Was going to say this is a hypothetical but the way things are heading it might not be too far off.

So you once made hundreds or thousands of dollars each month on Shutterstock but now making $100 a month is an exceptionally good month.

Yet Shutterstock still reports huge profits - by far the main coming from its data licensing program and AI generations. You can opt out but can you really trust that?

What will you do with your portfolio?

1) Nothing, will continue to upload like I've always done.

2) Keep it up but no longer upload.

3) Disable the port.

4) Close the account.



 

   

1. (Because I have a lot of vertical videos and they have just started accepting them, so I'm going to see if that will lift my sales there back up a bit.)

1) upload more. I've double my monthly uploads.

I stopped uploading about a year ago because their "ai" sucked at "analyzing" photos, and would spend hours uploading only to have it automatically reject a bunch of stuff. Then, of course - there was also the dishonest tactic (among others) of selling people's data first, THEN saying "oh now you can opt out!". They also didn't honor if you said no, you didn't want the money - you wanted your data (their response was 'oops SORREeee!') so obviously totally 100% dishonest tactic.

Outside of the stopped uploading, you're batting 1000 on the situation.

But the question was what do I do, now that SS earnings in a month or two are about the same as I used to make in a week.

1. I already did the work, I have new images now and then. Keeping them on my computer only hurts me, SS couldn't care less. I'd only hurt myself by not uploading or by closing my account.

For some time I've been toying with idea of keeping only Alamy and Adobe and closing all other accounts, including SS.  This is an interesting dilemma, and I don't think there is straight cut answer that applies equally to everyone. 

I will keep uploading to all agencies I have sign up. Since I do it part time and it's a hobby, see no reason deleting my accounts. I've deleted only with Getty, as they has stupid policy. But will keep with the rest.

But for full time stock photographers, probably that's different thing.

1. Might as well try to squeeze the last remaining drop of earnings in this otherwise dying industry

I do think the same. But well, sometimes, not so bad surprises can happen, I just got 150� for an exclusive licence of an old image.
Btw, I think we must convert earnings anytime we can, because a closing stock site can make good money by closing and keeping contributor royalties... Honesty and loyalty are distant memories.

1) $100 a month that will gradually increase, decrease or stay about the same... depending on the amount of new content uploaded

2) $100 a month that will gradually decrease every month until it's more or less zero

3) $0 a month

4) $0 a month

I'll go with option 1 please!

2,but maybe 3 or 4 soon:
if you like to go skating on the thin ice don't be surprised when a crack in the ice appears under your feet,and you slip into it as you claw the thin ice.

Quote from: Injustice for all on March 12, 2024, 18:36

2,but maybe 3 or 4 soon:
if you like to go skating on the thin ice don't be surprised when a crack in the ice appears under your feet,and you slip into it as you claw the thin ice.

Sure, but you get paid for being on that thin ice, no matter how small that amount may be... and the result of voluntarily giving up skating is exactly the same as falling through the ice. I.e. no more money.

I don't agree,I give up skating on thin ice,I need concrete things,but I understand your point of view,but I don't agree with it,a better microstock future starts with us,I no longer want to continue playing the hamster in the wheel,to get some seeds in exchange.

if we all support serious agencies,microstock would be a better place,continuing to give content to these agencies that clearly exploit us goes against our own interests in the long term.

But obviously this is a discussion that almost nobody is interested in,most people only think about taking everything they can wherever possible,I understand it,but I don't agree with it.

for the moment I left my port parked on SS because in some way perhaps I was hoping for a better change,a restoration of royalties,or that they would start accepting AI content,but now I have reached the point of phase 3 port disabling,and then after maybe phase 4 will follow some time,but in any case it is not necessary,I will leave my port disabled,you never know,miracles sometimes happen!

If I still had a port on ss, i would just leave the port there and maybe upload less if i didn't like the returns. or just upload the weaker files from a series, sort of a "teaser" and if someone wants the full series they can look at pond5 or adobe.

it is always possible that with new managers comes a turnaround.

i would not deactivate. uploading is a lot of work.

I don't agree with your point of view, but that's mainly because I don't understand it. So what serious agencies would you suggest? And what are the negatives of submitting to Shutterstock?

you don't agree with my point of view because what works for you doesn't work for me,we all have different opinions based on our experiences or what suits us best.

so for sure what I think is probably not right for you or others.

the serious agencies are Adobe Stock or Stocksy or perhaps Arcangel and few others maybe,the future of microstock in my opinion is with Adobe,and as long as we continue to fill the belly of agencies like Istock or Shutterstock,Adobe will not be able to increase prices for customers,but this is simply my opinion.

do you know why I stopped uploading in September 2023 on SS?
because first of all I can't stand to see my content that I worked so hard on go away at 10c
then there is no real uptrend on SS,at least for me,in 2023 I had less download than in 2022,and this cannot exist if you are a contributor who uploads regularly,with SS everything is too unstable,is just matter of luck,I can't build a business.

with Adobe however there is a stable and concrete uptrend over years,this year I am selling 40/50% more every month compared to last year.

From my experience,all agencies have ups and downs and everything is based mostly on luck,
the only agency that continues to increase my earnings every year is Adobe Stock,so I know that I can build a solid,concrete income on Adobe over time,and that's all I need to know,and as long as that's the case,I'll continue to work with Adobe,and if for some reason things change,that will be the day I end microstock,because if Adobe starts to go down too,microstock it's over.