upload program for the PC.
We already have independent software providers creating software. Maybe they're creating their own or buying out one of the independents. Or am I missing something and IS already makes upload software?
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: RT on September 27, 2008, 06:59
Odd.  We already have a bulk upload program for the PC.

Sean you've lost me, what and where is it
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: mjp on September 27, 2008, 07:24
Try deepmeta (http://www.deepmeta.com/), it is free. You can add files in the queue (after selecting keywords, categories, model releases) and the system will upload them automatically to Istock review queue. If the istock upload limit is full the program will automatically upload files soon as it is possible (new beta version holiday mode). You also get very detailed information about uploaded batches sales, rejections, views etc.. I have been using this program from spring I think. It helps a lot when dealing with Istock.

br, MjP
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: Jimi King on September 27, 2008, 07:54
I'd agree. It's very good and is the only upload program that I've kept.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: NancyCWalker on September 27, 2008, 08:03
There are 2 programs written by IS members currently available for bulk uploading. Both are free but request donations to help keep them in production. They both have quirks. The biggest downside with these is any time that IS makes a major change to the site it takes a while for the program developers to catch up.

I find it interesting that IS mentioned that they had the highest level of rejections. But it fits the "we are elite" mindset that plagues several of the admins.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: grp_photo on September 27, 2008, 09:32

I find it interesting that IS mentioned that they had the highest level of rejections. But it fits the "we are elite" mindset that plagues several of the admins.
Yeah and i even doubt that is it actually true it depends all agencies have their own policies so you can have a good accepetance-ratio at istock and still have a lot rejects at others.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: vphoto on September 27, 2008, 09:51
my acceptance rate at IS 65.6% and at FT 62.7%
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: dbajurin on September 27, 2008, 09:57
Istock isn't even close to FT rejections. How one can say that in public?
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on September 27, 2008, 10:42
There are 2 programs written by IS members currently available for bulk uploading. Both are free but request donations to help keep them in production. They both have quirks. The biggest downside with these is any time that IS makes a major change to the site it takes a while for the program developers to catch up.

Actually Franky refused my offer of a donation for DM.  ... and yes, it would be nice if it was wholly integrated into iStock development.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: Nemo1024 on September 27, 2008, 13:25
Try deepmeta ([url]http://www.deepmeta.com/[/url]), it is free. [snip] If the istock upload limit is full the program will automatically upload files soon as it is possible (new beta version holiday mode).[snip]
br, MjP


Franky finally implemented my Holiday mode suggestion!!! Yesss!!!! :D
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: borg on September 27, 2008, 14:53
I installed this Deepmeta program, but statistics isn't correct especially for downloads,especially for September... How to fix or where is mistake!?
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: dirkr on September 27, 2008, 15:21
The statistics (royalties or downloads curves in the statistics tab) of DeepMeta don't add to the date when the file was downloaded but when the file was uploaded. That is a bit confusing...
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: Nemo1024 on September 27, 2008, 17:34
- istock has the highest rejection rates in the microstock-market

Hmm... they had one of the the highest approval ratios for me recently... Sorry, iStock, FotoLia is topping the rejection roster. :)
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: crazychristina on September 27, 2008, 18:06
I believe istock's overall rejection rate is close to 50%.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: borg on September 28, 2008, 09:10
Can someone translate numbers in $ from link above or give us link with english version...
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: fotorob on September 29, 2008, 03:53
@ Borg, the numbers (at least concerning the money numbers) are quoted in US-$, the M stands for Million...

Bye,
Robert
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: borg on September 29, 2008, 06:40
@ Borg, the numbers (at least concerning the money numbers) are quoted in US-$, the M stands for Million...

Bye,
Robert

I understand numbers, but numbers for what!?
I don't understand items on german language...
Thanks anyway for respond...

P.S.

Thank Dirkr for answer about deepmeta...

