I received the following email

Hello Daniel,

This is Montecatine, Account Manager in the Freepik company.

We are specialized in the production and distribution of all kinds of graphic resources and visual content, with one of the most extensive catalogues in the world.

I found your portfolio and I would like to make you a proposal. We have a new opportunity, and we�d like to offer you the chance to be one of the first to benefit from it.

We are excited about the potential of working with you as a PPD Video Contributor for Freepik. Below are some details about the payment model and onboarding process.

 What is the PPD model?

Pay per Download: You will earn revenue each time one of your videos is downloaded by a premium subscriber.

Non-Exclusive Agreement: Your videos will be available only to our paid subscribers as part of our premium subscription, but you�ll retain full rights to license your content elsewhere as this will be a non-exclusive partnership.

Earnings Estimate: While we cannot provide an estimate yet, we believe there is a strong revenue opportunity as Freepik only works with a small number of selected video contributors.

 Would you like to know more about this collaboration?

Then followed by this email a week later

Hi Daniel,

I hope you're doing well! I just wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding an exciting opportunity to become a Video Contributor on Freepik.

 As you may know, this is a brand-new and exclusive project that is currently not open to the public. If you choose to join, you'll be among the first contributors, which means significantly less competition and a greater chance to stand out and benefit from early exposure. There�s absolutely no cost to participate�just a chance to monetize your video portfolio and expand your reach.

 Would you be interested in giving it a try? I'd be happy to share more details if you're curious. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Anybody here contributing to this program?

They found my portfolio on Artlist. If I can earn as much as I do on Artlist, then I'm interested. But, would be happy to hear from actual contributors.

I can tell how worst ss is becoming... 50% drop in sales and 75-80% drop in earnings...
I doubted they are stealing some sales from contributors to cover their losses... I don't understand how all of sudden such reduce in sales and revenue when Adobe stock performing stable

The new unlimited only filter is significantly reducing the visibility of non-participating contributors which may explain a recent drop in sales. I�ve opted out while I�m monitoring sales. May was ok for me and if June is still fine I will continue to opt out. 

Pond5 is definitely not dead. We might also have a surprise dataset payout in September. I certainly hope so !

I'm hoping I'm safe from this as I haven't had an email from SS inviting me to Unlimited, and in my account settings I am opted into 4 things: Image Licensing, Video Licensing, Image Data Licensing, Video Data Licensing, and there are no other options.

Regarding TrustPilot reviews, this is not unique to SS. All stock agencies with free trials get a huge amount of negative reviews from people who never checked the terms and didn't cancel before the trial ran out.

This situation affects all contributors because Shutterstock now prioritizes content available through its Unlimited Download plan. This means that if a contributor isn't part of the plan, their content becomes much less discoverable, even to regular customers. Many occasional buyers may not realize that the default filter now shows only �unlimited videos/images,� so they might never see the work of contributors who are not participating.

In your case, it appears Shutterstock hasn�t given you the option to opt into the plan, which could put you at a disadvantage. Without that choice, your content is automatically excluded from what's displayed by default, preventing you from experimenting or making strategic decisions based on your results.

At least those who have been invited can try both approaches�opting in or opting out�to see which performs better. Therefore, not having that flexibility might be even less safe, regardless of whether someone ultimately supports the plan or not.

However, I wouldn�t worry too much because there�s a possibility that after this �pilot project� is completed, Shutterstock may decide to offer its entire library under the new Unlimited Download plan. This would make logical sense as the next step in their strategy to survive and capture that lucrative market.

You can opt out at any time.

The default unlimited filter in the search results is set permanently.

This means that those who opt out or are not included in that plan will experience reduced visibility to customers, which may result in fewer sales.

SS has just informed me that the unlimited download default filter is set permanently. However, they assured me that my content will still be available to their customers as usual. I must say, that�s somewhat reassuring (or not).

I asked if I could create another account to move my niche content there, and then opt back into the unlimited download option with my regular content. They stated that having two accounts is not allowed. Well, that settles that.

For now, I guess I will remain opted out.

My average for video sales on Istock is also $1.3.

I might remove all my videos and keep photos only.

I have opted out immediately to protect my niche content.

However, I'm still curious to hear from other video contributors who have stayed in. Are you happy so far?

The unlimited download model is mainly a strategy to compete with agencies like Storyblocks and Artlist in the video business.

Currently, the default filter for unlimited video downloads does not apply to photos.

This default filter is primarily detrimental to video contributors at the moment.

I've asked Shutterstock how long they plan to keep this default filter active. I don�t expect a clear answer; if I receive a response, it will likely be vague and unhelpful.

However, I understand that Shutterstock is in survival mode and must do everything they can to get through this challenging period.

The competitive landscape has significantly changed the last 8 years and their failure to adapt early may be their demise.

At the beginning, contributors held more power because there were fewer of them, and libraries were much smaller.

Over time, as the number of contributors and libraries increased, individual contributors became less significant in the eyes of agencies, as they became easily replaceable.

This dynamic is familiar across all commodities and stems from the principles of supply and demand. When supply exceeds demand, the individual producer becomes insignificant.

One way to counteract this issue is to improve both production and quality. This strategy also applies to other commodities. Increasing production and enhancing quality can address low prices.

For example, let's say that in 2021, a contributor needed to produce 100 clips per month to earn a specific amount of money. By 2025, to maintain that same income, the contributor might need to produce 200 clips per month while improving their work quality.

This principle is rooted in basic economics.

Producers often face the recurring question: "Is there anything else I could do with my time that would be more profitable?" If the answer is yes, then that contributor will likely shift to a more lucrative endeavor. If not, they may decide to continue with their current work.

No amount of complaining will change this reality.

Producing stock footage and photos fits well with my current lifestyle and work schedule, so I will continue this path for now. However, I recognize this could change, and I don�t feel bitter about it. I enjoy the process, which is also essential.

The key difference between stock content and other commodities is that the supply constantly increases. Stock content is not affected by weather or natural disasters. If every contributor stopped producing simultaneously, the existing supply would remain constant; it wouldn�t decrease because our content lasts indefinitely once created.

The most entrepreneurial among us will have the best chance to thrive as they adapt when necessary and focus their energy on the most rewarding opportunities.

There has been an abrupt change also affecting loads of camera photographers. It is all over the adobe forums and groups. Here an example from the public reddit group.

You see the same declines for camera content in many places.

This did not happen 8 weeks ago.

This situation must be incredibly frustrating, especially given its scale.

My content is quite niche, which may be why my rejection rates are low�there's simply less competition in Adobe's catalog in my area.

It appears that Adobe has implemented this new system because they were overwhelmed with submissions for content that is already well-represented in their library thanks to AI. As you've pointed out before, if we cannot upload new content, our sales will inevitably decline over time.

It's a really unfortunate situation.

I hope things improve soon for everyone.

Now we have to wait for what getty will do.

Are your hopeful Getty will be able to improve pond5 ?

The pond has been a bit dry lately.

According to the poll results and comments on the Pond5 forum, this experience is shared by many.