Author Topic: YAY closing (Read 61777 times)

Justanotherphotographer · « **on:** December 30, 2015, 07:38 »

"Thank you for supporting YAY by licensing your images through our YAY Micro website.

We’re writing to ask you to make your images available at our new website yayimages.com. Starting January 1, 2016 we will stop selling images at YAY MIcro and direct all our customers to the new site, and we’d love to be able to license your images.

Here’s how to opt-in:

login at yaymicro.com

go to My Account

select API Details

"Since we launched the new subscription site two years ago, it has become very popular and today brings in by far the vast majority of YAY’s revenue. yayimages.com has an improved search experience, convenient editing features for customers, and a fresh, modern interface.

We will send all image customers to the new site to help us focus our business. Yaymicro will continue to be the place for contributors like you to login and submit your images.

Thanks again for sharing your images with the world via YAY!"

About time really. I think this yayimages is their terrible streaming thing? I can't remember the compensation but I do remember that it was awful.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2015, 07:42 »

Anyone got the links to the breakdown of their subs offering. Can't find it now.

emjaysmith · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2015, 07:54 »

So, can anyone tell me what we the contributors actually get paid for these unlimited streaming downloads. Do we actually get paid for them or do we get our 50% cut of nothing.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2015, 08:31 »

Okay, I think it supposed to be 50% of whatever they get depending on how many images the subscriber uses. All far too vague for my liking, there needs to be a minimum in place per download. Anyone been opted in for a while that can tell us how much they average for these sales?

Reading over the previous thread the "streaming" thing is definitely a misnomer, these are just standard sub sales under another name and we need to be compensated appropriately.

Can someone from YAY chime in? I will need to delete my many thousands of images from the site if the offering is as it appears, and would rather save myself the hassle if they are about to offer something more reasonable.

seawhisper · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2015, 08:36 »

Sooo if I have €25 and they min pay is €30 and now they're closing - how do I get this money from them?

KimsCreativeHub · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2015, 08:36 »

Good question I'm in same boat 😊

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

noodle · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2015, 08:44 »

I dont have very many images there, but never opted into the streaming thing - just a slap in the face for contributers
If they are sutomatically going to move content into this streaming service, I am pulling out altogether

Even the stupid little micros are crapping on contributers...

emjaysmith · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2015, 09:28 »

I will be doing the same if we don't get a reasonable set amount per subscription download.
Unfortunately I am stuck on $24 and not likely to make payout next year at my normal rate of sales here.

cthoman · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2015, 09:36 »

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on December 30, 2015, 07:38

Since we launched the new subscription site two years ago, it has become very popular and today brings in by far the vast majority of YAY’s revenue.

Well, we wouldn't want to mess up YAY's revenue.

Newsfocus1 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 30, 2015, 10:00 »

There was a lot of discussion here when Yay first introduced this Yay Images subs/streaming site a couple of years ago -link here: http://www.microstockgroup.com/yaymicro/yay-newsletter-information-about-new-product/
I opted in to see what happened but, as I stated on the recent Yay Micro -is it alive? thread, I have had virtually no sales (subs or otherwise) in recent years.
I was probaly going to stop uploading anyway but had hoped the odd sale from my remaining images (circa 2400) would add up to a payout now and again.
What concerns me is that none of my editorial images (the majority of my port) appear on the Yay Images site. Though it has an Editorial and Celebrity category none of my editorials are searchable and I can only find around 700 (non editorial) images if I search on my username.
So, does this mean that all my time uploading editorials to Yay has been wasted? Hopefully, Yay will respond here with some more information.

Jan · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2015, 10:08 »

There's not much drama in this. We're closing yaymicro, as we've migrated most customers to yayimages.com. We're still keeping yaymicro as our photographer portal, and even though it is still competitive in regards to how easy it is to upload - it is in dire need of an upgrade. To keep the website running for the few remaining customers is just not worth it.

Yayimages.com on the other hand has an excellent search, awesome UI and features our main competitors still don't have. We're putting all our eggs in that basket now. We will focus on innovating and build a stock photo platform that is easy, affordable and fair.

Contributors get 50 % of earnings. I see some of you are concerned about the unlimited streaming option and earnings. So far the average earning per streaming image is $0.27. Which means that customers using streaming on average have a low image usage. These are typically bloggers or small businesses that need a few images per month.

