what is the best stock photo site to sell to

Stock photography sites at a glance

Stock Photography Site	Commission
iStock	15% – 45%
Shutterstock	15% – 40%
Alamy	40% – 50%
Adobe Stock	33%

Jun 28 2022

Full Answer

What are the best paying stock photography sites?

The 5 Best Stock Photography Sites for Selling Your Photos

1. iStock. iStock is a big name in the stock photo business. ...
2. Shutterstock. Next on the list, Shutterstock is another industry leader in the stock photo game. ...
3. Alamy. Alamy is a more traditional stock photography website than the other two we’ve reviewed so far. ...
4. Adobe Stock. ...
5. Dreamstime. ...

Which stock photo site pays the most?

Best Microstock Sites List. Shutterstock – One of the best microstock sites in terms of overall earnings for many contributors ( Review) Dreamstime – Well established microstock agency that rewards popular images with higher commissions ( Review) Depositphotos – Regular sales of photos, vectors & videos, although mostly subscription based ...

What is the best stock photo site for beginners?

iStock is Getty-owned, and is one of the most well-known stock imagery sites. In order to start contributing, you will need to sign up for a free account, and submit three of your very best photos. If your photos pass the quality standards, iStock is a great place to start selling stock imagery.

What is the cheapest way to buy stock photos?

• 200 XL royalty-free stock photos or vectors to use for any project or marketing material costing you less than $0.50 for each image!
• Ensure your project always looks unique and cutting edge with your access to millions of professional high-quality images with more than 80,000 added each month
• No limits. ...

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What is istock photography?

iStock is another popular name in the stock photography industry. As such, it can provide a good platform for displaying your images (and of course a better chance of selling).

How many assets does Getty Images have?

Getty Images is undoubtedly a beast on the contemporary stock photography market, with an astonishing number of assets in its gallery: more than 200 million. It’s also one of the oldest stock sites, operating since 1995.

How long does it take for a submission to be reviewed?

One is the time it takes for the editors to review your submissions. It can easily take more than 2 weeks, which is far too long. Secondly, they used to have a team that was responsible for keywording, which in my personal opinion is quite time-consuming and annoying.

What does it mean when a photographer chooses non exclusive?

If the contributor chooses the non-exclusive option, it means that the photographer can upload the images not only to iStock, but to other stock sites as well. In this case the photographer gets a flat commission of 15%.

Is Dreamstime a microstock?

The company was founded 15 years ago, making it one of the oldest stock agencies out there. Dreamstime is a microstock provider, and its direct rivals on the market nowadays are iStock and Shutterstock. It’s considered by many contributors to be one of the best places for photographers to sell their work.

When was Depositphotos founded?

Depositphotos has been on the stock photography market since 2009 when it was founded by Dmitry Sergeev. For 10 years the company has grown significantly and it’s continuing to expand its collection rapidly.

Where is Pond5 based?

It was founded back in 2006, and it started out as an agency to help video producers license content to third parties. Pond5 is based in New York and it’s a marketplace for royalty-free media. Aside from photos, they also offer stock footage, music tracks, sound effects, 3D objects and After Effects templates.

How much royalty does iStock pay?

The royalty payment starts at 15% per download. It can increase to 45%, depending on your photos’ popularity. If a customer purchases an image using their subscription credits, you only receive the 15%. If you are into exclusivity, iStock photo will give you between 22-45%.

What is Adobe stock?

Fotolia (now Adobe Stock) is another microstock photography website . It represents over 57 million images. Adobe repurchased this site in 2014, integrating it into its creative cloud service. Here, you can receive royalties of between 20 and 46%.

What is Etsy for photography?

Etsy is the biggest marketplace on the internet for handmade products. For photography, the items you can sell can be physical prints or digital downloads. Most of the products are unique, and a lot are one-off items that the creators won’t make again.

How many images does Shutterstock have?

Shutterstock houses 184 million images and 91 million videos. They have been enjoying steady growth in sales since its founding in 2003. In 2017, people downloaded 172,000,000 images from their website.

