Your files are exclusive to istock, aren�t they? So getting a higher royalty should be expected. But why don�t you demand a royalty of say - 50% - for your exclusive content? The same rate stocksy is now paying out.

SS is paying a decent rate for non exclusive content.

Anyway this thread was about the TOS changes on SS that don�t affect you as an istock exclusive. For a debate on royalties, why not open a new thread?

I think it is great to finally see the results of selling direct. It doesn�t matter if it is with smugmug ,symbiostock,photo shelter etc...

The internet puts the customer at your fingertips.

On their website it still says 70 cents for the video downloads?

http://www.colourbox.com/account/supplier/import

Not that the 70 cents make it interesting to upload videos...on SS a video subscription sale can earn you 20 dollars or more.

But 20% for photos or single downloads is at least a normal baseline.

remember his "spin painting machine"?

http://www.damienhirst.com/texts1/series/spins

http://www.google.de/imgres?client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=2245&bih=1236&tbm=isch&tbnid=J_RS9ddZ6_tIoM:&imgrefurl=http://pinchukfund.org/en/news/3524/&docid=B5dYYrCu4MUOnM&imgurl=http://pinchukfund.org/upload/medialibrary/f68/spinmachine.jpg&w=330&h=219&ei=CPtJUpDRO5HAswaRhIHoDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=4&vpy=225&dur=85&hovh=175&hovw=264&tx=139&ty=59&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=204&start=0&ndsp=84&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:82

Just look at the text he writes to glorify what they do...definetly brilliant marketing man.

Aaaaah, the 3% agency, LOL. 20% is still a slap in the face. Then again, 20% beats 15%. 

Exactly

I�d say 20% is really the minimum for non exclusive content. And they pay in euros, so there is slight advantage in exchange rate if you want to change to dollars.

That makes sense Michael, thank you.

Can�t blame him for cashing in. After all the years of building it - well done!

1.2 Billion dollars. Would it be possible for Getty and partners to now get a foot in the door??

I am often bewildered by the prices on photography or art in general.

You have probably seen this sale:
http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2011/11/really-4-3-million-for-that-photo/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

You will need to work hard on your "following" as an artist, build a cult persona and name that people will be ready to pay for and that interests art buyers.

I am sure if you persist you will succeed, maybe not for millions, but enough to make a living. But it will involve a  lot of direct interaction with clients and doing sales.

this is what i really appreciate about the stock agencies - they handle the client and I just get the money. My work is emotionally easier than theirs, even if doing stock is a difficult challenge.

I wonder if all sales through Getty 360 are declared

I doubt they would ever deliberately not declare a sale. That it might happen because of all their software glitches, yes, that is possible. But to intentionally rig the software to avoid paying us? I don�t believe so. They have enough opportunities to lower our income in other ways...

But in general that is a risk you take with all the agencies.

It varies greatly from region to region. Im some areas 700 euros net a month can be enough, because rent in some part of Germany is incredibly low and you receive around 184-214 euros government bonus per child irrespective of your personal income until the child is 18 (sometimes until 25). So assume two parents two children, one parent working part time (maybe in a 300 euro job) the family income with child allowance would still be 700+300+184+184 = 1368 euros. And this income includes 6 weeks of paid holidays a year (minimum is 25 work days, add a few public holidays - 6 weeks). Medical insurance is covered by the employer and will usually include the family.

In a place like Munich it would probably be difficult to survive on less than 1200 net a month. But in Munich you will also get much higher salaries. So in some parts of Germany even 5-7 euros an hour an hour can feed you, in some parts you will need more than 10 euros.

And obviously you can qualify yourself and move up to a different position where you will earn more. the educational infrastructure is superb and there is lots of government sponsored programs to qualify yourself. Education is usually free anyway, you just need to buy books etc...and if you are really poor and on government welfare they will even cover that.

If you have family and friends in parts of the world that are not as rich as Germany you can never understand how people who live her can complain anyway. School is free, University is nearly free or costs maybe 1200 euros a year. Loads of opportunities to get trained and educated and young people can always find a job.

There are some poorer regions where life is a little harder, but...you can move...which is what obviously many people do. In south Germany the cities are helping companies organize job events in Spain or eastern Europe to attract more workers, because they can�t find them anymore.

Obviously there will always be people who have difficult times. But I would rather fall on hard times in Germany and deal with governement bureaucracy than anywhere else, except maybe for Sweden or Norway or Holland.

So to "demand" a minimum of 10 euros a month for any job, anywhere in the country, if you consider everything the German governemnt offers for free and that other people living in other places have to toil and save for, especially the costs of educating their children, I think it is quite an arrogant thing to do.

I am not against setting minimum wages by the way. But I believe it should be done locally and be specific to a certain trade. And in some areas and for some jobs, the minimum wage can probably be higher than 10 euros.

But of course, anyone can keep asking for more and I am sure if we had a minimum wage of 10 euros, they would then demand 20...

In Germany the communists are demanding a minimum wage of 10 euros an hour...

It is your decision to sell files for 15 cents. Don't offer them for that price if you don't want to.

But many artists specialize in creating content for high volume sites and do very well with it.

The beauty of he internet is that you can sell wherever and however you want. Noone standing in the way of your success.

There are many more artists selling stock today then ever before and especially for people living in second/third world countries it is an amazing way to make money and be indepdent from their local job market.

But an average of 18.75 is good. And like you say, they take a lot of content that is not typical for other sites.

I will make an effort, but the next 12 months I need to focus on the sites that promise faster returns.

stocksy is the most inspirational site I know. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it. Really great people and community vibe. All the things we remember from the "old istock."