We're confident that the growth we're seeing on yayimages.com will continue, and that earnings should pick up over the next few months. Still, we're a small agency, so bare with us.

Newsfocus1 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 30, 2015, 10:15 »

Thanks for the response Jan. Could you clarify my point raised in my previous post. Will editorial images uploaded to Yay Micro be available on the Yay Images site? I cannot find mine! TIA, David.

dirkr · « **Reply #12 on:** December 30, 2015, 10:35 »

The streaming model (unlimited downloads) is certainly the opposite of what photographers need and I will not support it. And $0.27 average earnings is way to low. As you say, it seems currently only bloggers with low image demands.
Once the library grows and gets interesting for big customers and they start migrating from existing agencies this would kill the business completely.
When you abandon that model I may re-consider supporting Yay Images.

What happens to my account if I simply leave it as is, i.e. with Yay Images not selected as API partner?

Chichikov · « **Reply #13 on:** December 30, 2015, 10:53 »

@Yay: As you never paid my due before that I close my account, and even never answer to my numerous emails about the money you owe me , I wish you all the bad (and the worst) possible with your new site!

Monty-m-gue · « **Reply #14 on:** December 30, 2015, 12:03 »

I have requested many times that Yay pay me my balance and close my account. They simply ignore my messages. Yay are, in my view, untrustworthy and their streaming model unsustainable for contributors.

emjaysmith · « **Reply #15 on:** December 30, 2015, 12:24 »

What are the odds that they might buck the trend and actually reply to my requests then.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #16 on:** December 30, 2015, 13:20 »

I have never uploaded to Yay Micro, but I went to have a look at Yay Images to see what they were offering.

They don't offer unlimited downloads, but unlimited streaming for $9.99 a month. The streamed image appears to be hosted on their servers and you can link to it from your blog or other online use:

https://www.yayimages.com/support/13-support/26-what-is-streaming

Are there any limits on the size you can stream? If not, it doesn't take a genius to link to a huge size, do a screen grab and save the image...

The bigger worry, IMO, is the super-low pricing for downloads and the rather ambiguous license terms (such as whether you can use a regular license, not extended, to produce up to 100 products for sale):

https://www.yayimages.com/pricing?backUrl=%2Fterms

Note that you can get 1,000 downloads (with a standard RF license) plus unlimited streaming for $99 a month. I don't see any need to commit to a year to get that price. Contrast that with SS where a one month subscription for up to 750 images is $249. You could argue that the relatively tiny selection at Yay Micro would suggest a lower price.

However, these prices are even worse than they look because you can rollover unused downloads.

Yay's extended license pricing is even worse - you get 100 extended licenses (plus the 1,000 standard) for $499 a month! I'm not sure that anyone would ever buy this - how many buyers need 100 ELs?

https://www.yayimages.com/pro-plan

Note the contradiction between the chart and the text. The chart says 1,000 RF licenses and 100 extended. The text says 900 RF licenses and 100 extended. There is also the rather odd wording "If you are making a product in less than 100 copies, you do NOT need an extended license." This suggests that you can an extended license for a 100-run limit in the standard RF price.

They also say in the support section that you can download images instead of streaming them if the service you use doesn't permit hotlinking

https://www.yayimages.com/support/13-support/29-can-i-download-the-images

So do they make any effort to police this at all?

The other thing I noticed is that you don't see the pixel dimensions of any image when searching - if I'm looking for print uses vs. a blog, that's important information. Perhaps they are assuming that blogging and online uses are primary for them?

With the entry level $9.90 a month, a buyer gets one download and unlimited streaming. If the contributor gets 50 percent and a buyer downloads one image and streams 10, what are the royalties paid for the one download and each stream? I can't find those specifics on the site.

The contract may not require them to do it, but I'd think common decency requires that if they're shuttering Yay Micro, they should pay out any balances to those who wish to leave as a result. And as their payout threshold is in euros but the prices I'm seeing are in US dollars, what exchange rate do they use to convert?

Based on what I can see of Yay Images, I wouldn't contribute images. Trying to get market traction by undercutting other agencies on price seems like a non-starter - a variation of the Dollar Photo Club.

