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Messages - Symbiostock Official
76
« on: October 05, 2015, 14:09 »
In September this year we emailed you to notify you of a promotion offer that would be running on Adobe Stock, and that your commission would be unaffected and remain the same as usual.
After this successful initial offering we have decided to promote a first month free offer to encourage new members to Adobe Stock, which will be running from today, October 5th until October 30th.
In addition we are also offering 120 free images to all MAX attendees, exposing your images to even more potential customers.
We wanted to inform you that regardless of this offer occurring, your commission will be unchanged and you will continue to generate royalties at the current rate.
Many thanks
Fotolia/Adobe Stock Team
77
« on: October 03, 2015, 04:49 »
You can read the full blog post here: http://www.symbiostock.org/migrations-support-requests-and-more/In a nutshell, we have now added support requests so you can get help quickly and directly from the Symbiostock team. There are nominal costs associated to these to be able to sustain server specific help and specialized coding. This also allows for migrations from legacy to be managed by the Symbiostock team. A couple of notes: 1) If we discover the bug you need help with is a bug in Symbiostock, you'll be refunded in full 2) If we implement something for you that ends up making it into the final Symbiostock build, you'll receive credit and a backlink to your site in our permanent changelog. Additionally, we are now going to always be buying our blog and email images from Symzio members or use in-house creations. Our budget will be $5 for each one time use purchase, so price accordingly if you want to be included.
78
« on: October 01, 2015, 18:04 »
More proof that independents are going to have to price competitively - this makes on demand purchases $6 an image.
79
« on: September 29, 2015, 00:27 »
DT is very slow in general. I don't think any conclusion can be derived from a lack of sales on a portfolio of 260 images. In other words, just keep taking more shots to earn more money.
80
« on: September 26, 2015, 08:46 »
Predictability is key - variance permits purchases here and there that may have nothing to do with the pricing. On the other hand, it may have everything to do with the pricing. Large scale experimentation, exactly like what you are doing, is what we need to contribute to the statistical database we have so we can make more accurate market analysis.
Based on what I've seen, most independents are pricing at over $20 for full size images, and getting few sales. There will, of course, be exceptions to that, but it is that knowledge that drives me to experiment with a new license model (one time use) at a much lower cost ($0.99 for a small, $4.99 for a full size).
81
« on: September 21, 2015, 23:04 »
I doubt that you are adressing the same customers.
So your one dollar sale on your own site does not replace a subs sale anywhere, but rather a more expensive on demand sale.
Comparing what you get to subscription royalties only makes sense if you are going after the same customers - and then you need to offer subs (and need to have a very large collection with constant updates, because that is what makes subscription buyers pay a large monthly amount).
That's partially true - however, SS's entire business model is based on the fat retained from the large number of subs most people fail to download. That means, without doubt, that a majority of the profit SS makes comes from all the money these customers are paying and not using. They aren't stupid either - they are aware that all that money is being wasted. Every month an assessment is likely made. This is the first angle where we have room as independents; if enough contributors provided low cost one-time licenses, it would provide an alternative to lots of subscribers that download 100-300 images a month out of the 750 they are allocated. Again, not tomorrow, but over time. Secondly, I believe there is a large untapped market - I believe this is the same market that Canva is targeting. They are small businesses and individuals. These are organizations that want low cost images, on demand, for one time uses in things such as online ads, blogs, and other primarily electronic uses. Symbiostock is also one of these organizations. Look at the Symbiostock blog - http://www.symbiostock.org/blog/Every 'stock' image there is used from free, public domain sources. However, we would prefer to be able to shop for and use specific images for each entry. But we're not going to pay an agency a monthly or hefty fee to do so, because our needs are sporadic. We're also not going to spend $20 an image because that is too high an opportunity cost for our needs. To understand how large this potential untapped market is, even a small example gives us large numbers: Like us, there are over 40 thousand other plugins on the WordPress platform. There are over 70 million users of these plugins - that means there are at least 70 million individual organizations or people actively running their own WordPress site. 70 million individuals actively running their own blog CMS. This is where $1 on demand sales for low resolution images has a huge potential market. Canva is proof of it. Their designs are primarily online based as far as I know - Facebook headers, that sort of stuff. Low res, low cost, on demand. They have increased their user base 10x in the span of two years. Symbiostock and Symzio are free - we can't make it any easier to get independents online. Install WordPress, download the plugin, upload images. If this solution existed prior to my joining Symbiostock, I'd be all over it. And I have no ulterior motives; if you want to host with us, host with us. If you don't, don't. My goal is to keep swelling our numbers so our combined footprint is larger.
82
« on: September 21, 2015, 15:53 »
I'm not going to explain it much further except in this way: you earn $0.25-$0.33 a sub sale right now. If you can steal even one of those daily sales and earn a dollar on it as an independent, you've made 3-4x the money on that one sale.
