Author Topic: Is istock exclusive contributor worth it? (Read 12953 times)

MxR · « **Reply #25 on:** September 09, 2020, 10:54 »

Quote from: Krakozawr on September 08, 2020, 08:10

iStock exclusivity is the great thing if you have a proper portfolio and ready to work under the briefs. And to work hard, BTW.

I'm iStock exclusive since 2007, and I made barely $1000-$1200 per month, which was nothing. But it was my side-project all those years. Since I started to work focused on it 2016, I have the constant growth in my income. Since 2018, I makes my live in the USA exclusively from iStock/Getty and I dropped almost all my freelance gigs. This pandemic year going almost 1.5 times better than the previous one. RPD is higger than $4 (combined for photo and video), with 35% royalty (and I expecting to reach 40% for video this year). Video is growing fast, photo is more tough market but still good.

But you have to evaluate your portfolio. You will have a good income only if you will have good S+ acceptance level, and the criteria for S+ acceptance is very strict and specific. It is not enough just to have a "nice quality content" - many great SS-like portfolios would have no chances there. Do your research. Long story short, if you don't shooting people, forget about it (not quite true but close enough).

And keep in mind that iStock exclusivity means TOTAL exclusivity: you can't sell RF-imagery nowhere else, so, all your accounts in other agencies must be shutted dowb prior you will move to exclusivity.

BTW, if you do speak Russian, check out my webinar "Интимные тайны iStock" - almost 5 hours, lol, but people reported that it was helpful

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

Hi Alex, a couple of questions. I have seen that my sales in Getty Moment have increased and that now it is more difficult to find the E + collection in Getty ... What percentage of your earnings comes directly from getty? 50%? If it is from Signature + getty it can have a lot of impact a change of getty search algorithm would be terrible.
What is your RPD profit per photo? Mine at Getty only 3.81. I also consider exclusivity ... but my earnings in shutter are 4 times higher than in istock.

Thanks!

Krakozawr · « **Reply #26 on:** September 09, 2020, 11:09 »

Quote from: MxR on September 09, 2020, 10:54

Hi Alex, a couple of questions.

Hi!
I don't have my detailed data in my hands now. Regarding RPD, as I mentioned, in July the combined RPD for both iStock&Getty, photo&video is higher than $4. But I don't care about RPD. PremiumAccess, for example, brings tons of extra-cheap sales and it ruining RPD. It doesn't matters, by many reasons. Only the total income is matters and it is growing.

BTW, exclusive percentage affects only sales from iStock, Getty have only 20% flat commission. So, when you makes downloads targets, it matters only for iStock part of sales, not Getty.

For me, S+ photo sales, combined from iStock and Getty, generates about 70% of my income from photo, when S+ makes about 30% of my total portfolio. And S+ are selling much better than regular photos on iStock, too. The rest 70% aren't bad photos, but what is matters is the trend. Getty's S+ selection criteria is strict and based not on the "quality" of the imagery (in fact, technical requirenents are pretty loose nowadays) but mostly on concepts, ideas, subjects, and it works. If you have photos which would not be selected for S+ you will make no money, disregard how great quality it will be.

Also, I don't remember exactly my income percentage split between iStock and Getty, but in fact, Getty's part is going up constantly.

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[email protected] · « **Reply #27 on:** September 10, 2020, 00:36 »

Yes, my dear Mr. Krakozawr, exclusive Istock contributor is still a good choice, but only good pictures are required, I have seen some high price sales, indeed the average price is very high! It takes time, it takes effort, and it takes a cumulative number of pictures.

Quote from: Krakozawr on September 08, 2020, 08:10

iStock exclusivity is the great thing if you have a proper portfolio and ready to work under the briefs. And to work hard, BTW.

