It's too difficult on istock/getty to submit editorial they reject any I submit saying 'The information in the description field for this image is either too brief, unclear, or doesn't describe the scene successfully.' this is total rubbish what do they want - an essay? god it's like being bad at school.
They want far too much in the description which means a lot of work for little money or none if it doesn't sell. Why can't they realise that people won't want to do that? They want too much basically

I got a dataset payment this month 2025 so still going as for sales only get a handful a year with 30+ videos & music

Quote from: FHphotography on October 12, 2025, 16:52
Same huge drop here. I am from Europe. Where are you from? I try to understand if location plays the part? Ss is US company. Maybe they prefer that location.

I have a youtube channel & used to get paid $1000 per year at one point (I was getting 1000s of views per video & over 1.5m when one went viral) but it declined then stopped in 2018 when google changed the requirements for rev sharing. I only used a pocket digital cam with 720 HD to shoot the vids so they weren't bothered about quality. Since then I have a better camera for video & uploaded new content to YT but can no-longer get the viewing numbers still cannot qualify for payments on there. The decline in my YT channel was one reason why I got into microstock in the first place but this is now declining

Quote from: stocker2011 on October 11, 2025, 20:18
From what I can gather most are experiencing the same drop in royalties.

I used to think it was just pure incompetence by SS, but nowadays my thinking is shifting more towards shady business practices.

I did a temp job sorting Brussel sprouts last christmas in a factory but we were monitored & some idiot in the office said my eyesight was too bad to continue working there they thought it would be unsafe so only worked 2 days. What these greedy Management t'''s should realise that some contributors may be earning a living from this. I never did though cos I had my first MS sales on SS in 2020 when earnings were already in decline.
My last paid job was when I did a photoshoot promoting a health product - difference was that the I had to take the photo of myself holding the product. It's called a UGC job & the pay was poor but at least I didn't have to travel. I got the job from Backstage but clients can be so cheap on there

Quote from: Big Money on October 10, 2025, 14:36

Quote from: stocker2011 on October 09, 2025, 22:44
What's your source for the article, or was it written by AI ?

AFAIK the merger hasn't yet been finalized. Regardless, SS (and P5) sales have been steadily declining since 2020 so I don't think it could get much worse. And if iStock decides to reduce rates to 15% then they'll have to compensate by increasing our sales to make up it.

AI but I do agree with a lot of what was gathered. Sure some folks are making a killing on SS but for me it's dead. I used to reach $1,000 a month several years back but now less then $50 a month and I continue to upload and my skills are much better. Guess it's the new world and time to find new revenues sources.

I had a poor month in Sept on SS but it did pick up towards the end same with Oct.

Quote from: Big Money on October 09, 2025, 22:06
I've read the following on why Shutterstock sales are plummeting--

Since Shutterstock and Getty Images announced their merger in January 2025, many contributors have reported a significant drop in earnings from Shutterstock
. The decline is not the result of iStock acquiring Shutterstock (Getty acquired iStock in 2006) but rather a combination of industry changes amplified by the merger.
Why the merger is affecting your Shutterstock sales

    Worry over contributor payout rates: The merger has created concern that Getty, historically known for its low contributor payouts, will bring down Shutterstock's rates to match its own. Industry experts noted that Shutterstock's compensation structure was already moving closer to Getty's even before the official merger.
    Shift in sales priorities and visibility: According to online forums, some contributors believe that the merged company is now prioritizing sales from Getty's higher-margin exclusive content, making Shutterstock's general marketplace content less visible to buyers.
    Reduced competition and pricing pressure: The merger combines two of the largest stock image providers, reducing competition in the market. With less competition, the merged entity has greater control over pricing and contributor royalty rates, which analysts expect will lead to lower payouts over time.
    Focus on AI and cost-cutting: Both companies merged in part to address the threat from AI-generated content. The new entity plans to achieve $150 to $200 million in cost savings, which may include further reductions in contributor compensation.

