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Author Topic: iStock Royalty Change  (Read 114178 times)

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« Reply #250 on: October 27, 2016, 11:16 »
0
Quote
Nice math.....
 an average/good camera should resist 250.000 actuations and it costs around 1000$:
it means 0,004$ per actuation. You need to make one photo (that sells at least once) every five actuations just to pay for the camera

My last camera's shutter broke after about 150,000 actuations. 


« Reply #251 on: October 27, 2016, 11:17 »
+7
Whilst I'm sure some established people do nicely with exclusivity I can't help thinking anyone opting in at this point is either crazy or has a port ideally suited to I Stock. Riding the back of the death spiral?

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #252 on: October 27, 2016, 11:27 »
+16
...we became very successful with subs. ...and our program isn't that old so we are pulling from SS.

No you're not. You're not "successful" and you're not pulling from SS. My sub sales certainly haven't moved from SS to iSall that's happened is that credit sales at iS have become sub sales, eroding my income. 2 will erode it even faster.

...if you wanted to know where your sub sales are going. In any given day, I could have 30 to 100 sub sales and growing...

So an average Saturday for me at SS, for years now.

Instead of pulling your ports, think about becoming exclusive and do the opposite of what you are doing, ignoring your port.

I looked, but they don't have an emoticon for how hard I'm laughing.

Is that what iS is hoping? That if they offer less than ever they'll entice indies into going exclusive? The arrogance is breathtaking.

Tryingmybest

  • Stand up for what is right
« Reply #253 on: October 27, 2016, 11:31 »
+2
I don't get why people are still contributing to microstock at all at the moment. The only thing which is growing is the total number of images. And that means, inevitably, that the prices are only going down. Ever closer to zero. The size of the market was vastly over-estimated. That boom era is never coming back. Is everyone just hoping that everyone else will give up first? Otherwise it seems like a rather costly hobby.

And if you are really into pictures as a hobby then why not give up taking pictures which you think might sell and start taking pictures you like or which interest you instead? That's the thing about the best of the stuff in the non-microstock and more bespoke collections like Stocksy - that, at best, the pictures seem much more real. They seem like pictures made by people who love pictures.

Some of us are desperate for the income. We are very creative and are in saturated creative markets. Times are rough and the global economy is good for many, but not for all. Sadly I am in that boat. :'(

Rose Tinted Glasses

« Reply #254 on: October 27, 2016, 11:32 »
+1
...we became very successful with subs. ...and our program isn't that old so we are pulling from SS.

No you're not. You're not "successful" and you're not pulling from SS. My sub sales certainly haven't moved from SS to iSall that's happened is that credit sales at iS have become sub sales, eroding my income. 2 will erode it even faster.

...if you wanted to know where your sub sales are going. In any given day, I could have 30 to 100 sub sales and growing...

So an average Saturday for me at SS, for years now.

Instead of pulling your ports, think about becoming exclusive and do the opposite of what you are doing, ignoring your port.

I looked, but they don't have an emoticon for how hard I'm laughing.

Is that what iS is hoping? That if they offer less than ever they'll entice indies into going exclusive? The arrogance is breathtaking.

It really seems to burn you up that some people actually do well at IS/Getty.

The arrogance truly is breathtaking.

« Reply #255 on: October 27, 2016, 11:41 »
+9
Jodie, I am glad it is working for you, but in the current market to be non exclusive is a no brainer.

You can work the whole macro world, including gettyimages if you want to, you can supply exclusive images to niche collections (stockfood) and you can supply all the micros with generic content.

You can process your files in many different styles and thus revive older content by giving it a new look.

And you can find a home for all your files, because the bestsellers on all agencies are completly different.

Finally - you can sleep peacefully every night, because even if one of the agencies messes up something (they all do at some point), it will be balanced by another one that is doing better than expected in that month.

Nobody who invests in their production and does stock for a living, will pull their ports and go artist exclusive for the complicated and unpredictable mess that is their new RC plan.

I hope you continue to do well, but 2017 will likely see another exodus of hard core exclusives.

With Adobe and SS on the rise, they cant afford to stay at the ever shrinking agency.

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #256 on: October 27, 2016, 11:42 »
+7
I am sorry but Jodi didn't say she was doing well, she said she is "still makes enough to pay our large mortgage and go on shooting trips".

To me that very clearly sounds like she is doing worse than she did (and not well enough to pay her mortgage plus the rest of her living expenses) but is caught up in the closed thinking that has been discussed already.

