Shutterstock is a living dead agency. This january is a pain in the xss

With all these bad reports I'm hearing (myself included), I'd love to see their financials for 2025.

Two months and haven't hit $100 yet.

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on January 31, 2026, 17:01
Two months and haven't hit $100 yet.

I understand you use to be quite a big earner on Shutterstock?

Quote from: Pacesetter on January 31, 2026, 17:40

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on January 31, 2026, 17:01
Two months and haven't hit $100 yet.

I understand you use to be quite a big earner on Shutterstock?

The most I made was $2800 in a month.

I've managed to get to $220, helped by two or three larger sales, and this was a bit less than last January. I've got to Level 3 now - whoohoo!

Well I finished up on this miserable January with just $25.73. I have to go back to February 2021 to see a lower earnings result and that month for that time was also a disaster. My video count went from around 400 in early 2021 to 3350 by November 2025 when I stopped uploading videos to Shutterstock (and anything else for that matter as it's a waste of time now). I like the way Kuriouskat describes it on the previous page, "it feels as if the wheels have finally come off".   

January $10 says it all

Alamy $340
Adobe $120

Shittystock is now in the bottom league along with DT, & Depositphotos

Quote from: steheap on January 31, 2026, 21:31
I've managed to get to $220, helped by two or three larger sales, and this was a bit less than last January. I've got to Level 3 now - whoohoo!

Do you sell only photos or also videos on pond5? I saw in your nov or dec report that you made $100 on pond5 that month. Is that from photos alone? Would you say it's worthwhile uploading photos on pond5? I've only uploaded videos so far. I have about 1,000 quality photos that I could upload straightaway but only if it's worth it.

I suspect a real problem with Shutterstock's algorithm.

One of my visuals has been sold 492 times in two years on AS and not a single time on SS.

I ended up barely braking $1K, only because of the last-day subscription payment and a couple $100+ sales days during the last week.  The bulk of my January sales were "clip packs," and that has never happened before, so something changed there starting in 2026--at least for my portfolio.

I just think there is a nearly-finite number of stock footage clients (that is probably shrinking) and they've just shifted agencies for their video needs, probably over to Adobe Stock where I hit $4K for the first time ever there.  I do find that odd since on Adobe there are no editorial videos, so my portfolio there contains fewer items.

Jan 2026. My 17th year of Microstock

Shutterstock (Jan 2026)

Downloads -14% (compared to Jan 2025)
Earnings -17.5% (compared to Jan 2025)

Overall (no Istock)

Downloads -8.2% (compared to Jan 2025)
Earnings -10.3% (compared to Jan 2025)

Istock
Downloads +20.3% (compared to Jan 2025)

Shutterstock's loss has been partially offset by other agencies, but not entirely. I'm waiting for Istock's earnings in mid-February. I've had a lot of downloads, but their value remains to be seen. They're often insignificant.

Quote from: Thomas-Luc on February 01, 2026, 10:24
I suspect a real problem with Shutterstock's algorithm.

One of my visuals has been sold 492 times in two years on AS and not a single time on SS.

The algorithm is one of many problems over there.

Quote from: stocker2011 on February 01, 2026, 15:06

Quote from: Thomas-Luc on February 01, 2026, 10:24
I suspect a real problem with Shutterstock's algorithm.

One of my visuals has been sold 492 times in two years on AS and not a single time on SS.

The algorithm is one of many problems over there.

Of course, the earning, the lack of customers, the review time etc...

The problem with Shutterstock is crystal clear. Anyone can read about it (https://investor.shutterstock.com/news-releases/news-release-details/shutterstock-reports-third-quarter-2025-financial-results). And any potential investor will shy away when they see these figures, which Shutterstock also calls "financial highlights." The latest report available on the site shows the figures for the third quarter of 2025. Cathastrophy!

Just for your information: in 2010, after seven years, Shutterstock celebrated finally having 10 million files online. And all the figures were on the rise. The company was successful.

Later came the sale by the former owners and, with it, the new revenue structure. As a result, the stock climbed to $110 at the end of 2021. Today, we are at 537 million files. And at $16.75.

