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Author Topic: Moving iStock Forward - September 2, 2014. contributor newsletter  (Read 41278 times)

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« Reply #25 on: September 02, 2014, 13:43 »
+4
Just .... wow

 ::)


« Reply #26 on: September 02, 2014, 13:47 »
+3
Income AT IS was so low in Aug . that I think any lower will put them in the bottom tier.

« Reply #27 on: September 02, 2014, 13:49 »
+5
Wow ! I'm glad to have quit exclusivity now ! Seems nothing good for contributor. I don't like the one price for every size thing. And I'm sure custtomer won't like it either. I guess buyers of small size will leave.

« Reply #28 on: September 02, 2014, 13:54 »
+11
For non exclusive photographers who sells mostly small to medium size photos and also illustrators with simple, basic vectors which are rated 1 credit this doesnt looks like very bad news. But for complex vector illustrator and also photographers who invested in gear to be able to sell XL, XXL photos it definitely looks like one more bad news.


« Reply #29 on: September 02, 2014, 13:57 »
+7
For non exclusive photographers who sells mostly small to medium size photos and also illustrators with simple, basic vectors which are rated 1 credit this doesnt looks like very bad news. But for complex vector illustrator and also photographers who invested in gear to be able to sell XL, XXL photos it definitely looks like one more bad news.

This will encourage those photogs who shoot XXL and above files to go indie because size still matters on sites like DT and FT.

« Reply #30 on: September 02, 2014, 13:59 »
0
I don't like the one price for every size thing.

That's actually the only part that is interesting (maybe positive?), although they (and others) have sold vectors that way for a while.

« Reply #31 on: September 02, 2014, 14:08 »
+8
I wouldn't mind selling all sizes for the same price.
But 5$ and 15%?
Make that 20$ and 50%, and I'll re-upload my port to IS...

« Reply #32 on: September 02, 2014, 14:10 »
+3
If i will earn less for each download i will stop uploading images.

« Reply #33 on: September 02, 2014, 14:32 »
+7
Actually iStock is moving backward not forward:
1. As expected they brought back the old 2 tier collections model: exclusive and non-exclusive
2. As expected they are throwing away / locking the RC system by the end of this year
3. The next expected step will be the removal of Thinkstock

« Reply #34 on: September 02, 2014, 14:41 »
+2
Seems I was wrong about one thing - it seems they are grandfathering in rates: "we can confirm that we will lock your royalty rates at the end of the year, ensuring your royalty does not decline in 2015. The rate you are earning now is the rate you will keep in 2015. If you achieve your target to move up based on 2014 RC targets, you will be locked in at the higher rate. "
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=362716&messageid=7040400


It was long expected they will drop the RC system.
They call it "locking RC current level"

« Reply #35 on: September 02, 2014, 14:42 »
+6
I can hear the champagne corks popping at Shutterstock headquarters from here.

why the +9 for SS cork-popping? the more monopoly for SS the more they will continue to pull
their shenanigans on contributors.
be careful what u wish for? 8)

« Reply #36 on: September 02, 2014, 14:43 »
+7
I'm quite clever but as usual with IStock's communications I'll probably have to read it three times to understand it fully. They sound quite pleased with themselves though - and no doubt pranced out of the launch meeting convinced these measures will propel them into a glorious future. Always a bad sign.

Happy to be independent and on 10 megapixels.


« Reply #37 on: September 02, 2014, 14:52 »
+6
I guess now is a good time to buy SS shares...there is so much that is fundamentally wrong with this "plan", I wont even go into it.

But it is no longer my concern and as an indie I am not going to be strongly affected. Maybe I will even benefit a little.

So sorry for all the exclusives. At least they kept the royalty rates.

SS is certainly loading up on champagne, so will many other agencies.

It is September on istock...but for now the site still works, right?


Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #38 on: September 02, 2014, 14:54 »
+8
I can hear the champagne corks popping at Shutterstock headquarters from here.

why the +9 for SS cork-popping? the more monopoly for SS the more they will continue to pull
their shenanigans on contributors.
be careful what u wish for? 8)

I wish for nothing but success for everyone. I'd rather not have a monopoly. But iStock continues to amaze me with their capacity to shoot themselves in the foot. Just once I wish they'd announce something that was tested, proven, and good for contributors, but I'm disappointed every time. I was simply making an observation...the folks from SS who read these threads must be laughing themselves silly over this "simple" announcement from their biggest competitor. 

« Reply #39 on: September 02, 2014, 15:06 »
+2
It was not announced on a Friday and admins seem to be around to answer questions. I guess this is a step forward...