As a long term IStock exclusive she is looking at the whole industry based on her experience with the old market leader that is quickly on its way out. She seems to be trying to convince herself that even given her decreasing returns she is still better off where she is because things must surely be in the same downward spiral everywhere.

Well they aren't. Sorry.

ET just correct a typo ("must" not "much")
« Last Edit: October 27, 2016, 12:08 by Justanotherphotographer »

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #257 on: October 27, 2016, 11:46 »
+9
...we became very successful with subs. ...and our program isn't that old so we are pulling from SS.

No you're not. You're not "successful" and you're not pulling from SS. My sub sales certainly haven't moved from SS to iSall that's happened is that credit sales at iS have become sub sales, eroding my income. 2 will erode it even faster.

...if you wanted to know where your sub sales are going. In any given day, I could have 30 to 100 sub sales and growing...

So an average Saturday for me at SS, for years now.

Instead of pulling your ports, think about becoming exclusive and do the opposite of what you are doing, ignoring your port.

I looked, but they don't have an emoticon for how hard I'm laughing.

Is that what iS is hoping? That if they offer less than ever they'll entice indies into going exclusive? The arrogance is breathtaking.

It really seems to burn you up that some people actually do well at IS/Getty.

The arrogance truly is breathtaking.

Couldn't think of anything original to say?

« Reply #258 on: October 27, 2016, 11:55 »
+2
With Adobe and SS on the rise, they cant afford to stay at the ever shrinking agency.

I will be very surprised if they don't end up squeezing at both ends too. It's an inherent problem with companies which have to please investors and stock holders who expect continual growth.

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #259 on: October 27, 2016, 12:03 »
+2
I would agree, except the two sites that are squeezing the worst are still privately owned, DP and IStock

ETA. I think more because it is so counter productive, as proved by two above, than because of of any loving feelings for the contributor
« Last Edit: October 27, 2016, 12:05 by Justanotherphotographer »

« Reply #260 on: October 27, 2016, 12:10 »
+6
I was exclusive at iStock for almost 10 years in photo and video! This year my video income kept going down no matter how hard I worked or what I loaded. I finally got the courage to drop it and I have never been happier! I know being exclusive works for some and that is fine but not for me that is for sure. I am not loading new content to iStock anymore and promote other sites from my own website that treat me fair. The video team at Getty/iStock is great and helpful! the management is another story! Don't forget even as an exclusive they can change your earnings every year by moving the target. RC is not gone and now it will be even easier to move the target. I don't get yanked around by $1 video sales and 0.2 image sales at other places! I don't love SS pricing but at least they stay consistent. Adobe is the dark horse in this race and they are the one to watch! If you go to AdobeStock now and sign in with your cloud ID you can click on an image and bam it will be in photoshop for you. You then can play around with it and with one click the watermark will go away. Their market share and integration is what everyone is afraid of. Getty is small compared to Adobe.

« Reply #261 on: October 27, 2016, 12:12 »
+6
"The other agencies will follow shortly behind" and there's the fundamental problem with the I-stock mindset....no agency would follow them anymore........they are not leaders in the market.

« Reply #262 on: October 27, 2016, 12:13 »
+4
$0.28 to $0.02 is 14X. I've just started and it takes me months to reach $50. Now it's 14X longer to reach $100 at which I can leave and get my money. Wow.

$50 is not very much but it hurts to know how easy they can snatch it from me legally.  :'(

« Reply #263 on: October 27, 2016, 12:25 »
+12
Dear colleagues,

I suggest to combine our forces to prevent the offensive price policy of Getty Images. Many of Russian speaking community have already deleted their portfolios from iStock either deactivated works. However it hardly can effect Getty Images to worry. Recent suggestion is to make some kind of request, petition, site with aim to effect iStock for setting of fair minimum payment for 1 illustration.

To make this we need an initiative team that will represent our interests. We need legal consulting and information on fair royalty rate within US law, public organizations that can attract attention to our issue, unions of designers, freelancer etc.

