Istock have spit in contributors face so many times they clearly know they're dealing only with people who have no self-respect. They don't care and why should they?

Just to start the New Year--Istock is going to reset to level (1) just like Shutterstock. It is a sad day for photographers who are treated so unfairly.

As far as I understood it correctly only exclusive contributors are concerned:

Non-exclusive
Contributors typically sign to iStock as non-exclusive. Your Downloads do not impact your royalty rate if you are a non-exclusive contributor. Find out more about exclusivity.

And for exclusive contributors there is a difference compared to shutterstock:

If you reach a higher Download Target you will receive the corresponding higher royalty rate on new licenses in the following month. You can only move up during the year, but the Download total you end the year on determines your starting royalty rate for the next calendar year, so your starting rate can move up or down.

On January 01, each year, every contributor�s Download total is reset to zero.

I interpret it this way:
If the contributor reaches 5000 photo downloads by the end of the year, he will receive 30%. This 30% is still valid for January. If he has less than 1000 photo downloads in January, he drops back to 25%.

The bottom line is that agencies will pay less and less. And you have to upload more and more to stay on the same level financially.

Explanation Istock:   https://contributors.gettyimages.com/article_public.aspx?article_id=5210

As I read it you can only go down on the beginning of each year.

Say you managed to sell 2,000 photos in 2021 then your starting level in 2022 will be 30%. During 2022 you can only go up but to get to 35% you will need to sell 10,700 in 2022. The next month you will receive 35% over next month's sales.

If by the end of 2022 you have only sold 500 photos in that year you will drop to 25% in January 2023.

So, total downloads of the running year will determine your starting level of the next year. And in that next year you might move up during the year.

But if that starting level already starts this month based upon your sales of last year is not very clear.

But if that starting level already starts this month based upon your sales of last year is not very clear.

This makes it clear IMO:
"the Download total you end the year on determines your starting royalty rate for the next calendar year"

Quote from: ShadySue on January 04, 2022, 12:35

Quote from: SVH on January 04, 2022, 11:37

But if that starting level already starts this month based upon your sales of last year is not very clear.

This makes it clear IMO:
"the Download total you end the year on determines your starting royalty rate for the next calendar year"

To quote all of your above posts.... please don't forget you are one of only a handful of people on this forum that can read a complete paragraph. I applaud you for being able to read with comprehension. It's such a rarity today.

To be fair, my googling skills don't seem to be up to much (other thread).
And I have to admit, when I get the 'red mist', all logic seems to go out of the window.

15% is, was, and will be a greedy insult.

Money won't buy happiness, but it will let you be unhappy in nice places.