Quote from: Wilm on February 01, 2026, 21:40
The problem with Shutterstock is crystal clear. Anyone can read about it (https://investor.shutterstock.com/news-releases/news-release-details/shutterstock-reports-third-quarter-2025-financial-results). And any potential investor will shy away when they see these figures, which Shutterstock also calls "financial highlights." The latest report available on the site shows the figures for the third quarter of 2025. Cathastrophy!

Just for your information: in 2010, after seven years, Shutterstock celebrated finally having 10 million files online. And all the figures were on the rise. The company was successful.

Later came the sale by the former owners and, with it, the new revenue structure. As a result, the stock climbed to $110 at the end of 2021. Today, we are at 537 million files. And at $16.75.

Stan the new CEO needed to make his quotas, improve earnings and get his bonus. He did. We got screwed; he's gone. The whole reset, dime download commissions, that's all his work. The stockholders loved it, but the long term effect was a disaster. Nice work Mr. Ceo.

Quote from: stocker2011 on February 01, 2026, 15:06

Quote from: Thomas-Luc on February 01, 2026, 10:24
I suspect a real problem with Shutterstock's algorithm.

One of my visuals has been sold 492 times in two years on AS and not a single time on SS.

The algorithm is one of many problems over there.

You can hang on that blame the Algo rubbish. The company is disastrous, losing money, they are done with screwing us for every penny they could grab. It's not the algorithm. Time to rethink what's going on and see what's real. The stock value has adjusted to that reality, which has nothing at all to do with The Algo. They don't care about us or our sales or anyone as an individual.

Worst month since April 2019, offset by a doubling of sales on Adobe Stock.
Revenue was actually rising until December 2025.
It almost seems as if a good number of customers abandoned the platform at the end of the year and moved elsewhere.

QuoteDo you sell only photos or also videos on pond5? I saw in your nov or dec report that you made $100 on pond5 that month. Is that from photos alone? Would you say it's worthwhile uploading photos on pond5? I've only uploaded videos so far. I have about 1,000 quality photos that I could upload straightaway but only if it's worth it.

I looked back - the larger sales are almost always videos. Photos make a very small amount of the total.

Not just us this month. The shareholders are getting a beating today as well

Quote from: SimonSays on February 03, 2026, 18:35
Not just us this month. The shareholders are getting a beating today as well

Yes, but it doesn't show the relative loss from the big drop. Right now the price is hovering between $18 and $20 a share. The stock took a big dive last March and hasn't come back. Wait for the annual report. Or better yet, watch what happens if the merger doesn't go through.

"Getty Images has made an offer to Shutterstock in the form of shares as part of a merger agreement. Shutterstock shareholders can choose to receive either $28.80 per share in cash, or 13.67 shares of Getty Images, or a combination of 9.17 shares of Getty and $9.50 in cash for each Shutterstock share they own." A 1 billion dollar deal. Yet the price of the shares of SSTK are well below that offer. I don't see a lot of confidence in the merger, from investors.

GETY which is Getty is at $1.32 which would be $18 a share, if some took the all stock deal. That $28 a share will be very popular. The combination works out, right today, around $21.60 a share.

If the Getty and Shutterstock merge, will these two platforms merge under a single platform, or will each continue on their own platform? Is there an answer to this question?

I pretty much stopped uploading to both SS and Pond5. Continuing uploads at this point just feels like adding insult to injury. They decided that they don't need happy contributors anymore - perfectly fine, their choice, it was a great run at some point. Its time to move on now.

Quote from: Konstantin Sutyagin on February 04, 2026, 07:59
I pretty much stopped uploading to both SS and Pond5. Continuing uploads at this point just feels like adding insult to injury. They decided that they don't need happy contributors anymore - perfectly fine, their choice, it was a great run at some point. Its time to move on now.

You are absolutely right, we have gone far beyond the stage of contempt. Work and skill are no longer valued. Are customers absolutely happy with this new artificial modernity?

Quote from: sinandogan on February 04, 2026, 06:47
If the Getty and Shutterstock merge, will these two platforms merge under a single platform, or will each continue on their own platform? Is there an answer to this question?

Completely hypothetical but my guess is initially they will continue as separate platforms, then down the line istock will close SS and absorb all their content and then refresh the istock brand.

I sold today in Dubai, United Arab Emirates a [far from a snapshot] photo for 0.10$ 
Even a beggar in the street can feel better regarded