LDV81 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 30, 2015, 14:42 »

Another one bites the dust, then.
It doesn't make any difference if I make 2, 3 or 5 peanuts less per year.
I liked Yay in the distant past for their approach, but continuing now would be a complete waste of time and I don't feel like helping to undercut other agencies.
See you in the next life, guys.

emjaysmith · « **Reply #18 on:** December 30, 2015, 15:11 »

I will happily close my account there WHEN and IF I get the assurances that I have requested from YAY about the deletion of all my images from their site and their partners.
When Photokore closed down recently they did the decent thing and paid the commissions owed even if it was less than the minimum threshold AND respected the wishes of those who did not want to have their images transferred to Getty.
I sincerely hope that YAY will do the same.
I do not see how Yay can continue to sell our images if we do not give them permission to transfer them to the new site.
I would have thought that it would be a legal requirement to stop using other peoples copyrighted material when you close down the site under whose terms the contributor contract was made.

Tryingmybest · « **Reply #19 on:** December 31, 2015, 08:52 »

Jo Ann for Microstock Union president.

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on December 30, 2015, 13:20

I have never uploaded to Yay Micro, but I went to have a look at Yay Images to see what they were offering.

They don't offer unlimited downloads, but unlimited streaming for $9.99 a month. The streamed image appears to be hosted on their servers and you can link to it from your blog or other online use:

https://www.yayimages.com/support/13-support/26-what-is-streaming

Are there any limits on the size you can stream? If not, it doesn't take a genius to link to a huge size, do a screen grab and save the image...

The bigger worry, IMO, is the super-low pricing for downloads and the rather ambiguous license terms (such as whether you can use a regular license, not extended, to produce up to 100 products for sale):

https://www.yayimages.com/pricing?backUrl=%2Fterms

Note that you can get 1,000 downloads (with a standard RF license) plus unlimited streaming for $99 a month. I don't see any need to commit to a year to get that price. Contrast that with SS where a one month subscription for up to 750 images is $249. You could argue that the relatively tiny selection at Yay Micro would suggest a lower price.

However, these prices are even worse than they look because you can rollover unused downloads.

Yay's extended license pricing is even worse - you get 100 extended licenses (plus the 1,000 standard) for $499 a month! I'm not sure that anyone would ever buy this - how many buyers need 100 ELs?

https://www.yayimages.com/pro-plan

Note the contradiction between the chart and the text. The chart says 1,000 RF licenses and 100 extended. The text says 900 RF licenses and 100 extended. There is also the rather odd wording "If you are making a product in less than 100 copies, you do NOT need an extended license." This suggests that you can an extended license for a 100-run limit in the standard RF price.

They also say in the support section that you can download images instead of streaming them if the service you use doesn't permit hotlinking

https://www.yayimages.com/support/13-support/29-can-i-download-the-images

So do they make any effort to police this at all?

The other thing I noticed is that you don't see the pixel dimensions of any image when searching - if I'm looking for print uses vs. a blog, that's important information. Perhaps they are assuming that blogging and online uses are primary for them?

With the entry level $9.90 a month, a buyer gets one download and unlimited streaming. If the contributor gets 50 percent and a buyer downloads one image and streams 10, what are the royalties paid for the one download and each stream? I can't find those specifics on the site.

The contract may not require them to do it, but I'd think common decency requires that if they're shuttering Yay Micro, they should pay out any balances to those who wish to leave as a result. And as their payout threshold is in euros but the prices I'm seeing are in US dollars, what exchange rate do they use to convert?

Based on what I can see of Yay Images, I wouldn't contribute images. Trying to get market traction by undercutting other agencies on price seems like a non-starter - a variation of the Dollar Photo Club.

VB inc · « **Reply #20 on:** December 31, 2015, 11:56 »

Quote from: Jo Ann Snover on December 30, 2015, 13:20

I have never uploaded to Yay Micro, but I went to have a look at Yay Images to see what they were offering.

They don't offer unlimited downloads, but unlimited streaming for $9.99 a month. The streamed image appears to be hosted on their servers and you can link to it from your blog or other online use:

https://www.yayimages.com/support/13-support/26-what-is-streaming

Are there any limits on the size you can stream? If not, it doesn't take a genius to link to a huge size, do a screen grab and save the image...

The bigger worry, IMO, is the super-low pricing for downloads and the rather ambiguous license terms (such as whether you can use a regular license, not extended, to produce up to 100 products for sale):

https://www.yayimages.com/pricing?backUrl=%2Fterms

Note that you can get 1,000 downloads (with a standard RF license) plus unlimited streaming for $99 a month. I don't see any need to commit to a year to get that price. Contrast that with SS where a one month subscription for up to 750 images is $249. You could argue that the relatively tiny selection at Yay Micro would suggest a lower price.