Thank you so much,

Also you can follow discussion on http://www.microstock.ru/forum/showthread.php?t=53&page=1452

« Reply #264 on: October 27, 2016, 12:38 »
+4
I can't left iStock for a while
I will do ASAP, but the fact is that they make a mistake, paying to me a quite important amount of money in advance. To delete my portfolio I have to wait to sell enough to delete the minus sign on the amount.
The problem is that I'm not uploading since last year, and I see a regular decreasing in sold images, day by day. From now, with my 2 cents (per picture), I will wait for a long time before be released from this prison. :o

« Reply #265 on: October 27, 2016, 13:28 »
+14
So glad i deleted my account there once they made that news a couple of months ago about not able to delete your images.

« Reply #266 on: October 27, 2016, 13:49 »
+12
http://press.gettyimages.com/getty-images-appoints-dawn-airey-as-chief-executive-officer/

Thank both of them.....laughing all the way to the bank.......He is for sure one of the worst offenders to photographers of all genres from stock to photojournalism. Never had such a single man hurt so much photography. He is not the only one to blame.......all of us that have nourished his megalomany and photographer explotation are responsible ....myself included.

I just remember now his words when he finally dismembered Corbis "Lovely to get the milk, the cream, cheese, yoghurt and the meat without buying the cow, what to be expected from such a sad man.....

I remain optimist do....bigger empires have fallen......

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #267 on: October 27, 2016, 14:32 »
+3
$0.28 to $0.02 is 14X. I've just started and it takes me months to reach $50. Now it's 14X longer to reach $100 at which I can leave and get my money. Wow.

$50 is not very much but it hurts to know how easy they can snatch it from me legally.  :'(
If you leave by contacting them rather than simply deactivating your images, you will get the money in your account, even if it is under $100. You could even get little bumps sometime later which would be the late subs/PP payment. Be aware that your files may still be on partner sites for 90 days per the ASA.

« Reply #268 on: October 27, 2016, 16:07 »
+2
...we became very successful with subs. ...and our program isn't that old so we are pulling from SS.

No you're not. You're not "successful" and you're not pulling from SS. My sub sales certainly haven't moved from SS to iSall that's happened is that credit sales at iS have become sub sales, eroding my income. 2 will erode it even faster.

...if you wanted to know where your sub sales are going. In any given day, I could have 30 to 100 sub sales and growing...

So an average Saturday for me at SS, for years now.

Instead of pulling your ports, think about becoming exclusive and do the opposite of what you are doing, ignoring your port.

I looked, but they don't have an emoticon for how hard I'm laughing.

Is that what iS is hoping? That if they offer less than ever they'll entice indies into going exclusive? The arrogance is breathtaking.
1.Successful is subjective
2.my sub sals are .75 to 2.50. Not .38
3. I still have good regular sales and ELs
I have PP sales and I have 3000 images on Getty.
I am also bedridden most of the time from an autoimmune disease  and an accident in 2007 so my shoots can only last about 10-20 minutes at most. I consider myself very SUCCESSFUL
4. I work for the Corporation on Istock that I don't own, I called legal and asked if I could upload elsewhere and they answered yes under a different username, and not the same files. So I am not in so deep. I just never wanted to upload anywhere else. Istock/Getty is enough money for me at this time.
5.I do have a breaking point but nothing but my health is broken for me right now.

« Reply #269 on: October 27, 2016, 16:23 »
+1
I don't get why people are still contributing to microstock at all at the moment. The only thing which is growing is the total number of images. And that means, inevitably, that the prices are only going down. Ever closer to zero. The size of the market was vastly over-estimated. That boom era is never coming back. Is everyone just hoping that everyone else will give up first? Otherwise it seems like a rather costly hobby.

And if you are really into pictures as a hobby then why not give up taking pictures which you think might sell and start taking pictures you like or which interest you instead? That's the thing about the best of the stuff in the non-microstock and more bespoke collections like Stocksy - that, at best, the pictures seem much more real. They seem like pictures made by people who love pictures.

I'd agree but stocksy has no interest in what I like to shoot.

Yes it is a costly hobby or a way to make something back from my already costly hobby. The boom is gone five years, some people just have been in the dark denial so long they can't accept the fact. Also agree prices are only going down with more photos from more and demand not growing. You are right, there is not going to be a come back in any circumstance.

All we can watch for is when there will finally be a bottom to the fall and when income will go flat at what rate? That is the future of Microstock. The market is in freefall right now.

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #270 on: October 27, 2016, 17:58 »
+5
...we became very successful with subs. ...and our program isn't that old so we are pulling from SS.

No you're not. You're not "successful" and you're not pulling from SS. My sub sales certainly haven't moved from SS to iSall that's happened is that credit sales at iS have become sub sales, eroding my income. 2 will erode it even faster.