I'm iStock exclusive since 2007, and I made barely $1000-$1200 per month, which was nothing. But it was my side-project all those years. Since I started to work focused on it 2016, I have the constant growth in my income. Since 2018, I makes my live in the USA exclusively from iStock/Getty and I dropped almost all my freelance gigs. This pandemic year going almost 1.5 times better than the previous one. RPD is higger than $4 (combined for photo and video), with 35% royalty (and I expecting to reach 40% for video this year). Video is growing fast, photo is more tough market but still good.

But you have to evaluate your portfolio. You will have a good income only if you will have good S+ acceptance level, and the criteria for S+ acceptance is very strict and specific. It is not enough just to have a "nice quality content" - many great SS-like portfolios would have no chances there. Do your research. Long story short, if you don't shooting people, forget about it (not quite true but close enough).

And keep in mind that iStock exclusivity means TOTAL exclusivity: you can't sell RF-imagery nowhere else, so, all your accounts in other agencies must be shutted dowb prior you will move to exclusivity.

BTW, if you do speak Russian, check out my webinar "Интимные тайны iStock" - almost 5 hours, lol, but people reported that it was helpful

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

Krakozawr · « **Reply #28 on:** September 10, 2020, 00:53 »

Yes, it is not fast and easy money.

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[email protected] · « **Reply #29 on:** September 10, 2020, 01:03 »

Hello, my dear sir, is it easy for me to apply for istock exclusive now, are there any requirements? I heard that the previous requirement was 1000 downloads, what about now?

Quote from: Krakozawr on September 10, 2020, 00:53

Yes, it is not fast and easy money.

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pics2 · « **Reply #30 on:** September 10, 2020, 03:30 »

Quote from: [email protected] on September 10, 2020, 01:03

Hello, my dear sir, is it easy for me to apply for istock exclusive now, are there any requirements? I heard that the previous requirement was 1000 downloads, what about now?
Quote from: Krakozawr on September 10, 2020, 00:53
Yes, it is not fast and easy money.

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

It is not required anymore (1000 downloads). However, your portfolio will be reviewed and only if they find it commercial enough you will be accepted. Don't be surprised to be turned down if you don't have people pictures.

trabuco · « **Reply #31 on:** September 10, 2020, 06:03 »

When the new ones become exclusive their old pictures become exclusive too? Or are just the new ones?

ShadySue · « **Reply #32 on:** September 10, 2020, 06:13 »

Quote from: trabuco on September 10, 2020, 06:03

When the new ones become exclusive their old pictures become exclusive too? Or are just the new ones?

CORRECTION: All your RF files must be exclusive at iStock.
However, your old pics will still be sold at one credit, though you get your new percentage on them.

Whether they are incapable of upgrading old pics, or they just don't want to, is the old 'incompetence vs malice' conundrum.
In the Old Days, they were willing and able to upgrade old pics if someone became exclusive.

[email protected] · « **Reply #33 on:** September 10, 2020, 06:16 »

Thanks, I’m thinking about it, so can I still give my old photos to SS ft, haha

Quote from: pics2 on September 10, 2020, 03:30

Quote from: [email protected] on September 10, 2020, 01:03
Hello, my dear sir, is it easy for me to apply for istock exclusive now, are there any requirements? I heard that the previous requirement was 1000 downloads, what about now?
Quote from: Krakozawr on September 10, 2020, 00:53
Yes, it is not fast and easy money.

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk
It is not required anymore (1000 downloads). However, your portfolio will be reviewed and only if they find it commercial enough you will be accepted. Don't be surprised to be turned down if you don't have people pictures.

ShadySue · « **Reply #34 on:** September 10, 2020, 06:47 »

Quote from: [email protected] on September 10, 2020, 06:16

Thanks, I’m thinking about it, so can I still give my old photos to SS ft, haha

No, you can't.
Exclusivity at iS is artist exclusivity, so you can only sell RF files via iS/Getty. If you are caught out, you'll likely be removed altogether (I think that has happened in the past, someone can correct me if I'm wrong).
You can sell other (non-sister) files RM anywhere you like or on print sites like Fine Art America (other suppliers are available).

