Author Topic: Shutterstock is an embarassment (Read 90961 times)

Wilm · « **Reply #275 on:** June 21, 2024, 18:26 »

Quote from: Brasilnut on June 21, 2024, 12:43

But there will come a point when it's absolutely not viable anymore. Perhaps if I'm earning just $50 from 15,000 images and 4,000 clips at Shutterstock on any given month it's really time to never upload again. I wouldn't close the account because at that point it's 100% passive.

Let's not kid ourselves, Alexandre: the day will come. And it won't be long now.

There was a time when microstock was really fun.

A few years ago, I said that I would quit Microstock if the monthly income fell below 1,000 euros.

The time has since come. I'm still involved, but my productivity has dropped to almost zero.

It also no longer makes sense as long as the legalities between AI and copyright have not been clarified.

Nevertheless, the microstock period also had its good side: money is still coming in. Less, much less, than before. But also without work.

Pacesetter · « **Reply #276 on:** June 22, 2024, 03:27 »

Last two days of the week:

Thursday 1 sale for 10 cents
Friday zero sales

All this place can achieve on two weekdays is an average of 5 cents a day with 2500+ videos and 1700+ images.

And it's not like my content doesn't sell. I regularly sell over 70 videos a month on iStock as well as about the same in images and sell a good amount of photos and videos on Adobe Stock (which currently has 220% more earnings this month than Shutterstock), and even doing kinda okay on Pond5.

Last year, whenever I had a couple of low consecutive days it was almost certain it would be followed with a high-price video sale. But those sales have vanished this year. Maybe those sales are still happening but I'm not seeing them.

blvdone · « **Reply #277 on:** June 22, 2024, 07:13 »

Yesterday, I only made 10 cents on a Friday. Wow. This never happened on a weekday. I want to be making $300/hr of work like some guys do on Shutterstock. I think many Shutterstock subscribers left and joined Adobe Stock subscription for much larger collection of AI generated photos.

DaLiu · « **Reply #278 on:** June 22, 2024, 07:33 »

For me SS is going better and better, last month was the BME for income and downloads.

Over 4 digits income this month and still one week left to go.

Wilm · « **Reply #279 on:** June 22, 2024, 11:53 »

Quote from: DaLiu on June 22, 2024, 07:33

For me SS is going better and better, last month was the BME for income and downloads.

Over 4 digits income this month and still one week left to go.

Congrats! Well deserved!

danielstassen · « **Reply #280 on:** June 22, 2024, 21:32 »

Quote from: DaLiu on June 22, 2024, 07:33

For me SS is going better and better, last month was the BME for income and downloads.

Over 4 digits income this month and still one week left to go.

For me, Shutterstock is the best platform for video earning compared to Adobe Stock and Pond5.

trucic · « **Reply #281 on:** June 23, 2024, 03:55 »

… Shutterstock really was the best and still sells after years of no uploading…

gnirtS · « **Reply #282 on:** June 24, 2024, 16:37 »

Quote from: Uncle Pete on June 21, 2024, 11:27

I tend to think that a couple hundred images and videos ago, SS decided, they didn't really need new content, just pay pennies for the old. And if people leave, what does SS care, they have hundreds of millions of images already.

Id agree but also add SS seems to be transitioning itself to a big-data company not a media stock agency. Its got the vast database of images, videos complete with descriptions and keywords. They see the money in offering subsections of that as datasets for AI training and production.
They dont really NEED any more content so will be happy to slow or stop it at some point once the transition is complete.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #283 on:** June 25, 2024, 12:04 »

Quote from: gnirtS on June 24, 2024, 16:37

Quote from: Uncle Pete on June 21, 2024, 11:27
I tend to think that a couple hundred images and videos ago, SS decided, they didn't really need new content, just pay pennies for the old. And if people leave, what does SS care, they have hundreds of millions of images already.

Id agree but also add SS seems to be transitioning itself to a big-data company not a media stock agency. Its got the vast database of images, videos complete with descriptions and keywords. They see the money in offering subsections of that as datasets for AI training and production.
They dont really NEED any more content so will be happy to slow or stop it at some point once the transition is complete.

I think you're right. Also remember when the story was subscription model, how people paid and didn't use all their allotted image downloads. Maybe it's just me, but I get almost no Subs anymore. They list as Single and Other, as if everything is being sold with some new system.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #284 on:** June 27, 2024, 10:05 »

On track to make less $$$ than I did my first month in 2013. The lowest in 11 years.

Good job, SS!