Other factors contributing to declining microstock income

    Generative AI competition: Beyond the merger, the rise of powerful generative AI tools allows customers to create their own custom images cheaply and quickly. This has led to a major disruption in the low-end stock photography market, directly competing with the content that Shutterstock contributors produce.
    The 2020 royalty structure change: In 2020, Shutterstock changed its payment system to a tiered structure that resets every year. This has significantly lowered earnings for many contributors, especially for those in lower tiers who receive as little as $0.10 per subscription download.
    Market oversaturation: The stock photography market is more saturated than ever, with an enormous volume of content uploaded every day. This makes it more difficult for any single contributor's work to get noticed and licensed

I hate istockgetty it's simply not worth uploading to them for their paltry rates god knows why people upload there to feed them vultures. I'd sooner leave shutterstock if they follow suit & reduced rates even more why on earth have they combined anyway? Calling it professional microstock - it should be renamed professional mocrostock - they are making a mockery out ofd contributors and they should leave and take down their images en mass if they have any sense. As for the 'geeky' AI business few will benefit from it financially most regular folks will lose out. It's the wild west of the internet and without some kind of international agreement the future looks bleak except for a few greedy super geeks or their corporate paymasters..

used to be very quick but I've had photos on pending for 8 days yet some of the same batch were accepted strait away

Sales on ss for me were normal until september where they've suddenly stopped at only 2 DLs so far this month - way below normal & if that's stays the total for the month it will be the lowers monthly total for over 5 years not long after I started contributing there

But they should reduce the $100 payout min. then they'd get my trust. It's took me 5 years to get to nearly $28 meaning it'll take me nearly 15 more yrs to get a payout despite uploading regulally

I'm suprised Dreamstime hasn't been taken over because there was more than a 6 month gap between sales for me on there Depositphoto sales are much better espesially now

Quote from: cobalt on September 10, 2025, 10:06
I think it is also mostly a marketing attempt by new agencies to attract fresh buyers.

I mean, how else would they market themselves? Come to us, we have the same content like every one else, just a lot less??

So this whole "we have no stock stock" is usually just a branding schtick that tells you they have little content.

Has  VistaPrint taken over depositphotos?

Quote from: YadaYadaYada on December 14, 2023, 15:25
There is a tab for now to use legacy, we don't know how long that will stay. There's also a comment tab on top. Try the new and tell them what you think.

legacy's gone now which is sad & the Earnings summary tabs like 'on demand enhanced etc. no longer work. only shows subscription earnings. We have a saying in my part of the world 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'

Quote from: DiscreetDuck on December 27, 2024, 16:55

Quote from: TonyD on December 27, 2024, 11:11
I want to leave DT due to very few sales but I've only just over $26 in my balance. I've Uploaded videos which pay more but no sales. And the rate of sales hasn't increased at all even though I steadily increased my port to about 1500 photos & videos

Sorry, but your lifetime download per image is 0.03, mine is more than 6 for lifetime.
I never expected a fortune for snapshots, and I think I was right to be very selective, and hard working for the highest level I could produce.

DT was and is a very good company I like to contribute to.

What is 0.03 & 6?
DT is by far the worst in sales for me. Even Alexandre Rotenberg's reported poor sales on there. I've done much better on adobe SS & even Depositphotos & alamy with the same photos. Update: its now september & have only had 2 august sales on DT since january - way below normal

No, I've had an average of one DL per month since my first sale in Dec 2020 even though I used to upload regularly. I have just under 1500 images including 20 videos. I still upload vids because I was told it's the easiest way to get to the 100 dollar payout but no videos have sold (I'm currently on $27. More established contributors have earned more so there seems to be a real decline on there. I fear I'll never get to payout

Quote from: Deyan Georgiev Photography on February 26, 2024, 06:46

Quote from: Yakystockero on February 25, 2024, 23:51
"Dreamstime makes it extremely easy to upload." 
  extremely?? 

