Olena Zaskochenko Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Shutterstock always was the first stock I had uploaded new photos, because there was biggest earnings. At first there was 5 time bigger than in Fotolia, then.. 3 times.. 2019 it was about 2 times.. Now Adobe stock brings 2 times more earnings. Profit from Shutterstock has dropped on 95% for the last 4 years. And not just earnings, amount of downloads dropped 4 times. So don't blame shutter that they try to squeeze last drops from contributors. They just lost. Other stock agencies took the leadership. One day it happened with Ice, and now with shutter. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Filmbildfabrik Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Bye bye Shutterstock....! 35$ for 165 pictures. I am not your german milk farmer. It's been good years, but now we have to part. I wish everyone who stays, all the best and best income from this mafia association. Addendum: it is not even possible to delete your account. Absolute madness. You can no longer delete your account with the delete account button. You have to contact the support. And the support is literally outsourced. The first answer was ... it can take up to 90 days for your account to be deleted. Madness. In everything Shutter does, only bad. I will always edit my entry here whenever I know something new. 9 Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Harper Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 I'm a pretty mediocre photographer with not too grand expectations but to date I have 52 downloads in January with a grand total of of $10.15 cents earnings. A total insult from a company that meets all the characteristics that merit a description of uncaring, exploitative, insulting, and shabby. Why am i still here? Because I haven't the confidence to go. I enjoy photography and I enjoy the feeling every time one of my images is downloaded. We have a saying, " Stay Alive old horse and you will get grass" 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Wilm Ihlenfeld Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 1 hour ago, Andreas Prott said: Wow since passing the 100 mark for stills I had eleven downloads for whopping 1,11$. So I gained 1% by moving from a 15% share to 20%. Congrats, Andreas! This should have been posted in "the generic milestone". What an impressing story of success!!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ints Vikmanis Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 12 hours ago, Andreas Prott said: Wow since passing the 100 mark for stills I had eleven downloads for whopping 1,11$. So I gained 1% by moving from a 15% share to 20%. Previos system 0.38 x 3 = 1.14 $ 0.25 x 5 = 1.25 $ New system with "fair opportunities for all our contributors, and reward performance with greater earnings potential" 10x 0.10 + 1x0.11 = 1.11$ 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Wilm Ihlenfeld Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 16 minutes ago, Andreas Prott said: Oh yes Wilm but I already beat that milestone. Now it's 17 DLs for 1,73: already a gain of nearly 2%. Woohooo!!! Fantastic, Andreas! I'm so jealous! Unfortunately, my statistics for today show only 6 downloads so far. All of them for $ 0.10. Link to post Share on other sites
HodagMedia Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 3 hours ago, Andreas Prott said: I hit a new high! After 24 DLs above the 100 threshold my highest sale is now 0,15 USD. So I got 20 DLs for 0,10, 3 for 0,11 and one for 0,15. One could think of a conspiracy theory that after hitting the 100 threshold you only get traffic from high volume buyers to steer the precious sales to the portfolios where SS gets 85% of the revenue 😁. Note: 295 😉 They actually make more money on the higher value downloads, like the 15¢ so the conspiracy should be, they are steering buyers to you instead of the cheap big package subs. I can explain the math if you want, but I know you are smart and pay attention. 👍 For anyone else, they are paying higher than our level commission to make up for the under 10¢ subs, (the real commission would be 3 cents for example) but at the higher levels, we get our real commission and they are keeping more of those sales. The 10c subs can actually cost SS money. Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Warwick Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 How the heck do I make only 14 cents for an On Demand sale at level 3? 2 Link to post Share on other sites
ribeiroantonio Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 2 hours ago, Michael Warwick said: How the heck do I make only 14 cents for an On Demand sale at level 3? Only? !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Warwick Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 I have tried contacting SS several times to ask this question and they only respond with subscription payouts and ignore my question regarding On Demand. 3 hours ago, Michael Warwick said: How the heck do I make only 14 cents for an On Demand sale at level 3? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Digital Assets Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Good By Shutterstock, Bad Buy Shutterstock! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
HodagMedia Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 22 hours ago, Michael Warwick said: How the heck do I make only 14 cents for an On Demand sale at level 3? Please understand, don't shoot the messenger but: Buyer paid 56¢ you got 25%. 22 hours ago, Andreas Prott said: uhh perhaps we should make those strategic decisions a field of study on Shutter University. 😇 Sure thing, just some interesting math that isn't really apparent when we're looking at that small thin dime. Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Warwick Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 2 hours ago, HodagMedia said: Please understand, don't shoot the messenger but: Buyer paid 56¢ you got 25%. Sure thing, just some interesting math that isn't really apparent when we're looking at that small thin dime. OK, but I have not received anything less than $1.47 for and On Demand and typically over $2. SS has now told me my level has nothing to do with it and it is dependent on the customer subscription rate. I have gotten conflicting answers from them. Does anyone really trust SS to get this right for us? Link to post Share on other sites