Its very confusing why DL.s are in "upload day"...
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: fotorob on September 29, 2008, 07:19
Okay, sorry Borg,

here a quick translation (but donm't hold me liable if I translate something wrong)  :D

- istock revenue 2007: 71,9 M $
- istock payout to the artists 2007: 20,9 M $ (that makes  29%)
- a picture sold every 1,3 seconds (average)
- about 3,7 million customers registered at istock
- more than 60.000 artists registered at istock
- expected revenue 2012: 262 M $
- about 275.000 uploaded pictures per month
- about 150.000 pictures per month get accepted
- a total of over  3,5 Millionen pictures at istockphoto

bye, Robert
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: leaf on September 29, 2008, 07:20
check out the whole page translated by google here

translated version  (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fstockfotografie.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F27%2Fthe-future-of-microstock-vortrag-von-bruce-livingstone%2F&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=de&tl=en)
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: Microbius on September 29, 2008, 10:22


  " Revenues from iStockphoto 2007: $ 71.9 M
The expected turnover of iStockphoto for 2012 stands at $ 262 m "
Yeah good luck with that. I think he might need to take a look at the Alexa rankings.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: borg on September 29, 2008, 10:50
Thanks Fotorob for translation!

Numbers are promising!!!  :o
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: nativelight on September 29, 2008, 11:01
I can attest to the last point about rejections.  My acceptance rate with IS is only 47% - much lower than any other site.  Most of my rejections are "we find this image overfiltered...".  I'm just too stubborn/lazy to create one copy with noise reduction for everyone else and no filtration for IS.  Someday I'll get with the program.   :D
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: RacePhoto on September 29, 2008, 12:04
Can anyone help me understand this portion of the article?

The future lies next to the photos in floor-floor video and audio, and the importance of stock photos always will continue to decline.

Original Text:

Die Zukunft liegt neben den Fotos in Stock-Videos und Stock-Audio , wobei die Bedeutung von Stockfotos immer weiter abnehmen wird.

Somewhere the translation made it floor to floor, which doesn't make sense to me? Grass roots, ground floor, entry level,? What's is he actually saying.
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: dirkr on September 29, 2008, 12:11
Correct translation would be (roughly):

"The future lies - beside photos - in stock video and stock audio, and the importance of stock photos will continually decline"
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: borg on September 29, 2008, 12:31
What?

Future is negative!?

Or I miss something...
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: RacePhoto on September 29, 2008, 12:48
Correct translation would be (roughly):

"The future lies - beside photos - in stock video and stock audio, and the importance of stock photos will continually decline"

So the word "stock" translated into "floor to floor"?  ;D Or was it the beside?

Good points and interesting reading. Thanks for the help.

I think he's saying that video and audio will be the new markets for expansion and there would be less demand for still photos. Technology makes moving pictures with sound, more viable for creative projects on the web or for electronic devices.

Much of the information and news market is now electronic. I don't find anything surprising in his views, any more than when B&W photos were replaced with color in most print media. The cost came down, the competition went up and the market demanded it to attract costomers.

However, print media will still need stock photos. Newspapers and print media are once again (there was a big decline in the 70's and 80's) downsizing or disappearing. So the conclusion is there will still be a need, but less than currently as better technology replaces the old.

 
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: dirkr on September 29, 2008, 13:10
I guess the problem with the automatic translation comes from missing disambiguation  ;D
"Stock"-photographie is originally an English term, but - as many English words - is used in German as well. But "Stock" in German also translates to floor (like the second floor in a building - in German "zweiter Stock").

And I wouldn't interpret that as "Future is negative", but more as "relatively speaking, sales of video and audio will grow a lot stronger than sales of photos".
Title: Re: "The Future Of Microstock" by istock-CEO Bruce Livingstone
Post by: RacePhoto on September 30, 2008, 01:03
I guess the problem with the automatic translation comes from missing disambiguation  ;D
"Stock"-photographie is originally an English term, but - as many English words - is used in German as well. But "Stock" in German also translates to floor (like the second floor in a building - in German "zweiter Stock").

And I wouldn't interpret that as "Future is negative", but more as "relatively speaking, sales of video and audio will grow a lot stronger than sales of photos".

And I do appreciate the help, it cleared up the translation. I just thought the floor was funny.

I agree with the second part, as you see it. The growth will be in video and audio. Any drop in print media will reduce the demand for stock, but the increase in use of less expensive shots should help balance that, as users try to economize. Stagnation of stock photo sales may be what we'll see, instead of a negative trend.