I hate to be negative about someone's new project, but given the fact that this industry is paying less and less to the contributors I think that not many would spend $9 on a monthly subscription to boost their microstock business. Don't get me wrong the idea is good and I think you have the skills to be great at this. You should have done this years ago when the industry was blooming, because I think the only problem about this endeavour is the timing. Nevertheless I hope you'll succeed with this and it will help every subscriber upload more marketable content and eventually make more money.

First of all I want to thank you guys for starting this chat, I can't remember the last time the illustrators/vector artists had anything interesting going on on this forum. It was a good read. I am a veteran considering that I registered on Shutterstock in 2005 and so many things happened since then, but I was doing okay with my vector graphic designs and illustrations all this time until recently. My style is absolutely eclectic, I always tried to go with the flow and please what the market and ongoing trends demand. The changes in June 2020 at SS made me think that I should shift my focus from microstock towards other areas like POD sites. I love creating seamless patterns so now I am focusing on that too.

I've got the first adjustment as well since 2005. In my case it's -$23.69 this time. Who knows what the future holds though.

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 27, 2021, 22:08

Quote from: medveh on January 27, 2021, 21:14

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 27, 2021, 13:19

Quote from: medveh on January 26, 2021, 19:33

Quote from: LouisPhotos on January 26, 2021, 18:15
I am level 4 and the $$$ is not better. this is the reality of SS

1/18/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/19/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/20/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/22/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/23/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/24/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/25/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/26/21   –   –   –   –   –

Take care in case you want to work with them in the future. You are not allowed to show your earnings publicly, lots of contributors got warned a month ago by SS.

Lots of contributors? How come people are still posting earnings on the SS forums, and nothing is said about that. Who are these lots of people, can you name some or how you know this fact?

https://backyardsilver.com/shutterstock-enforcing-their-restriction-on-sharing-earnings/

Yes and? One guy on Youtube says he had his account uploading blocked, which was re-opened. The same guy was also blocked at Adobe, and re-opened. And everyone jumps into panic mode? You did read the page you linked to, right?

"Steven Heap
December 7, 2020 at 9:12 am   

I may have over-reacted"

"Steven Heap
December 24, 2020 at 3:47 pm   

It probably was a storm in a teacup, but I did think of that as an option (as well as Agency X...) I doubt if they are really that bothered. We will have to see!"

Notice how Steve is a reasonable guy and says maybe over reacted, wait and see.

So I'll ask again? Lots of contributors?

So far it's one and he never disclosed why, just posted his Youtube crying on his PAY site, where he got thousands of views as the link was spread around by people who took the troll bait and ran to the forums, spreading rumors. As a result the guy who started this is gaining new subscribers for his How To Make Money on Microstock site.

ps it's in the terms of our contract, that all the contributors have agreed to.

My point is about the frustration of embellished rumors and false claims and a bunch of "someone says" which then gets passed around and repeated, as if it's the truth. I think we all should be more cautious about checking before some troll post gets blown up into a warning alert.

Quote from: WD3 Photography on December 06, 2020, 10:21
I watched this video yesterday.

https://youtu.be/Dfqp9xD188A

"This video tells you about the outcome what can happen if you disclose your stock photography earnings publicly. Even sharing screenshots or writing about your earning in any post or blog is a violation of Shutterstock terms of service and will get your account banned!"

Has any also experienced account disabling for this reason?

A reasonable question, has anyone else? This started on Dec. 6th. Not one person came forward with a similar situation.

Beth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBWadhNrM0c

"How much money can you actually make as a stock contributor? I'm sharing a monthly income report of exactly how much I made selling my own stock photos and videos on Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Pond5 for the month of November 2020."

Hmm, she's not banned or blocked?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MCHUvtc_So  He's not banned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsS1L1hUJ9I He's not banned

Oh wait here's another one... The Teaching Doc  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVfPHIdBh1M

This video shows my total income from Stock Photography Earnings in September 2020.

Wait? He never removed the video that he claims was the cause of his account being locked?

Yeah I'm calling his BS and claims, because he isn't "banned" he's still on SS.

My plea is, before people report rumors as facts and say this has happened to lots of people, that they actually look and see what the facts are and blow off Youtube trolls like this guy. Don't feed him new customers. (which I probably just did, so now I'm guilty of doing what I'm trying to oppose.) 

Great, what can I say, I'm happy no one got banned for real for this reason. I'm sorry if anyone felt that my intention was to scare people. I was just trying to be helpful.

Quote from: Uncle Pete on January 27, 2021, 13:19

Quote from: medveh on January 26, 2021, 19:33

Quote from: LouisPhotos on January 26, 2021, 18:15
I am level 4 and the $$$ is not better. this is the reality of SS

1/18/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/19/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/20/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/22/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/23/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/24/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/25/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/26/21   –   –   –   –   –

Take care in case you want to work with them in the future. You are not allowed to show your earnings publicly, lots of contributors got warned a month ago by SS.