I really wonder what the high end video people will do. SS and pond5 are so much ahead of istock in video already...and now this...
« Last Edit: September 02, 2014, 15:13 by cobalt »

« Reply #40 on: September 02, 2014, 15:06 »
+1
At least they kept the royalty rates.

Well, not exactly - They will lock the RC level you will achieve by the end of this year:
"Yes- we can confirm that we will lock your royalty rates at the end of the year, ensuring your royalty does not decline in 2015.
If you achieve your target to move up based on 2014 RC targets, you will be locked in at the higher rate."


Looks like by the end of this year I will go down one level and then they will lock me there forever.  :'(

« Reply #41 on: September 02, 2014, 15:11 »
0
I haven't seen anyone mention this yet here... it addresses how much credits will actually cost... until we know this, all we can do is guess how we'll be affected: (copied from the forum on iS)

When will these changes go live on the website?
We are planning a September 15th launch but changes may start to appear as early as September 13th. The site will require a limited weekend outage but you will be notified in advance.

How and when will you communicate these changes to customers?
Given impact on existing credit values, we will start communicating changes on September 3rd. Marketing will reflect the changes coinciding with the launch on September 15th.

Pricing

Exactly how will credit pack and extended license pricing change?
Due to competitive sensitivity, we are not releasing credit pack and extended license pricing specifics at this time. New pricing will be announced with the launch in September.

« Reply #42 on: September 02, 2014, 15:19 »
+1
So all those 28c credit subs for indes will go up to 75c- $1 sales? All the standard iS sales will be the same price as credit subs - is that right? In my case I made about 90c per dl last month (ignoring an EL - I presume they will still be sold at premium prices, though they aren't mentioned). As I'm on 17% I should get 85c on average under the new system. If all the credit subs jump from 28c to 85c then it will be overall positive for me (ignoring the shift in sales patterns that is inevitably going to happen as collections coalesce).

What about TS, though? Is that still going to be paying the same or are TS buyers going to be funnelled back to iStock?

« Reply #43 on: September 02, 2014, 15:29 »
+2
So all those 28c credit subs for indes will go up to 75c- $1 sales?

where did you read it?

« Reply #44 on: September 02, 2014, 15:31 »
+7
Knowing that size doesn't matter makes me kinda happy. ;)

« Reply #45 on: September 02, 2014, 15:42 »
+5
I am guessing that the price for credits will drop - (so one new credit will cost less than 5 old credits). The reason they don't want to mention this now is they don't want people to wait for the price drop - they hope some suckers will buy old credits at a premium price.

Since I seem to mostly sell s and xs now, this might actually benefit me slightly, but since most of my content has been removed from the greedy @#%$s it won't make much difference and it certainly isn't the sort of announcement that gets me to consider thinking about uploading there again.

« Reply #46 on: September 02, 2014, 15:46 »
0
So all those 28c credit subs for indes will go up to 75c- $1 sales?

where did you read it?

There's a questionmark after it.   They talk about what a success the credit subs have been and then launch into a spiel about how there will only be credit prices from now on and only two tiers of photos. It's not clear but it suggests to me they might be increasing (or scrapping? but they say it's doing brilliantly) the credit subs prices.

Seems we won't be getting any more for credit subs

From iStock's forum FAQs:  "Will the price of image subscriptions change with this initiative?
No, while pricing is always subject to change, there are currently no plans to change subscription prices. Our Essentials and Signature subscription offerings are performing very well and well-positioned to competitive offers."

« Last Edit: September 02, 2014, 15:51 by BaldricksTrousers »

« Reply #47 on: September 02, 2014, 16:04 »
-5
I can hear the champagne corks popping at Shutterstock headquarters from here.

Interesting that so many people have voted your post up. I think that must be more to do with sentiment than careful analysis. Since nobody knows the outcome.

Hands up - I am iStock exclusive ! Though at this point I am completely neutral being 8 months into a completely different thing. And I always was. I am more curious than concerned about iS at this point. Though FWIW I have been personally around photo agencies since 1989 - and the friends and family since the 60s. And iStock is just a bit of what Getty does and how it works.

If I was an SS stock holder; as an investor I would be worried about them being seriously under diversified. What else do they actually do which justifies their price in a market for cheap pictures which is moving towards free.

Maybe it wasn't champagne corks you heard :)

« Reply #48 on: September 02, 2014, 16:05 »
+2
Sean has some examples with dollars of what it all means...

http://www.seanlockephotography.com/2014/09/02/istockphoto-shuffle/

Valo

« Reply #49 on: September 02, 2014, 16:06 »
+13
Basically the change means buyers get more value for less. Meaning contributors get paid less for more value.


 

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