83
« on: September 21, 2015, 01:16 »
What we want to make is somewhat irrelevant to what the market dictates. My goal is not to make a one off here and there - I legitimately want to be able to live through independent sales.
Currently, with SS you can buy a 5 image RF pack for $49. You can get 750 images for $249. These are RF licenses.
Canva provides 1 image for $1. These are RM one time uses.
Picfair provides images that vary from 1 pound to 30 pounds. These are RM one time uses.
Assuming I get a set amount of sales at SS, and a majority of these are subscriptions, in the end I am making about 25-33 cents a sale. If I charge $2 and get the same amount, I'm netting about 6-8x the amount I am currently making.
And, these are not RF - if they are one time uses, I retain a lot more comfort in knowing I'm not giving everything away for such nominal amounts.
Let's recap:
Currently, a customer can buy RF, full resolution images from SS for $0.33/image on subscription, and $9.80 on demand.
They can buy one time use images from Canva/Picfair/Unknown from betwen $1 to $5.
In order to remain competitive, it simply does not make sense to sell independently at $20 an image, or $200 an image. By doing this, we are asserting that we always intend to remain on the fringes.
I don't have the illusion of competing in volume with SS tomorrow, but I hope to cut into that market in the future. So in planning for it now, I should price competitively. Yes?
84
« on: September 19, 2015, 22:53 »
85
« on: September 19, 2015, 22:37 »
I'm strongly considering switching my entire model from RF to RM in favor of well priced one-time-use sales. I think competing with the large agencies must come with innovation, and it's possible that reducing the price of each download while providing a more restrictive license may be the key to opening up the independent market.
I'm going to analyze it more, but over some time now it's been heading that way. If it does seem to be what works, we may consider planning the future Symzio search engine around that licensing model as well.
I'm considering a one-time-use license, and a more expensive extended RF license. Two choices, both full size, simplified and easy. If you just want it for one project, pay only a dollar or two and get it for that. If you want to put it on t-shirts for sale, pay more.
It also seems to be a more leveled set of pricing options. Right now, there aren't great opportunities for buyers. They are forced into expensive subscriptions or expensive on demands. This way, you are cornering two different markets.
86
« on: September 14, 2015, 01:14 »
 Symbiostock 2.0 has been released and improves on a variety of aspects of Symbiostock 1.0. It also includes the first (of many) networking feature, the Symzio Network Widget. This permits all independent sites to share results. The Widget is customizable, and here are some live examples of users already implementing them: Here and hereAs you can see, they provide highly relevant, instant results from across the tens of thousands of images already indexed. As Symbiostock is now quite large, all the features cannot be listed here. However, to sum it all up, it provides all the mechanisms necessary for microstock contributors to upload, keyword, and sell their images independently. Symbiostock PLUS takes this even further, providing full agency submissions, along with video hosting and agency submissions. For those of you that have not heard of Symbiostock before, it is a 100% free WordPress plugin that you can use to launch your own microstock store within a few minutes. If you are a new artist, or a legacy user, now is a great time to move to Symbiostock 2.0. For legacy Symbiostock users, we have a dedicated forum for the Importer/Exporter: http://www.symbiostock.org/forums/forum/plugins/symbiostock-importerexporter/And documentation that tells you exactly how to use it: http://www.symbiostock.org/docs/symbiostock-importerexporter/In addition, we have lots of community members who have now successfully imported portfolios thousands of images in size. One member wrote a blog that may be helpful for transitions: http://www.backyardsilver.com/2015/07/learning-points-from-creating-a-new-symbiostock-website/If you are a new user, all you need is a WordPress install. You upload everything directly through Symbiostock. As well as all of this, I am always lurking about the forums, trying to squash any bugs that may show up. I can't guarantee that I can provide personalized service on every install/migration, but I do my best. Also, our community is really positive - everyone tries to help everyone out, and any criticisms take the form of positive reinforcement with the mutual success of everyone as the goal. We aim to keep it that way. Any members that are unreasonably destructive are not going to receive assistance from me, and are less likely to get help from others in the community. That being said, we are well over 200+ strong. New members are joining the Symzio network on a daily basis. And more cool features are on their way. Here are some live samples: Videos on PLUSCustomized Symbiostock Express theme with custom watermark Large site with many categories hosted on PLUSCompletely localized to GermanAs you can see, they load fast, look beautiful, and provide an easy way for customers to buy stuff. 2.0 also introduces a 'simple checkout' optional feature which permits you to reduce the number of fields customers need to fill in to complete a purchase. If you have any questions or want to know more about Symbiostock and selling independently, just let me know. All members are welcome, new and old.