RalfLiebhold · « **Reply #285 on:** June 28, 2024, 13:10 »

A nice surprise this morning at Shutterstock. My highest image sale ever.
It's an editorial photo from the 50s with 2 American celebrities.

yuriy · « **Reply #286 on:** June 28, 2024, 17:41 »

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on June 28, 2024, 13:10

A nice surprise this morning at Shutterstock. My highest image sale ever.
It's an editorial photo from the 50s with 2 American celebrities.

congrats, i can tell you've been at this a long time

Pacesetter · « **Reply #287 on:** June 28, 2024, 18:30 »

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on June 28, 2024, 13:10

A nice surprise this morning at Shutterstock. My highest image sale ever.
It's an editorial photo from the 50s with 2 American celebrities.

Congratulations! When I was looking earlier on my phone with my aging eyes, I mistakenly saw the 5 as a $ and thought yeah $44 not bad. Didn't realise it was a $544 sale!

zeljkok · « **Reply #288 on:** June 28, 2024, 22:19 »

Congratulations from me as well

Although I am increasingly more and more frustrated by SS like everyone else, things like this are still possible over there. We all rightfully glorify Adobe but I haven't heard of anyone making 3-digit sale on Adobe. Unless you count these 5 bucks a pop free royalties that reach 3-digit net payout once a year for many. Correct me if I am wrong.

cobalt · « **Reply #289 on:** June 29, 2024, 00:20 »

Congrats on the sale!! Makes me miss my port …;)

jar · « **Reply #290 on:** June 29, 2024, 01:05 »

ss monthly earnings are a joke, -90% over the last 2 years

synthetick · « **Reply #291 on:** July 01, 2024, 03:56 »

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on June 28, 2024, 13:10

A nice surprise this morning at Shutterstock. My highest image sale ever.
It's an editorial photo from the 50s with 2 American celebrities.

Congrats!!

Injustice for all · « **Reply #292 on:** July 01, 2024, 06:17 »

Amazing one Ralf,congrats!

synthetick · « **Reply #293 on:** July 03, 2024, 05:19 »

I came across this Contributor Strategy video via the SS dashboard: https://vimeo.com/961199114?share=copy

Pacesetter · « **Reply #294 on:** July 05, 2024, 20:04 »

Could not have foreseen such poor results with a grand total of $2.30 for the week. But even Adobe Stock has fallen to well under half usual weekly earnings this past week with the lowest since January which is typically very slow (trend line 1 Jan to 6 July attached).

It's the start of the new financial year here in Australia so might have something to do with it but even Shutterstock was doing a whole lot better in July 2023.

zeljkok · « **Reply #295 on:** July 06, 2024, 00:37 »

Some of it might be slowing down because of start of summer season, as well as 1st week of July has 2 major holidays in US/Canada (Canada Day July 1st, 4th of July in US) & many people just take whole week off and go somewhere.

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #296 on:** July 07, 2024, 12:05 »

June 2024 was my worst month on SS since August 2009, a few months after I started. Of course I stopped submitting there when they changed the system in 2020 so that doesn't help. Every time I think I should just go ahead and submit my already processed and key worded images to them it just isn't worth the bother for 10 cents a pop.

Asthebelltolls · « **Reply #297 on:** July 08, 2024, 10:42 »

Quote from: sgoodwin4813 on July 07, 2024, 12:05

June 2024 was my worst month on SS since August 2009, a few months after I started. Of course I stopped submitting there when they changed the system in 2020 so that doesn't help. Every time I think I should just go ahead and submit my already processed and key worded images to them it just isn't worth the bother for 10 cents a pop.

You and I share similar experiences and game plan. I'll keep my hard earned images with the SS and collect my pennies but they're not going to get another submission until they return to the original minimum compensation of $0.35 I "enjoyed" in 2009 when I first started submitting to them. If everyone adopts the same strategy it'll force their hand. The SS and other agencies will have to listen to all of those who have worked so hard building their portfolios.

sofijab · « **Reply #298 on:** July 08, 2024, 12:34 »

Same with me.June was my worst month on Shutterstock.

Anyone get paid from Shutterstock yet?

Micha91 · « **Reply #299 on:** July 08, 2024, 13:02 »

I see that the issue is widespread. I haven't had it this bad since June and now July for the past 9 years, even though I've been uploading to Shutterstock since 2014. Back then, my portfolio was a fraction of what it is now, and uploading new content didn't feel like throwing it straight into the trash. I've also noticed that very few subscriptions are selling; only on-demand images are moving.

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Author Topic: Shutterstock is an embarassment (Read 90961 times)

Wilm

Pacesetter

blvdone

DaLiu

Wilm

danielstassen

trucic

gnirtS

Uncle Pete

Sean Locke Photography

RalfLiebhold

yuriy

Pacesetter

zeljkok

cobalt

jar

synthetick

Injustice for all

synthetick

Pacesetter

zeljkok

sgoodwin4813

Asthebelltolls

sofijab

Micha91

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