Another new topic. Hopefully that stays alive, because my two topics with Christmas and New Year wishes have been remover (Update: The New Years topic has been moved back    Update 2: Again removed!!      ) .
If someone from the management is reading along: I was just on a Dutch nature forum. The management thanked everyone there and wished everyone a nice day. They do that every year.

Well now my question.
I had a sale on December 23 of a close up of the flowers of ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) for 9.98 (level 4).  https://www.shutterstock.com/nl/image-photo/flowers-seed-heads-ragwort-jacobaea-vulgaris-1799221774  That was the highest amount I've received for a photo from Shutterstock (member for two years). I know from the Shutterstock forum that someone had received over $300, but she mainly photographed American celebrities and I mostly flowers, insects, nature and Dutch buildings, cities.
I'm curious what your highest sales figures are this year at Shutterstock. (Maybe I'm getting all depressed reading the answers  )

$1,000 Shutterstock Premium picture of Metropolitan Cathedral Mexico City

How long ago?

Last year.  Had one for $500 plus this year.

Yep.  When SS dropped their commissions on subscriptions to 10 cents was pretty discouraged.  Talked to a friend with a lot of years in stock because there was a movement to leave SS.  She told me what can you do and as to movement of photographers leaving SS, she said �good�. Less competition.

And then I started getting higher single sales.  So better to hang in there.

Yep.  When SS dropped their commissions on subscriptions to 10 cents was pretty discouraged.  Talked to a friend with a lot of years in stock because there was a movement to leave SS.  She told me what can you do and as to movement of photographers leaving SS, she said �good�. Less competition.

And then I started getting higher single sales.  So better to hang in there.

and not go "exclusive" any other other video or photo agency, what a scam that is......

Thank you Michael (too bad that the highest amount was in February, when you didn't have the highest level yet) and William. So there is still hope. I'll have to do my best next year (good intentions) 
Not fun for you level 6, but you're not alone.

Thank you Michael (too bad that the highest amount was in February, when you didn't have the highest level yet) and William. So there is still hope. I'll have to do my best next year (good intentions) 
Not fun for you level 6, but you're not alone.

True, not good for me at all but this is one more reason to leave all the content up there and many add more when I can.

Got $200 for a video. Not too shabby.

Thanks OM (I knew you had higher sales too) SpaceStockFootage and Dumc.

My highest this year: 72$, 66$, 64$, 48$ and plenty in the 15-25$ range (level 4)
My highest ever: 98$

Highest for video: 120$ (this month, level 2)

What a complete and totally useless topic and response. Share with us Dumc, how much would you have made pre-2018 before the SS slashed commissions? Are you an agent working for the SS? When you cuddle up to them do you thank them each time for being so generous? You have no idea how all of us collectively are delighted to learn your SS story and success. Just goes to show it doesn't matter how much the industry slashes commissions when you're a brilliant photographer and videographer. You'll still make 72$, 66$, 64$, 48$, 15-25$, 98$ and 120$.

Quote from: Dumc on December 26, 2021, 00:50

My highest this year: 72$, 66$, 64$, 48$ and plenty in the 15-25$ range (level 4)
My highest ever: 98$

Highest for video: 120$ (this month, level 2)

What a complete and totally useless topic

Well... what is a useless topic.... We have rightly talked countless times about the 10 cent earnings. I would like to know if higher payments still occur. Not with me until now. That doesn't seem like a strange question to me.

I don't understand your anger towards us. Of course I understand the anger about our pay cut from Shutterstock.

Nice to see a few are still making more than 10 cents for a photo and $1.70 for a video.....once in awhile but I think it's crystal clear, no one can make a living at this anymore.  Even if I got a $900 video sale on SS today, that's nice and it will help but it's a on-off.

The agencies are dealing out content wholesale to those trusted global partners around the world who remain anonymous for "privacy concerns", seriously?.   The agencies, like SS and P5 will tell you that it's a competitive market and we need to price lower and in the case of SS take a pay cut, true that there are way more photos and video files on these websites now and there is the free stuff and free sites but here's a question.....how are the agencies staying in business if sales are this slow?.

Answer:  Because they aren't slow.

Quote from: Dumc on December 26, 2021, 00:50

My highest this year: 72$, 66$, 64$, 48$ and plenty in the 15-25$ range (level 4)
My highest ever: 98$

Highest for video: 120$ (this month, level 2)

What a complete and totally useless topic and response. Share with us Dumc, how much would you have made pre-2018 before the SS slashed commissions? Are you an agent working for the SS? When you cuddle up to them do you thank them each time for being so generous? You have no idea how all of us collectively are delighted to learn your SS story and success. Just goes to show it doesn't matter how much the industry slashes commissions when you're a brilliant photographer and videographer. You'll still make 72$, 66$, 64$, 48$, 15-25$, 98$ and 120$.

I can only guess that you and Dumc have a history? If not that seems a bit over the top.

I wasn't going to respond to this thread at all because really it's no ones business but my own. However "all of us collectively" is not accurate and I just want to let you know that you are definitely not speaking for me. First though I want to make clear that I am not an agent of SS or any other agency for that matter. I'm neither a fan nor a hater of any of them. To me they're just a necessary means to an end and my emotional attachment to all or any of them is probably on par with their emotional attachment to me. I don't consider myself "brilliant" at anything, especially photography and video, and like you I'm also not thrilled with what's happening to the market right now.

That's why I am actually delighted to hear about Dumc's numbers. It shows that maybe just maybe there's a little more to be eeked out of this industry at least for a little while. That is while we're still in the transitional period of Shutterstock's move to subscription only. For myself all I will say is that my portfolio is tiny (887 images, 137 videos). So far this month on SS I've had 562 downloads for a total of $561.41. You can do the math but it's obviously similar to Dumc in that they are far from .10 downloads. It's also an average RPD which has been more or less consistent for me since the new earnings structure. Some months it's more. Some months it's less. It's actually the overall number of downloads that are down for me. Would I have made more before the cut? Perhaps, but it's impossible to tell for sure. Too many variables and moving parts right now. All I know is that to me the difference between 10 cents and 38 cents is negligible anyway, and always has been. It's the higher value sales that keep me in for now. Once those dry up completely with microstock it's all useless anyway.

So yes, good for you Dumc!