How many photos do I need to apply for Getty?

To apply, you need to submit six images. Getty then determines if your material is appropriate for either iStock or Getty. If you get in, you have the chance to earn up to 20% in commission. Photos on the site sell for hundreds of dollars, so that percentage can make you quite some profit.

What is 500px?

500px has become one of the most popular photography websites in the last few years. It’s filling the void that Flickr left as it began losing members. I can say it’s the best place to find collections of the most professional photos online.

How much commission does Photocase make?

Photocase also has a unique payment system. You start with a 20% share and have to potential to earn up to 50% commission as more people upload your photos. You can look at their point system to have a better idea of how you can earn commissions. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that Photocase is a small company.

What is Adobe stock?

Adobe Stock. Adobe Stock was previously known as Fotolia by Adobe. It’s one of the easiest stock photo sites because it integrates fully with other Adobe products. You can add your images, videos, vectors or illustrations to Adobe Stock directly from Adobe Lightroom CC, Adobe Bridge CC and through the web.

What are the advantages of selling photos on your own website?

Your own website. The main advantage to selling photos on your own site is that you can keep 100% of the profits. Most stock photographers have a site on WordPress that costs very little to run. The bonus to starting your own site is that you can add blog posts and an “about me” page to build a captivated audience.

What is the best stock photo site to sell?

BigStock . Bigstock is one of the best stock photo sites to sell your images as they have a huge audience that can really help you get sales fast. You can earn 30% of each sale of your images with BigStock.

What is 123RF?

123RF. If you want to sell your images across several different sites, 123RF is great because you do not have to sign an exclusive deal to work with them. Getting set up is pretty easy and they feature different contributors each week on their homepage which can help drive traffic to you photos.

How to choose a niche for photography?

Choosing the perfect niche for your photography business 1 Check out recent trends by spending time on Instagram and popular photography sites 2 Choose a popular niche that is not oversaturated 3 Make sure your niche is something that you can photograph regularly (don’t focus on cityscapes if you live in the middle of Montana and rarely travel!).

Is Alamy a good stock photo site?

Even if your college days are far in the past, Alamy is still one of the best stock photo sites to sell your images online. If your images are Exclusive with Alamy (ie. you have not posted them on any other stock photo sites) you will receive 50% of all direct sales. Non-Exclusive images will receive 40% of all direct sales.

Is Etsy a good place to sell photos?

Etsy is a great option, especially if you have photo products or photos that lend themselves to being made into Canvases or other decor items. You can easily open your own Etsy store and scope out what types of photos sell best on the site.

What is Envato Elements?

Envato Elements. Envato Elements is the subscription based offering from Graphic Assets Company Envato. They also own Graphicriver and Photodune which are other sites you can sell on. But Elements is their direct competition if you will to Shutterstock, so lets see how they compare.

When was Shutterstock founded?

Let’s be honest here, Shutterstock are pretty OG when it comes to Stock Photography, founded in 2003, they go back quite a way before some of the Stock Photography sites on this list. Over the years they’ve also acquired Bigstock, Flashstock and a few others to name a few.

Which is the best website to sell photos?

Adobe Stock is also one of the best sites to sell photos because not only do they allow this, but they also allow you to upload PSD Mockups, Text Effects and other templates / illustrations.

Is istock a microstock?

iStock are not exactly known for their amazing commissions, because they are so big now, plus merging with Getty Images, they are technically a “microstock” website , in essence, they became so big they just cant offer the same commissions as other websites.

Is stock photography dying?

Stock Photography isn’t dying any time soon, which is why Adobe Stock not too long back got into the game themselves and built their stock photo offering for us. That being said, if you’re looking to start up with selling your own photos on Stock Websites, this is the article for you.

Is it bad to follow trends?

Make sure your photos are quality, simple. Follow Trends – Following “trends” is not a bad thing, neither is it “copying” or “selling out”. Following trends is a great way to predict sales, and also to make sales.

