I'm assuming Northern America and Europe but does anyone sell mostly to any other countries.

Here we go again, but I'll try to answer what I'm guessing you wanted to ask?

Depending on the month, most of my sales might be Europe or USA. Some months are 50/50 some are 80/20 USA vs rest of the world, sometimes 80/20 world and then USA is low. I don't see any pattern on more sales from any country or continent, that's always the same.

I can't predict what that will be when I get paid at the end of this month. That's where I see the data, on SS, when they list the payment and percentages USA or Other.

The Azors seem to produce many downloads?

Quote from: MysteryShot on April 09, 2019, 11:20

Quote from: cathyslife on April 08, 2019, 19:26

Quote from: MysteryShot on April 08, 2019, 18:41

I got an email from [email protected] wich is from March.22, landed in spam,

A potential buyer would like to purchase one of your files with exclusive rights SR-EL.

I have 72h to remove them from other agencies, well that would take more than 72h,

The image sells very well, dont know what to do.

Depends on how much they are willing to pay you for that.

The image is my bestseller across all agencies, i could easily re create if i choose to sell the rights, but im affraid no matter how similar i shoot another one, it would not sale as this one...

Im quite new to microstock so this numbers for EL $ are tempting 

I'd be a bit careful about shooting something too similar though. I'm not sure about the legality but thats not really in the spirit of exclusive rights and if I were the buyer I would be after you.

You mean I couldn't flip it, change the color balance and make the green into blue? Oh that's Shutterstock, how to make one image into 100 images. Nevermind. 

Yes I suppose depending on the content and how unique it is, making another after selling the rights would be against best practices and maybe legally wrong. Customer could come back for a refund and then damages.

Selling the rights would be up front and if the terms aren't enough compensation to offset the real future earnings, go with what the majority here has said. Don't do it.

Only the owner and artist can decide, "am I going to take a large lump sum, right now, or wait for maybe making many smaller sales over time"

Perhaps sometimes we do have to pick a side.
It is a matter of principle. And some possible bad res in the future.

 

Go ahead pick a side, I agree, the artists should have been paid or should be.

But I'm trying to look at the legal aspects, in which case, emotions and personal opinions are out. Is it that difficult or am I not explaining that part well? Mercedes can be morally wrong, ethically wrong and legally within the law. That's why this is such an interesting question and the results of the case will have extended legal ramification into the future.

what does it matter which sites pay more or not, its about taking another pay cut"!

Maybe for you? I just got a raise and removed everything from places that only paid 15-20% before.

I think what some people might be trying to point out is that Pond5 still pays double what most of the industry calls standard.

Yes you are right, they did cut commissions. Seems to be SOP for Microstock sites doesn't it.

Then we write messages on the forum, get indigestion, get angry and nothing changes. Next month someplace else will find another way to reduce our pay and keep more for the company. Nope, I don't like it, but I'm not going to dwell on a change that was announced March 21st by Pond5.

As I have said and others also, many times, if you don't like it, don't supply them. That's not just a nasty comment. I have removed all my files from close to 20 sites. I make selective uploads based on what sites I like or don't. Which means, I stopped uploading to IS just after ESP and Getty, and I'll take the pittance they send me monthly, but I won't send anything new.

We are not victims if we choose to upload or participate, on any sites. We have a choice?

My choice was stick with Pond5 video exclusive, and upload what I think will do best on SS and AS for photos, sometimes toss a bone to AL or DT. That's all. I didn't like the way the others treated me, or the low commission, I walked and took my work with me.

That's the only power and control we have. The choice where we allow our work to be sold. If more people did that, the little parasite and bottom feeding agencies wouldn't have the quality of materials and buyers would eventually migrate to the smaller number of better paying, good content sites.

Quote from: Uncle Pete on April 09, 2019, 12:46

Quote from: tickstock on April 09, 2019, 12:31

I was curious when you said they are great for collaboration and they get higher royalty rates.  The collaboration part looks very risky at best and I haven't seen any evidence of higher royalty rates so I'm sure it's not for me.  It looks a lot more like giving up control of your work and paying alot extra to save a couple minutes.

Besides giving up control of your work it's hard to see how paying someone nearly 20% to upload to a few sites you can do yourself would help the industry or contributors?

Interesting how this thread has taken a turn again from the original. I'm not sure that BB is a virtual agency anyway but assuming it's as close as we get, and allows partners, or group publishing, interesting.

No I'm not going to pay anyone 15% to distribute for me, and I don't want to grant a further percentage to new shares, based on their data work. At least you questions have brought out some interesting answers about the program and how it works.

Now... anyone doing this for stills? Are they? I can't find the site.

When I search, I'm reminded how I wish BB had picked a different name. 

If you want I'll keyword your shots and upload them to five sites and keep 30% and decide if you can take them down in the future.   "Dream big, work hard, make professional grade content, and the trust the Power of BlackBox tickstock."

ETA:  They need to edit their marketing too, there is an extra "the" in the sentence.

Unless the word is then? I don't know, I'm going to try to avoid anything more on this topic until the next round, when it changes costumes again. 

If someone can come up with a union, co-op, association or anything else, by any other name, that can stand up for the artists, maybe make for better treatment and of course, most of all, better percentages. They have my full support and best wishes. I'd love to see someone make that work.