However, these prices are even worse than they look because you can rollover unused downloads.

Yay's extended license pricing is even worse - you get 100 extended licenses (plus the 1,000 standard) for $499 a month! I'm not sure that anyone would ever buy this - how many buyers need 100 ELs?

https://www.yayimages.com/pro-plan

Note the contradiction between the chart and the text. The chart says 1,000 RF licenses and 100 extended. The text says 900 RF licenses and 100 extended. There is also the rather odd wording "If you are making a product in less than 100 copies, you do NOT need an extended license." This suggests that you can an extended license for a 100-run limit in the standard RF price.

They also say in the support section that you can download images instead of streaming them if the service you use doesn't permit hotlinking

https://www.yayimages.com/support/13-support/29-can-i-download-the-images

So do they make any effort to police this at all?

The other thing I noticed is that you don't see the pixel dimensions of any image when searching - if I'm looking for print uses vs. a blog, that's important information. Perhaps they are assuming that blogging and online uses are primary for them?

With the entry level $9.90 a month, a buyer gets one download and unlimited streaming. If the contributor gets 50 percent and a buyer downloads one image and streams 10, what are the royalties paid for the one download and each stream? I can't find those specifics on the site.

The contract may not require them to do it, but I'd think common decency requires that if they're shuttering Yay Micro, they should pay out any balances to those who wish to leave as a result. And as their payout threshold is in euros but the prices I'm seeing are in US dollars, what exchange rate do they use to convert?

Based on what I can see of Yay Images, I wouldn't contribute images. Trying to get market traction by undercutting other agencies on price seems like a non-starter - a variation of the Dollar Photo Club.

Put in red by me.
I think this would attract buyers that will be selling a lot of stuff to be printed on mugs calendars posters shirts and such... tons of printers that need a lot of images to sell that they cant produce themselves...

zorba · « **Reply #21 on:** December 31, 2015, 13:16 »

Quote from: emjaysmith on December 30, 2015, 07:54

So, can anyone tell me what we the contributors actually get paid for these unlimited streaming downloads. Do we actually get paid for them or do we get our 50% cut of nothing.

Suppose I am a "blogger" with a 9.90/month subscription. I can actually write 1 article a day.
9.90 / 31 / 2 = 15 cent.

I know I can't use the F word but that's what comes to my mind.

I'm going to :

- opt-out for each and every one of the partners of YAYmicro
- erase all my pending (about 1000) uploads
- erase the whole portfolio
- cancel my account

but ... It seems we have to do everything manually ... because their support to contributors is not very responsive.

They are not pushing to sell WITH us. So... this is not a good deal with us, the content creators.
Where the same images sell 2000 and more $ elsewhere, on Yay they sell NOTHING.

So the problem are not the products, but the seller.

So... happy new year, without me. And, I hope, you all.

emjaysmith · « **Reply #22 on:** December 31, 2015, 13:40 »

I would love to do the same right now but I am still hoping that someone from Yay will either answer my email or post the answer to my questions here.
It might seem like small change to individual contributors who close their accounts with money owing but I really hate the thought of any agency raking in thousands just by moving to a new site.
Seems like, we as contributors have the choice of being screwed out of what they already owe us if we leave or being screwed with crap commissions if we stay.
Evereybody bend over and say Oooowwwwwwwwwww

Dave · « **Reply #23 on:** December 31, 2015, 18:38 »

One things ALL you contributors don't have to worry about is that YAY will make sure they get their pound of flesh out of this "Streaming deal".

The best thing to do is move your images elsewhere, if they ain't got images they can't rip you off.

There are numerous sites that give you a much better return than .27c.

sharpshot · « **Reply #24 on:** January 01, 2016, 10:28 »

Does seem more tempting to close the account than get an average of $0.27 on low sales volume. They at least need to push prices up a bit so we can get $0.35 to be in the range of sites that sell more than they do.

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Author Topic: YAY closing (Read 61777 times)

Justanotherphotographer

Justanotherphotographer

emjaysmith

Justanotherphotographer

seawhisper

KimsCreativeHub

noodle

emjaysmith

cthoman

Newsfocus1

Jan

Newsfocus1

dirkr

Chichikov

Monty-m-gue

emjaysmith

Jo Ann Snover

LDV81

emjaysmith

Tryingmybest

VB inc

zorba

emjaysmith

Dave

sharpshot

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