HodagMedia Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 25 minutes ago, Michael Warwick said: OK, but I have not received anything less than $1.47 for and On Demand and typically over $2. SS has now told me my level has nothing to do with it and it is dependent on the customer subscription rate. I have gotten conflicting answers from them. Does anyone really trust SS to get this right for us? You get a percentage of what the buyer pays. That's for everything, no matter what name they call it or what we call it. Yes there are On Demand Subscriptions, bad term, like Royalty Free. The On Demand packs are for images, for a year, with no monthly limits, just an annual. New York, NY — Aug 5, 2008 —Shutterstock the world's largest subscription-based online stock photo agency, unveiled four new "On Demand" subscription plans today. These innovative lower-commitment plans allow subscribers to download stock photos, illustrations and vectors anytime over a one-year period without any daily or monthly download limits. Yet single and other they don't call a subscription, but people can buy multiples of those? Royalty payments based on a percentage of sales price will be based on the sales price actually received by Shutterstock and calculated after making any necessary deductions for any refunds, cancellations, previous overpayments, and any taxes, levies, imposts, duties, currency exchange costs, or other similar charges that are imposed on the payments received by Shutterstock. Section 8 h You get a percentage of what the buyer pays. Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Warwick Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 1 hour ago, HodagMedia said: You get a percentage of what the buyer pays. That's for everything, no matter what name they call it or what we call it. Yes there are On Demand Subscriptions, bad term, like Royalty Free. The On Demand packs are for images, for a year, with no monthly limits, just an annual. New York, NY — Aug 5, 2008 —Shutterstock the world's largest subscription-based online stock photo agency, unveiled four new "On Demand" subscription plans today. These innovative lower-commitment plans allow subscribers to download stock photos, illustrations and vectors anytime over a one-year period without any daily or monthly download limits. Yet single and other they don't call a subscription, but people can buy multiples of those? Royalty payments based on a percentage of sales price will be based on the sales price actually received by Shutterstock and calculated after making any necessary deductions for any refunds, cancellations, previous overpayments, and any taxes, levies, imposts, duties, currency exchange costs, or other similar charges that are imposed on the payments received by Shutterstock. Section 8 h You get a percentage of what the buyer pays. Thanks for that info. That is consistent with what SS now tells me...your content is purchased at a discounted price, you will receive a percentage consistent with your earnings level based on the discounted license value received by Shutterstock. So, On Demand does not mean what it use to. It is just another subscription package in a different form. I wish we could request/demand an audit. Link to post Share on other sites
aluxum Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 On 1/27/2021 at 3:02 PM, HodagMedia said: Note: 295 😉 They actually make more money on the higher value downloads, like the 15¢ so the conspiracy should be, they are steering buyers to you instead of the cheap big package subs. I can explain the math if you want, but I know you are smart and pay attention. 👍 For anyone else, they are paying higher than our level commission to make up for the under 10¢ subs, (the real commission would be 3 cents for example) but at the higher levels, we get our real commission and they are keeping more of those sales. The 10c subs can actually cost SS money. Your statements are simply not true. Shutterstock earns much more than 85% on level 1 because close to nobody used their full image download quota and some might even download 30 o 40 images of their 750 allowance. And in this case Shutterstock keep 95% of the sale because remember we are not taking individual sales here, this is the fallacy we are talking about subscription packages and here the percentage calculated for contributors is not true and favours even more Shutterstock. If they would split once every month is over among the contributors about what the subscriber paid then you would see sometimes dollars when there are only a few. This never happens because the rules are not meant to be about equallity and fair treatment they are to favour maximum profit for the agency and not the contributor. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
HodagMedia Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 17 hours ago, Michael Warwick said: Thanks for that info. That is consistent with what SS now tells me...your content is purchased at a discounted price, you will receive a percentage consistent with your earnings level based on the discounted license value received by Shutterstock. So, On Demand does not mean what it use to. It is just another subscription package in a different form. I wish we could request/demand an audit. Right, if they sell a download of my photo for 50 cents, I'd get 0.075 cents, but we have the minimum (ha ha, thanks for the bonus) and I'd get 10 cents. But more real, if they get $2.50 then I get 37.5 cents. And looking at the numbers you posted and my on demands, when I get over $2 at a higher level, that's more than the old flat rates sometimes. We are losing on the subs and making more on the SO and OD. But not enough to make up for what we are losing from the less on the subs. I'm still not happy with the annual resent and it could have been rolling or based on the last six months sales. This reset is just not along normal lines for RC or quotas or anything that's fairly based on actual performance. If the agency is supposed to be honestly rewarding us for our work and sales, why would they cut our heads off, every 12 months. Just not right. Link to post Share on other sites