I was curious when you said they are great for collaboration and they get higher royalty rates.  The collaboration part looks very risky at best and I haven't seen any evidence of higher royalty rates so I'm sure it's not for me.  It looks a lot more like giving up control of your work and paying alot extra to save a couple minutes.

Besides giving up control of your work it's hard to see how paying someone nearly 20% to upload to a few sites you can do yourself would help the industry or contributors?

Interesting how this thread has taken a turn again from the original. I'm not sure that BB is a virtual agency anyway but assuming it's as close as we get, and allows partners, or group publishing, interesting.

No I'm not going to pay anyone 15% to distribute for me, and I don't want to grant a further percentage to new shares, based on their data work. At least you questions have brought out some interesting answers about the program and how it works.

Now... anyone doing this for stills? Are they? I can't find the site.

When I search, I'm reminded how I wish BB had picked a different name. 

It's not applicable to video, only illustrations and photos.

But I get regular payouts from CreativeMarket which allows to set your own price and pays 70% on each sale, without any "exclusivity".

Following the logic of "supporting only high paying agencies" we should all move there then...

Oh yeah, thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to look.

Quote from: cathyslife on April 08, 2019, 19:26

Quote from: MysteryShot on April 08, 2019, 18:41

I got an email from [email protected] wich is from March.22, landed in spam,

A potential buyer would like to purchase one of your files with exclusive rights SR-EL.

I have 72h to remove them from other agencies, well that would take more than 72h,

The image sells very well, dont know what to do.

Depends on how much they are willing to pay you for that.

The image is my bestseller across all agencies, i could easily re create if i choose to sell the rights, but im affraid no matter how similar i shoot another one, it would not sale as this one...

Im quite new to microstock so this numbers for EL $ are tempting 

Not in the same situation myself, but I'd say, the offer would need to equal the earnings of the image for the next few years, before I'd do anything. Considering the downs of the Microstock market, maybe matching the past 3 years earnings, isn't so bad.

But if you are new, you don't know what that is.

I keep forgetting to say I'd sell rights as an option on DT. $67 for something that doesn't earn $50 every three years wouldn't be a bad deal.

Bird in the hand... 

I just tested it out. In my test of 2 images I think it is surprisingly decent. That is when compared to Google AutoML, Amazon Rekognition and Microsoft Azure. I've test the service of all 3 big tech firms within the last month for auto keywording. As others have pointed out, it is still not as good as a "knowledgable" human would do it. Back when stock photos was more profitable, like back in 2012, I use to send out keywording to be done in India. They speak English there and they wages were cheap, but I'd get questions all the time asking what things were in my photos. Sometimes they didn't understand the context because they didn't take the photo, and sometimes they didn't know what the objects were or didn't know the name in English.

Anyway, keep refining your software. It is only a matter of time before image recognition software is as good as a human.

More time than we would guess or what agencies and websites tend to promise.



These six are seen as similar. I had a rejection at another site for similar, when one was a BBQ chicken and the next image was a charcoal fire, similar color orange.  I'm not ready to pay AI to do something that has to be cross checked and corrected. Yes I realize it's not perfect, but making almost as much work as saved keyword collections, I'm not ready yet.

Interesting numbers and he's at all the right places.

That is really useful, thank you.

He has a lot of beautiful files, but these themes wouldn�t be my focus for moneymaking.

But many people love shooting what he does.

Surprised he is not adding video, that would probably give quite a boost.

I think video would be the natural move into the future.

i am not sure if i have right to send screenshot of my dashboard, you can see how many times i had this cut.
Also i talked about this with pond5 before. They say: it is our strategy...

So if I understand right, you have a clip priced at $99 and they negotiate a lower price, other than what you set it, lower. Which means their strategy is anyone who sets their own price is merely making a suggestion, Pond5 can sell for what they decide?

I don't know if they promised to sell for our prices, I haven't read, line by line, what the TOS says. Or if anything promises us that our set price will be the price? Interesting that you brought this up.

Of course:

From the POND5 CONTRIBUTOR AGREEMENT
"4. Special Terms for Video
I. If you do not enroll in the Exclusivity Program, notwithstanding section 3.b. above, you shall not set the price for an item of video Content that is higher than the lowest price for which the same (or substantially the same) Content item is offered by or on any Other Marketplace, and if we discover that the Content item is offered at a lower price by or on any Other Marketplace, we may change the price of your content in our marketplace."

Is also a possible answer. I'm not going to dig through the TOS and terms, someone will have to do that. But I'm just saying, they could have the option to alter prices and maybe they haven't promised that our set prices will be the final price. If they have, that would be a cause for concern. Also worded such that, if someone uploads some files exclusive and other similar from the same setup or shoot, P5 can discount, because the same is offered elsewhere for a lower price.

Nice,

I never had my own red-black X.

Ok, ego satisfied.

Let's see how sales will go.
Assuming this is the start of this new service, with minimum entrance,
guess that is the best chance for us newbies to be seen and sold.

*, i should have carried a tripod with me all those years.
Two external drives of handheld to comp!etely shaky footage.

Anyway, that's what I got for the time being.

Plus my big (actually tiny) red black X!

We get an X for being Exclusive? I didn't know that. I'm thinking of a name tag or shirt so I can impress friends. "Pond5 Exclusive Content Provider" they don't have to know, I did that, not the agency?