It looks to me as if iStock has quietly reduced the RC targets. My stats page shows 11,000 as being the 17% threshold, whereas the link to how the system works shows 12,500 as the 17/30% threshold.  I've no idea when this happened, quite some time ago I suspect.

Right, thanks. I must have forgotten about it, I was thinking that it might mean they planned to start applying the "levels" again, which would be a step backwards for a lot of people (including me, the way sales have been this year).

With introduction of subs on iStock the majority of buyers soon will switch to subs making the whole idea of RC system irrelevant.
Getty will bring the old canister levels back as the next try to keep exclusives on board.

Quote from: Karen on May 26, 2014, 08:43

With introduction of subs on iStock the majority of buyers soon will switch to subs making the whole idea of RC system irrelevant.
Getty will bring the old canister levels back as the next try to keep exclusives on board.

I question the future of the RC system, but I find it hard to believe that the canister system will be revived since it would most likely cause an overall increase in royalty payout.

Not necessarily. They could set the limits so that the majority of contributors are in the lowest bracket or two, and make the bands large enough so that almost no one will ever move out of their bracket (assuming that sub sales would not count towards canister levels).

But I think it's just as likely they decide to scrap the entire tiering, and switch to a flat royalty (e.g., 15% for independents, 30% to exclusives).

Quote from: KB on May 26, 2014, 10:28

Quote from: Karen on May 26, 2014, 08:43

With introduction of subs on iStock the majority of buyers soon will switch to subs making the whole idea of RC system irrelevant.
Getty will bring the old canister levels back as the next try to keep exclusives on board.

But I think it's just as likely they decide to scrap the entire tiering, and switch to a flat royalty (e.g., 15% for independents, 30% to exclusives).

Getty need more content to compete with SS.
They need a system to motivate contributors to upload more stuff.
Both old canister and RC are motivating contributors to upload more, to sell more, to get more %.

With new subs RC became irrelevant and flat royalty rate will not motivate contributors to upload new stuff.
Getty will bring the old canister levels back.

Let me say, I really hope you're right, as that would give me an almost 20% increase in my royalty rate (from 30% to 35%), which I'd love. But I'd bet against that happening.

However, personally, that wouldn't motivate me to upload new stuff. I need to see an increase in sales -- both old and new files -- for that to happen, rather than the continued decrease I've been experiencing. And I don't have a clue how they could accomplish that.