For me it is one of the most tedious to upload, so much so that I hardly upload anything there anymore.  2023 stopped selling me almost nothing, and in 2024 nothing. Port of almost 30k images.

+1

Yes, uploading 10 files is "extremely easy" anywhere, try 100, 1000 will cost you hours while same quantity are uploaded in Adobe in minutes. Dreamstime has a vintage submission system suitable for retired people who have all the time in the world.
Nevertheless it is sympathetic agency and I hope it will be around for many years.

I want to leave DT due to very few sales but I've only just over $26 in my balance. I've Uploaded videos which pay more but no sales. And the rate of sales hasn't increased at all even though I steadily increased my port to about 1500 photos & videos

RSM Subscription   Dec.01, 2024   -   Subscription Plan   $0.005   $0 (0%)   $0.005

Does anyone know how much this is on Depositphotos?

Quote from: KnowYourOnions on January 05, 2015, 19:41

Quote from: Semmick Photo on January 05, 2015, 19:21

Quote from: SSArtist on January 05, 2015, 10:56
I bet everyone involved in this business with SS would ask for a raise: contributors, employees, contractors, Oringer's cleaner...

Why don't we all ask for money from FaceBook, Whatsup, Twitter, Instagram...as we all helped their success at the end of the day?

I use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family, I use WhatsApp to chat with people, I use Twitter to promote my site, I use Instagram to showcase images. I use Shutterstock to SELL my intellectual property of which they take 75-70%. Big diff.

Hey, You don't need to use SS...It's purely your choice. 

Out of all agencies out there, I think these guys are not bad...and they appear the best sellers (because they put effort in it). They are not cheating and promising more than they say.
Our files are NOT just sitting on their servers forever like with other agencies (who promise more %), which I personally call a scam.

SS is actively selling our media files and probably with operational costs can not afford to pay us more. It's capitalism! AND Yes, it sucks!


p.s. +1 for a tiered raise.

apart from adobe i get very few sales from other agencies like DT & DP. as for alamy I recently I got a paltry 0.16c DL of which I only get 3c & they're not even microstock.

Hasn't been worth uploading to SS for ages now because new photos just aren't selling, I just get repeat DLs for the same old photos often for 10c but not all the time. adobe on the other hand has improved certainly this year since I could upload brand editorial. I got more money some months on AS than SS despite having less than half the number of images on there. Same I cannot earn more at this kind of thing because I cannot get a normal day job due to my eyesight problem. They even ignore my education I had in the past.

Quote from: Artist on December 02, 2024, 02:11
Past many years shutterstock has always been down compared to adobe.
SS used to be an amazing company or I can say the best microstock agency for me but their management became greedy and ruined everything.

Oh I wish I earned that but a recent month the amount I got on adobe was more that SS probably for the first time and with less than half the images than shutterstk. the number of DLs though are always more on SS than adobe

I've just joined model mayhem as an artist / model. god knows if it'll be any good but my photos are good

Some editorial photos got accepted strait away, even macro garden plant shots but other subjects like pets take up to 2 months.

Quote from: increasingdifficulty on August 12, 2016, 18:47

Quote from: PigsInSpace on August 12, 2016, 17:19
I'm amazed at the idea that you have successfully met someone on the street and convinced them you were a photographer and not an axe murderer.

Well, Norway is quite different from the US. 

Plenty of blondes in Norway I would think & makes up for the coid weather

Quote from: Shuttershock on October 07, 2024, 16:15
I wouldnt dream of hiring a model for microstock but do sell many photos of people. People I know or on the street. Elderly sell best for me, most over 100 times.....

That means there is a demand for mature models, amazing

I've signed my own model release for body part shots but I don't think I'd submit whole face to microstock

Quote from: PigsInSpace on August 12, 2016, 17:19
I'm amazed at the idea that you have successfully met someone on the street and convinced them you were a photographer and not an axe murderer.

A murderer wouldn't ask to take photos They would hide & take sneaky shots at a distance, that's what they do in movies anyway