87
« on: September 13, 2015, 15:56 »
It's all a bit cryptic in the way they explain it, but it's relatively simple: When you receive an IPN, the software (in the case of Symbiostock, WooCommerce) confirms the IPN with PayPal via a secured URL. All PayPal is saying is that the security of this request is now being changed from 128 to 256. You don't have to change your IPN url, or put that in SSL. All that is required is that the server that is going to contact PayPal to confirm the IPN knows how to communicate via the 256 standard. Most servers will be okay with this. An easy way to test is to download and install this plugin: https://gist.github.com/mikejolley/0941e0882efcad64ea40It will tell you whether your server can negotiate it or not. I've tested it on a number of servers and they have all been successful.
88
« on: August 27, 2015, 10:48 »
We are slowly moving in that direction with Symbiostock. As the developers are contributors themselves, it is being undertaken as a gradual procession from complete dependence on agencies -> some independence -> more independence with networking -> more independence and a networked independent agency.
This way we get to test the waters every step of the way, have time to forge our footprint in the world wide web, and don't have to risk everything in doing so. So far, it's going great, and we're about to embark on step number 3 with the release of Symbiostock 2.0.
89
« on: August 19, 2015, 11:52 »
A Canon 5D2 is an excellent choice.
You can get a used one for approximately $1k, and you can get a brand new tamron 24-70 for approximately $800. Trust me - with those two, you can take some incredible shots just about anywhere. Indoor, outdoor, landscape. You can even take high quality video for stock footage.
The lens will not depreciate much, if any, over time, and the 5D2 is a proven machine.
90
« on: August 17, 2015, 11:28 »
If you are just asking about a camera and lens, I would suggest getting a used full frame from either Canon, Nikon or Sony, and buy a new Tamron 24-70 or a used 24-70 of the associated brand.
This will give you professional quality photographs (or at least the technical means of accomplishing professional photographs) and a ton of room. 24 on a full frame is nice and wide, and 70 zooms pretty nicely.
Lighting is your next big thing. The key is to light your subject while reducing shadows, which is generally accomplished with diffusing the light source, either through white diffusers or by reflection.
Good luck!
92
« on: August 03, 2015, 05:24 »
You get unlimited submissions to unlimited agencies via our Symbiostock PLUS service. The only thing you pay for is how much disk space you need. However, if you have no intention of also launching an independent media store, you could upload files, distribute them, and use it exclusively as a distribution service for your stuff to keep your monthly cost low. One added benefit is you can edit metadata right in WordPress, and with Symbiostock 2.0 coming out soon, it has a number of upgrades implemented to the quick edit screen so you can quickly keyword everything. Price starts at $5 for 5gb. Any questions about it, shoot them over.
93
« on: July 27, 2015, 13:31 »
I'm also a Sony user. My first experience with Sony's support/repair vendor Precision Camera is that they're absolutely incompetent. Not sure how their new Pro support is but I'm considering it. Sony really needs to check into this company or get a different support partner.
I thankfully haven't had to use Nikon support. I recently sent a Canon camera in for repair and it got lost. Not sure who to blame. Post office can't find it and Canon said they have no record of it. Either way, not good.
Sony support here in Australia is horrific. I have concluded that Sony's R&D department is segregated from their customer support because they seem to make products that I just can't say no to.
94
« on: July 27, 2015, 11:39 »
As I'm sure I'm one of the few Sony users here, you should consider the Sony A99. Very cost effective, beautiful device, light as hell, full frame, and you have access to the myriad of Minolta lenses which are both inexpensive and on par with the high end Canons.
95
« on: July 21, 2015, 13:16 »
If you're a subscriber to our newsletter then you'll receive notice of this soon enough. For the rest of you, here's some awesome news. We're going to be releasing previews regarding some of the big upgrades to Symbiostock via our blog and forums. The first big thing we're introducing is the much anticipated Symzio networking features, starting with the Symzio Network Widget. This is a customizable widget that you can add anywhere on your Symbiostock site, exactly like any other WordPress widget. As well, you can use shortcodes to embed it in any post. This will deliver relevant images from across the thousands of images within the Symbiostock network. It is the first of the networking features that aims to connect Symbiostock users in quick, sleek and relevant manners to maximize collective sales. For more information as well as image previews, check out our blog post on it: http://www.symbiostock.org/symzio-network-widget-preview/More big feature previews will be posted over the next little while, so keep checking our blog and forums!
96
« on: July 19, 2015, 12:36 »
Great site, personal in nature. I'm able to download 800x800 copies of your images without watermarks from your site - is that intended? An easy solution would be to manually watermark your images before uploading if not. Generally, right click disabling is not very reliable and as your images are labelled sequentially, it wouldn't be difficult to mine your media.
