Author Topic: When will iStock stabilize? (Read 4405 times)

Holmes · « **on:** January 31, 2015, 14:34 »

As an iStock exclusive, i was expecting sales to increase in January like usual but this January has been dismal! Yes, Getty and Sub sales have not been included but regardless, I can see what January will look like.

so...?

where is the bottom for sales for exclusives? how long before we stabilize with a base of buyers and predictible sales or will this downward spiral continue much longer.

or will it ever stabilize?

ShadySue · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2015, 14:41 »

42. IMO they lost the plot ages ago.

PeterChigmaroff · « **Reply #2 on:** January 31, 2015, 15:27 »

You know the sound a ripe pumpkin makes when it hits concrete after being thrown from a 40 story building? When you hear that sound.

No Free Lunch · « **Reply #3 on:** January 31, 2015, 15:28 »

Quote from: Holmes on January 31, 2015, 14:34

how long before we stabilize with a base of buyers and predictible sales or will this downward spiral continue much longer.

or will it ever stabilize?

When was it ever stable

Monkeyman · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2015, 19:00 »

I also expected sales to go up a bit after the holidays, but January has been shockingly bad for me as well. Worst month in six years. Cancelled my exclusivity a few days ago.

I guess credit sales is pretty much history now, on all sites. Subs have ruined the industry, and credit sales will just be little bonuses from now on.

iStock has been so SLOW the past years when it comes to developing and improving the site, and even when it comes to fix bugs. So I don't have that much faith in them changing the situation. They don't even seem to have any plan to add instant reporting of sub sales.

Another worrying thing is that the search results at iStock is still only based on credit sales. How's that gonna work when we get almost no credit sales?? Seems a bit risky to base the search results on so few downloads.

stock-will-eat-itself · « **Reply #5 on:** January 31, 2015, 19:31 »

Search results not factoring subs sales is iS biggest problem.
SS search results appear to factor all sales data, as a consequence their search results look far more current.
New trends in image aesthetics will be missed by iS if they don't sort their database out.

fritz · « **Reply #6 on:** January 31, 2015, 19:47 »

In the year of 2525.

Petr Toman · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2015, 11:49 »

It will soon stabilize .... on zero ;]

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2015, 14:12 »

as the eagles say when hell freezes over.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #9 on:** February 01, 2015, 17:33 »

Quote from: Monkeyman on January 31, 2015, 19:00

I guess credit sales is pretty much history now, on all sites.

Not really. In January, my subscription sales at Shutterstock were 34% of my total earnings - meaning that 66% came from OD, SOD and ELs. It has been around 40% subs for quite a while now.

At some other agencies that got bitten by the "I want to be Shutterstock" bug, like Dreamstime, subscriptions ate into credit sales and reduced overall earnings (their level system notwithstanding).

SS started out as just subscriptions and has slowly and steadily been growing their non-subscription business. I'm not thrilled about subscriptions, but as part of an overall mix of sales, it can work. I am guessing that the growth of SS's non-subscription business has largely been at Getty's expense.

Edited to add that I looked back at Jan 2014 and Jan 2013 and the subs sales in each of of those and 2015 are all within $3 of each other, but in Jan 2013 subs were 54% of my total, Jan '14 44% and Jan '15 34% (I was back as an indie in Jan 2012, but was still ramping up; subs then were 57% of the total).

In other words, all the growth is coming from the non subscription sales.

Beppe Grillo · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2015, 07:48 »

iStock has stabilized a while ago…… (unfortunately)

Mantis · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2015, 08:55 »

Stable for me. Stable low. I made $160 on IS for three straight months, I mean within a few dollars each month. I used to make $500 a month there. This does not include Thinkstock sales which generally gets me $100-$120 more per month. Since they killed video commissions there is really no urgency (or excitement/motivation) to build more content for Istock. They are about last on my list to upload to and they used to be first. My how things change.

bunhill · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2015, 09:43 »

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on February 01, 2015, 17:33

At some other agencies that got bitten by the "I want to be Shutterstock" bug, like Dreamstime, subscriptions ate into credit sales and reduced overall earnings (their level system notwithstanding).

Tech investors currently love SaaS (Software as a Service) - stock subscription is more or less the same business. Recurring subscription can typically mean higher valuations even on potentially smaller revenues. Especially at the moment - because it's the current thing. Subs may well be about preparing Getty for an IPO exit if and when the market and the business are in sync.

Julied83 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2015, 09:49 »

It was stable, 6 years ago !

Monkeyman · « **Reply #14 on:** February 02, 2015, 16:02 »

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on February 01, 2015, 17:33

Quote from: Monkeyman on January 31, 2015, 19:00

I guess credit sales is pretty much history now, on all sites.

Not really. In January, my subscription sales at Shutterstock were 34% of my total earnings - meaning that 66% came from OD, SOD and ELs. It has been around 40% subs for quite a while now.

At some other agencies that got bitten by the "I want to be Shutterstock" bug, like Dreamstime, subscriptions ate into credit sales and reduced overall earnings (their level system notwithstanding).

SS started out as just subscriptions and has slowly and steadily been growing their non-subscription business. I'm not thrilled about subscriptions, but as part of an overall mix of sales, it can work. I am guessing that the growth of SS's non-subscription business has largely been at Getty's expense.

Edited to add that I looked back at Jan 2014 and Jan 2013 and the subs sales in each of of those and 2015 are all within $3 of each other, but in Jan 2013 subs were 54% of my total, Jan '14 44% and Jan '15 34% (I was back as an indie in Jan 2012, but was still ramping up; subs then were 57% of the total).

In other words, all the growth is coming from the non subscription sales.

That's pretty good news I suppose... I have been exclusive at iStock for almost five years so I haven't been able to follow the changes and development at other sites. It's with a feeling of both hope and fear that I'm now leaving exclusivity in February...

B8 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 09, 2015, 13:30 »

Quote from: Toopy on February 01, 2015, 11:49

It will soon stabilize .... on zero ;]

Good for those people who like round numbers I guess.

Difydave · « **Reply #16 on:** February 09, 2015, 14:17 »

I just hope it hasn't stabilised for me as it is now. Seriously it's like Christmas week sales.
All of last week, and today has made about one days money that used to be.
I just can't see subs making up for it.

NewStocker · « **Reply #17 on:** February 09, 2015, 15:28 »

Once they remove both the links to lightboxes, and ability to link in thumbnails of similar pictures to your image closeup pages, people who utilize these methods now as a viable sales channel for cross selling their images will probably perhaps see an additional 20% drop in regular sales. Then when the summer months hit, you can expect another ratchet down of 30% or so from where your sales are at in May. I think people stabilizing themselves on iStock will occur from a metallic clanging sound when gold crowns start hitting the pavement in amass.

Red Dove · « **Reply #18 on:** February 09, 2015, 17:43 »

STABLE: Firmly fixed or not likely to move or change

STABLE: A structure for housing dumb livestock

Both apply I think.

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Author Topic: When will iStock stabilize? (Read 4405 times)

Holmes

ShadySue

PeterChigmaroff

No Free Lunch

Monkeyman

stock-will-eat-itself

fritz

Petr Toman

etudiante_rapide

Jo Ann Snover

Beppe Grillo

Mantis

bunhill

Julied83

Monkeyman

B8

Difydave

NewStocker

Red Dove

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