...if you wanted to know where your sub sales are going. In any given day, I could have 30 to 100 sub sales and growing...

So an average Saturday for me at SS, for years now.

Instead of pulling your ports, think about becoming exclusive and do the opposite of what you are doing, ignoring your port.

I looked, but they don't have an emoticon for how hard I'm laughing.

Is that what iS is hoping? That if they offer less than ever they'll entice indies into going exclusive? The arrogance is breathtaking.
1.Successful is subjective
2.my sub sals are .75 to 2.50. Not .38
3. I still have good regular sales and ELs
I have PP sales and I have 3000 images on Getty.
I am also bedridden most of the time from an autoimmune disease  and an accident in 2007 so my shoots can only last about 10-20 minutes at most. I consider myself very SUCCESSFUL
4. I work for the Corporation on Istock that I don't own, I called legal and asked if I could upload elsewhere and they answered yes under a different username, and not the same files. So I am not in so deep. I just never wanted to upload anywhere else. Istock/Getty is enough money for me at this time.
5.I do have a breaking point but nothing but my health is broken for me right now.

When you said "we" in your OP you were referring to "iStock," and I answered you the same way...so "you" in my answer refers to "iStock," not to Jodi.

So if you feel you're successful, great...but iStock becomes less successful every day, and I see no evidence of them taking any market share from anyone.

From your POV 30 subs a day is a lot, because you're new to subs...but to me and many others it truly is an average Saturday, the worst sales day of the week (and that's just on SS....I also get subs from other sites, including iS). I get hardly any higher sales on iS, but lots on SS and FT/Adobe.

I just can't believe iStock believes that screwing indies over would somehow entice them to go exclusive.

It reminds me of the time I proudly told my boss about a freelancer of mine who was doing a great job. When I was out to lunch he called the freelancer in and excitedly told him he'd like to offer him LESS money in exchange for steady work. Of course, the freelancer said no, and why on earth would he want to lock himself in to a lower rate for months on end when he could get more elsewhere?

He'd been happily doing amazing work for me for months, thinking his pay was fine, but he was so insulted by this lowball offer he started looking for work elsewhere and was gone in a week, making more money....never to return.

I was amazed at my boss's upside-down thought process then, and it still amazes me that people think offering someone LESS will get them to stay.

Edited to add: And it irritates me that you're one of the "special few" who get the perks of exclusivity at iStock while also selling work elsewhere. Let me know if I can have that deal.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2016, 18:01 by Shelma1 »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #271 on: October 27, 2016, 18:55 »
+11
... I called legal and asked if I could upload elsewhere and they answered yes under a different username, and not the same files.

Does that apply to all iS exclusives, or was it a special deal they were prepared to offer you?

« Reply #272 on: October 27, 2016, 21:13 »
+5
my sub sals are .75 to 2.50. Not .38
Well, get ready for much less than $0.75

If you are at 40% and a customer gets a 1 year $319/month package (750 Signature/month) and downloads more than 170 files, you'll make less than your current $0.75.    And to make $2.50, no more than 51 files should be downloaded from that package.

In many of the packages, the maximum number of downloads that will allow exclusives to keep at least current earnings will have to be really low.

« Reply #273 on: October 27, 2016, 21:15 »
+4
... I called legal and asked if I could upload elsewhere and they answered yes under a different username, and not the same files.

Does that apply to all iS exclusives, or was it a special deal they were prepared to offer you?

I too would like to know this! Very curious.

« Reply #274 on: October 27, 2016, 21:40 »
+2
I don't sell work elsewhere and never ever did under my name or any other. That is the point I was making. According to legal when I called three years ago when the corporation was set up, If a contributer isn't a main part of the corporation they can sell their work elsewhere. I could have misunderstood what I heard so don't quote me, call and ask for yourself. I don't have a problem because I and all my pictures are exclusively on Istock and Getty and wherever they put them. I never had the need or urge to upload anywhere else. I don't get any special treatment. I never even got a picture of the week! I'm hoping this new deal will be special treatment for exclusives.  My special treatment is a lot of hard work, a lot of hours on this computer sorting, editing, sending files to the keyworders and not having much of a life outside of stock photography. And 30 subs is my worst day, I didn't want to give my real highest figures in this forum. It really is nobody's business. This crowd is tough...What happened to the world where people were happy for other people's successes?


 

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