Krakozawr · « **Reply #35 on:** September 10, 2020, 08:09 »

Quote from: ShadySue on September 10, 2020, 06:13

Quote from: trabuco on September 10, 2020, 06:03
When the new ones become exclusive their old pictures become exclusive too? Or are just the new ones?
Just the new ones.

The wrong answer.
Don't mess up "exclusivity" and "sale price". Yes, the old photos will stay in the "essential" collection and will cost 1 credit.

But on iStock, exclusivite means not "pictures' exclusivity" but "contributor's exclusivity" - you will be the exclusive cobtributor, and ALL your RF-imagery must be exclusive for iStock. It means that all your accounts in otger agencies must be turned down.

You will still able to sell your imagery in otger agencies via other licenses though - for example, via RM license, ir as goods on POD services.

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Krakozawr · « **Reply #36 on:** September 10, 2020, 08:10 »

Quote from: ShadySue on September 10, 2020, 06:47

Quote from: [email protected] on September 10, 2020, 06:16
Thanks, I’m thinking about it, so can I still give my old photos to SS ft, haha

No, you can't.
Exclusivity at iS is artist exclusivity, so you can only sell RF files via iS/Getty. If you are caught out, you'll likely be removed altogether (I think that has happened in the past, someone can correct me if I'm wrong).
You can sell other (non-sister) files RM anywhere you like or on print sites like Fine Art America (other suppliers are available).

Oh, yes, you are correct! Sorry, I respinded furst tgen I saw your abswer to the same question.

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Krakozawr · « **Reply #37 on:** September 10, 2020, 08:15 »

Quote from: [email protected] on September 10, 2020, 01:03

Hello, my dear sir, is it easy for me to apply for istock exclusive now, are there any requirements?

It is easy to apply, but evaluate your portfolio first. If you will see that your content will not be accepted into S+ collection most likely, you will not want to apply - it will be a disaster, abd you will lost money most likely.

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ShadySue · « **Reply #38 on:** September 10, 2020, 12:29 »

Quote from: Krakozawr on September 10, 2020, 08:09

Quote from: ShadySue on September 10, 2020, 06:13
Quote from: trabuco on September 10, 2020, 06:03
When the new ones become exclusive their old pictures become exclusive too? Or are just the new ones?
Just the new ones.
The wrong answer.
Don't mess up "exclusivity" and "sale price". Yes, the old photos will stay in the "essential" collection and will cost 1 credit.

But on iStock, exclusivite means not "pictures' exclusivity" but "contributor's exclusivity" - you will be the exclusive cobtributor, and ALL your RF-imagery must be exclusive for iStock. It means that all your accounts in otger agencies must be turned down.

You will still able to sell your imagery in otger agencies via other licenses though - for example, via RM license, ir as goods on POD services.

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

Sorry, I totally misinterpreted the question.
Absolutely, the old files will now be exclusive, like all one's RF files.
Somehow, I thought the question was about whether the old files would be sold at 3 credits, which is a pretty important question if someone had an existing port of several thousand files. However, that wasn't the question.

trabuco · « **Reply #39 on:** September 11, 2020, 07:37 »

If I have understood the answers, the old files when you become exclusive don't change their status. So they sell for a lower prize than the exclusive ones

ShadySue · « **Reply #40 on:** September 11, 2020, 07:44 »

Quote from: trabuco on September 11, 2020, 07:37

If I have understood the answers, the old files when you become exclusive don't change their status. So they sell for a lower prize than the exclusive ones

Yes, but remember, buyers can filter to see essentials only (despite them once promising that that would 'never' happen, which must be in the Getty 'alternative definition' dictionary).

trabuco · « **Reply #41 on:** September 11, 2020, 16:21 »

woao.

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Author Topic: Is istock exclusive contributor worth it? (Read 12953 times)

MxR

Krakozawr

[email protected]

Krakozawr

[email protected]

pics2

trabuco

ShadySue

[email protected]

ShadySue

Krakozawr

Krakozawr

Krakozawr

ShadySue

trabuco

ShadySue

trabuco

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