Lots of contributors? How come people are still posting earnings on the SS forums, and nothing is said about that. Who are these lots of people, can you name some or how you know this fact?

https://backyardsilver.com/shutterstock-enforcing-their-restriction-on-sharing-earnings/

Quote from: LouisPhotos on January 26, 2021, 18:15
I am level 4 and the $$$ is not better. this is the reality of SS

1/18/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/19/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/20/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/22/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/23/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/24/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/25/21   –   –   –   –   –
1/26/21   –   –   –   –   –

Take care in case you want to work with them in the future. You are not allowed to show your earnings publicly, lots of contributors got warned a month ago by SS.

2021 Creative Trends Report | Letter from the CEO

It is important to recognize that we are living in a world that is extraordinarily different to where we were one year ago. As I write this, we are still grappling with a polarizing COVID-19 pandemic, our democratic processes have been challenged like never before, and we have witnessed protests in over 150 U.S. cities, and more than 60 countries in the fight for racial justice and equality.

Despite this, our team was inspired by the ways communities came together in solidarity: from small businesses, to front-line heroes, all displaying resilience, kindness and creativity in the time of quarantine. As we look to 2021, there is an underlying feeling of hope.

Here, we present our 10th annual Creative Trends report for 2021. Shutterstock is home to more than 350 million images, over 20 million videos, as well as music, vectors, and illustrations. In the past year, I made the most of our extensive library to create cool video conferencing backgrounds, festive birthday cards, and engaging business presentations. And I'm not alone—millions of Shutterstock users globally search for images, videos and music tracks every day, and it's the keywords they use that allow us to uncover our top ten trend predictions, and what will define creative expression and innovation in the year ahead. These trends fall into five categories: Graphic, Photography, Footage, Music, and the Trend to Watch.

The future looks bold, bright, and breathtaking. We have seen the best of people at the very worst of times, and it is our hope that the themes of empathy, integrity and innovation that we have witnessed in 2020 continue to prevail in 2021. At Shutterstock, we believe that we are stronger together. We look forward to embarking on this next chapter with you.


Stan Pavlovsky
Chief Executive Officer
Shutterstock

https://content.shutterstock.com/creative-trends/

I don't know about you guys but I can't read this letter without feeling a strong irony in most of the sentences given the fact that in 2020 they didn't treat the contributors fairly at all to say the least... I'm usually a positive person and I try to find the brighter side of every situation, but feeling positive about this guy is kind of challenging.

The sad part is that I'm already at level 4 but doesn't seem to make a difference.

Quote from: Noedelhap on December 27, 2020, 22:25

Quote from: medveh on December 27, 2020, 21:43

Quote from: Noedelhap on December 26, 2020, 21:07
Use StockSubmitter, makes it very easy and time-saving to upload to multiple agencies at once.

How do you prepare your vector files for Stock Submitter? Do you embed keywords in EPS or JPG preview? How do they adapt your files to the different demands of the sites? Some of them wants them zipped some needs JPG preview separately some wants artboard size huge... so I wonder how can you upload vectors to multiple sites at once through a submitter app?

I often use 1200x1200 pt artboard size (which export as 5000x5000 JPG preview at 300 dpi). Simply keep the .eps and /jpg of the same name in 1 directory and StockSubmitter treats it as one file combo. The software allows you to embed, save, update and arrange keywords and other metadata to the accompanying JPG. After adding the metadata, you can upload each file to all agencies and then hit the Submit button. Stocksubmitter also zips files upon submission if the agency requires it. They also have specific options for certain agencies (even iStocks CV). It may take a day to get used to all the settings but once you get the hang of it, it saves you a ton of time.

I always export a 5000x5000 pixel JPG and that's suitable for all agencies. Shutterstock requires huge artboard size now but SS

Good to know, I thought it is more complicated but it all makes sense this way! Thanks!

Quote from: Noedelhap on December 26, 2020, 21:07
Use StockSubmitter, makes it very easy and time-saving to upload to multiple agencies at once.

How do you prepare your vector files for Stock Submitter? Do you embed keywords in EPS or JPG preview? How do they adapt your files to the different demands of the sites? Some of them wants them zipped some needs JPG preview separately some wants artboard size huge... so I wonder how can you upload vectors to multiple sites at once through a submitter app?

123RF or Dreamstime

Quote from: Pauws99 on June 13, 2020, 19:52

Quote from: pgkfleming on June 13, 2020, 19:32
I think it's possible to make more rather than less revenue from the new Shutterstock earnings structure.

It depends on the quantity of your image sales and what the portion is between subscription and on-demand/single & other.