HodagMedia Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 6 hours ago, aluxum said: Your statements are simply not true. Shutterstock earns much more than 85% on level 1 because close to nobody used their full image download quota and some might even download 30 o 40 images of their 750 allowance. And in this case Shutterstock keep 95% of the sale because remember we are not taking individual sales here, this is the fallacy we are talking about subscription packages and here the percentage calculated for contributors is not true and favours even more Shutterstock. If they would split once every month is over among the contributors about what the subscriber paid then you would see sometimes dollars when there are only a few. This never happens because the rules are not meant to be about equallity and fair treatment they are to favour maximum profit for the agency and not the contributor. Nice hypothetical argument but two points. For everything except subs, we are paid at the stated rate for our level. Will you accept that? If not please explain, why not? Then that leaves subs: And if we are going to deal in what if. Then when someone does buy a 750 pack, and pays .22 an image and DOES download all their allowed images. What are we supposed to get paid. You would be happy with 3.3 cents a download? That's what you are asking for? "because close to nobody used their full image download quota and some might even download 30 o 40 images of their 750 allowance" Where did you get those figures and facts "close to nobody"? Why would someone (assuming they are not idiots) pay for a 750 pack, and only download 30-40 images? They could have a 350 for much less? Is that how you buy things? Like a case of bananas and then you eat 8 and throw away the rest because they are more than you can ever use? But if you are arguing that you would like to make the real percentage and get, 3.3 cents and slightly more for the 750, or 8.5 cents for the 350 packs, at best at best, I don't understand why? You are seriously saying you want them to pay us less? 🙁 And that will make you happy? Please explain in real numbers and facts why you want to make less and down to under 4 cents a download/ Why? I think something else might be at play which I'd like to propose. The annual 750 packs, paid in advance rate is what API partners pay for our images. Or better stated what we get paid for API partner downloads, even though it's not actually a 750 pack, it could be a 9,999 and up pack. Every time you get a 10c download just imagine, could I be getting 3.3 cents instead? Would that make me happier? Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Warwick Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 2 hours ago, HodagMedia said: Nice hypothetical argument but two points. For everything except subs, we are paid at the stated rate for our level. Will you accept that? If not please explain, why not? Then that leaves subs: And if we are going to deal in what if. Then when someone does buy a 750 pack, and pays .22 an image and DOES download all their allowed images. What are we supposed to get paid. You would be happy with 3.3 cents a download? That's what you are asking for? "because close to nobody used their full image download quota and some might even download 30 o 40 images of their 750 allowance" Where did you get those figures and facts "close to nobody"? Why would someone (assuming they are not idiots) pay for a 750 pack, and only download 30-40 images? They could have a 350 for much less? Is that how you buy things? Like a case of bananas and then you eat 8 and throw away the rest because they are more than you can ever use? But if you are arguing that you would like to make the real percentage and get, 3.3 cents and slightly more for the 750, or 8.5 cents for the 350 packs, at best at best, I don't understand why? You are seriously saying you want them to pay us less? 🙁 And that will make you happy? Please explain in real numbers and facts why you want to make less and down to under 4 cents a download/ Why? I think something else might be at play which I'd like to propose. The annual 750 packs, paid in advance rate is what API partners pay for our images. Or better stated what we get paid for API partner downloads, even though it's not actually a 750 pack, it could be a 9,999 and up pack. Every time you get a 10c download just imagine, could I be getting 3.3 cents instead? Would that make me happier? I have asked SS to tell me what the customer is paying, to be transparent so we have a clue as to what to expect as our payout. Is an On Demand sale just another sub these days. Their response...I’ll need to review this information with my team. We will get back to you as soon as possible and thank you for your patience while we look into this matter. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Wilm Ihlenfeld Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 56 minutes ago, Michael Warwick said: I have asked SS to tell me what the customer is paying, to be transparent so we have a clue as to what to expect as our payout. Is an On Demand sale just another sub these days. Their response...I’ll need to review this information with my team. We will get back to you as soon as possible and thank you for your patience while we look into this matter. From my experience you won't get an answer. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Warwick Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, Wilm Ihlenfeld said: From my experience you won't get an answer. But I keep trying until I frustrate them to no end. I would like to know the pricing structure to customers who only pay 56 cents for an On Demand sale. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
ribeiroantonio Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 22 hours ago, Michael Warwick said: But I keep trying until I frustrate them to no end. I would like to know the pricing structure to customers who only pay 56 cents for an On Demand sale. If they do, they will tell you it is not your business. Your business is to receive your %%% Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Warwick Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 50 minutes ago, ribeiroantonio said: If they do, they will tell you it is not your business. Your business is to receive your %%% If not, I will write to them directly to NY corporate headquarters. Contributors have a right to know their pricing structure to customers that results in widely erratic contributor payouts. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Wilm Ihlenfeld Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 10 minutes ago, Michael Warwick said: If not, I will write to them directly to NY corporate headquarters. Contributors have a right to know their pricing structure to customers that results in widely erratic contributor payouts. You will never get an answer, Michael. It is Shutterstock's secret and they will never let you know - that much is sure! 3 Link to post Share on other sites
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