It's tough because security is never easy to anticipate or plan for, especially when you're legitimately trying to get a site up. I would also agree - try to integrate a way for people to purchase and checkout without extra steps to maximize sales.
Robin
97
« on: July 18, 2015, 01:39 »
To me, the best way to proceed is to forge our own part of the industry and in essence compete in order to legitimately even out the playing field. I strongly believe this can be achieved through independent sales where contributors work together to efficiently boost each others' exposure.
For example - my independent site was launched solely for the demo of Symbiostock - I didn't even put up all my images and still have not yet launched it due to the amount of work I am putting into the project. Despite this, I have had a Brazilian agriculture company purchase a food image from me, buyout license, for $150.
Aside from PayPal fees and other nominal costs, this is a substantial bunch of revenue. Further to that, I know exactly who purchased my image, and can even find out where it is being used.
The best way, in my opinion, to deal with a marketplace you don't agree with is to either leave it or change it through competitive innovation.
98
« on: July 08, 2015, 02:30 »
What I want to achieve is to be able to automatically give a location to all the images (through reverse geocoding) so the user can search all images in France, o all images of people in Paris, in all images of lighthouses in Normandy, etc That is a really good idea - I will look into adding this to our feature list. Perhaps it can be coupled with a Google maps box so people can see the location in realtime, even satellite. So is it compatible for example with the plugin Relevanssi? There are very few, if any, plugins I've seen that do not work with Symbiostock and WooCommerce. Symbiostock was developed specifically to not override any of WooCommerce's base files so that it reduces the chances of conflict. A quick search reveals: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/woocommerce-productsWhich suggests that it is compatible with WooCommerce's search. No viedo yet? Is it something planned in future development? Development is nearly complete and is in the final testing phase. Based on the technical restrictions involved in processing videos multiple gigs in size, specialized hardware and software is required. Accordingly, for now, it will only be available on our PLUS servers. One cool feature is that you will be able to distribute videos to agencies through our PLUS service, meaning you only upload your video once and can distribute it as many times as you want to as many agencies as you want. This reduces the lengthy time it takes to submit videos and also removes the stress involved in incorrect rejections (you resubmit it with the click of a button). It also watermarks the video and creates a demo for customers to see and also creates multiple thumbnails so you can choose which image to use etc. Again, is it something planned? This is not a planned feature as we are also going to be releasing networking options that will link and showcase images from across the Symbiostock network of sites together for increased exposure and sales. As this serves to aggregate multiple artists together, it would be a different direction to make Symbiostock serve multiple artists within one site with separate billing. Although, it may be possible to have a WooCommerce plugin achieve this for you, we aren't planning on doing this.
99
« on: July 07, 2015, 23:49 »
As for theme, since Symbiostock runs off Woocommerce, you can start with a Woocommerce theme and work it out any way you want instead of starting from scratch. One huge benefit of the way Symbiostock works with WooCommerce is you can use any woocommerce plugin or theme to enhance your site.
For example, we have integrated a VAT EU tax plugin in our PLUS service so contributors who need to collect EU tax can use it. With fully proprietary software, you would have to ask the developer to create something for you if it isn't already available.
100
« on: July 07, 2015, 23:44 »
Hey Stepunk, I'm the Symbiostock rep here on MSG, so I'll try to answer your questions as best as possible. Symbiostock offers: 1) FTP Support 2) EXIF/IPTC data reading and writing 3) Does not yet provide GPS support, but let me know how you would like to use it and we can look into adding it. 4) Images are protected in a secured directory 5) Internal search includes tag searching, but other than that uses the default wordpress search (however this can be altered with third party plugins) 6) You can create an unlimited number of licenses, bulk change them, bulk change prices, bulk apply licenses based on media type. 7) Support for model/property releases as well as exclusivity 8 ) Supports images and vectors. 9) Currently no option to have multiple photographers to pay separately. Additionally: 10) Personalize watermark, change it anytime, automatic thumbnail regeneration 11) GD and Imagick support: If your server does not currently have imagick installed, you can still use Symbiostock with the base built in PHP image functions. 12) Extensive documentation and community support. And, if you use our hosting PLUS service: 13) Automatic agency submissions (you just upload your files and they will automatically be distributed to all added agencies). This, along with metadata writing makes PLUS a one-stop solution for hosting your own store, keywording your media, and uploading it to agencies. --------------- There are some polarized opinions on the different pieces of software, so what I would recommend you do is install each one and give it a try to compare features. I personally, as a contributor, find Symbiostock to be the most featured, expandable and easy to use for my needs. But as all three are free WordPress plugins, you should try them out and maybe ask questions while you compare them. You can try out Symbiostock for free with our PLUS service just to get a feel for it. Let me know if you have any other questions or feature requests.
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