James Wheeler posted a video about his calculations based on the new earnings structure https://youtu.be/UJT1RqMGHkY

Its possible I will win the lottery tonight and its a double rollover!!! Its not very likely but it doesn't mean a vanishingly small proportion wont achieve it. I don't think even SS are hiding the fact that overall the changes are designed to reduce overall payouts.

Unfortunately the calculations in this video are not what Shutterstock is giving us. According to this me, at level 5, should not have $0.10 downloads, but I do get them every day in a higher number than I expected. First week wasn't as bad for me as I thought it would because with big single sales my RPD was quite ok, but second week came with mostly subs and some ODs and it showed what the future might look like. With my regular download numbers my revenue dropped to around 40% of what it was before the new earnings structure. It was really disappointing to see this after 15 years of actively contributing to SS.

Good old days. 

Sometimes I don't understand what's wrong with people. I am curious too of the objective new RPD but I believe it's too early in the month to really see the new one and it would make more sense to calculate this after three months. I am willing to post my data later on so we can get more relevant information of our datas.

Quote from: LayerAce.com on May 21, 2020, 08:18
Hello,

I know most people here dont like freepik. I have my vectors there and didnt have any problems.
Also it is my biggest earning site.

Did not have any problems until now (probably).
They send their payments from 10 to 15th of the month.
I want to ask people who contribute to freepik.
Is it just me who did not received the payment yet?

People here don't like freepik at all, so don't expect too much on this forum.
You should check your billing information, maybe somebody changed your payment address, you wouldn't be the only one
https://taxcenter.freepikcompany.com/billing
Also check your last validated invoice, especially the payment email address part.
Contact support and write to this address also after you checked what I advised: [email protected]

You guys are like kids before Christmas 

April was good and May is a bit better than normal for me so far, I suppose it's because I adopted to Covid in time as well and managed to achieve good ranking with some files that still last. But the theory about companies downloading more while subscription lasts to "stock pile for the lean times" makes sense to me. Let's hope the upcoming recession won't hurt the microstock industry too bad and won't last too long.

A few years ago Inmagine group, which is the parent company of 123RF, bought the pixlr online photoshop like editor app. Nobody knew what for, it turns out that what they liked was the '500 million users and over 130 million app downloads' that pixlr might have. Now they're trying to build a Freepik style marketplace connected to pixlr. https://market.pixlr.com/ I'm pretty sure that's what they see the future in and probably most of 123rf's staff is working on kickstarting that new site. So I doubt they care too much about 123rf anymore, and that could also explain the infinitely long review times and basically all that there is.

I'm not a coder, I can't help you with that, but I know that there are several scripts that help to prepare files for Shutterstock's new requirements. I guess Shutterstock is the reason why you would want a script like that. But I don't really understand why would you automate grouping. That is not a task that can be the same for every design, so it makes no sense to automate it with a script. Sizing is easy for me at least, because usually I use an 800x800 artboard. All I need to do is select all and right click>Transform>Scale... There you type in 250% which creates a 2000x2000 design and in this case you don't need to align anything because everything remains centered. All you need is the script that I linked to resize the artboard. So I don't get why would you need more than that for Shutterstock.
For Adobe stock I use a more advanced script that can batch resize and save vector files and also export: https://mai-tools.com/stock-master-pro
Wish I could help you with coding though...

For resizing artboards in illustrator I use this script

https://github.com/mprewitt/AI-ResizeToArtBounds

I hope it helps!

Quote from: Peruphotoart on September 19, 2019, 17:20
... and the sales of my referrals have not reached me (although my colleagues I referred to are selling )
My question is the following:
is this normal? Do I have to send an email for the sales earnings for my referrals that do not reach me?

When did your referrals register to Shutterstock? You only receive your 4 cents for 2 years after their registration.

What I'd like to know is if there's anyone with vector graphics that sells well on alamy, is it worth uploading vector graphics at all?

I still don't understand why are vector artists always left behind?
With 300 vector uploads one should receive an Illustrator CC license code.
A photography plan is pretty useless for vector creators, even though we qualify...

Quote from: zsooofija on July 31, 2019, 21:48


https://www.vectorstock.com/account  UPDATE TAB  > Preview Watermarking [ ON / OFF ]

Thanks Zsofi I just enabled watermarking too. I rarely visit their site so I didn't even notice.

Actually what happened is that they are hiding the actual category views and are showing the search results of the keyword that the categories are named after. The first page of the category is an exception from this, I don't know how is that 1 page generated, but from the 2nd page on, for the popular view of any category, the 'See more...' button at the end of the first page of any category (popular view) is redirecting you to the 2nd page of the search results of the keyword that the categories are named after. I don't know how to describe it any better, hope it's not too complicated, but if you look at the links changing in the address bar it is pretty obvious.