What is stock photography?

Basically, Stock photography is quite different from general artistic photography and a great chance to sell your photo work. To get great feedback to sell your work, try to capture new concepts, ideas, or emotions. Your high quality and creativity are so much demanded to the clients.

What is Canva for designers?

Canva is one of the most user-friendly and popular graphic design creation platform for designers. Its easy drag-and-drop features help the user create much design quickly. So, many workers work with Canva to create designing tasks. They offer a lot of graphics templates and photos for free. But they have some pro service too, and stock photography is one of them.

How much royalties do you get from Dreamstime?

A large number of targeted customers buy stock photos from Dreamstime. They have been serving with fidelity for many years. You’ll get 25-50 percent royalties after the sale of your uploaded photos. If you work exclusively, you’ll get up to 60 percent commission.

What is depositphotos?

Depositphotos. Depositphotos is also a great marketplace for photography with a large number of customers and contributors. It has approximately more than 60 million files and has clients in more than 200 countries. Also over 45,000 contributors are working with Depositphotos to sell their photos online.

Where is Bigstock located?

Bigstock is one of the oldest Microstock agencies, where you can contribute your photos to sell global clients. It was founded in 2004 in California in the USA. At Bigstock, the credit system-based sales process began in 2009, which was operated by Shutterstock.

Which is the best website to sell photography?

Adobe Stock is also one of the best website to sell photography for contributors. Because, they has a large number of stock photos customers. Also, Adobe Stock is appreciated by the customer for its good quality photos.

How long does a photo in the public domain last?

Any photo or creative work in the public domain may be used freely, since no one person or legal entity holds its copyright. In the U.S., copyright expires 70 years after the copyright holder’s passing, starting in 1933.

What is royalty free image?

Under a royalty-free license, you pay once for a specified set of usage rights which allow you to use the image without additional royalty payments, so long as you use it as agreed.

What is Creative Commons?

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that aims to build a worldwide public knowledge database, encompassing everything from works of art to scientific knowledge. One of their most well-known tools are their Creative Commons licenses, which allow copyright holders to make their work freely accessible to the public, while still allowing for basic copyright protections.#N#They offer six license types ranging from their CC-BY, which allows for any use of the image so long as the author is credited, to CC BY-NC-ND, which means the image can only be used as-is and cannot be used for commercial purposes. They also have the CC0 license, which is equivalent to putting your work in the public domain, releasing all copyright protections.

What are the technical considerations when choosing a stock photo?

There are also technical considerations when choosing a stock photo such as: making sure the photo has good lighting, the angle at which it is taken, the emotions displayed by the people in the picture, and ensuring the picture has a natural quality. In Curbelo’s words, “some stock photos look really staged.”.

What is rights managed image?

Unlike royalty-free images, rights-managed images are much more specific regarding their usage. When requesting one of these images, you need to specify the dimensions of the image, the length of time it will be used for, what sort of project will it be used for, and so on. If the image is going to be used for commercial purposes, releases will have to be signed for any models or locations present, which translates to much higher prices.#N#Because the terms of rights-managed images are much more specific, you have to use them exactly as requested, as opposed to royalty-free images. On the other hand, RM images can often be negotiated for exclusivity, larger print runs, and in some cases, you are even able to access the image’s usage history, letting you see who has used it before and for what particular purposes.

Why are vector images better than photographs?

The main limitation of vector images is that they are better suited to illustrations with easily identifiable lines and colors rather than photographs, as real life subjects are often more visually intricate and nuanced than logos or stylized illustrations.

What is editorial stock photo?

Editorial stock photos, on the other hand, are used exclusively for journalistic endeavors. Think of any recognizable image from legendary sports moments to historical news events, and you’re likely thinking of an editorial stock photo.

Shutterstock

Probably the most popular portal, the website offers a 30% royalty for each your pictures sold. It comes with a clean contributor section which is pretty easy to use and features various tips for getting your submissions to get accepted.

Deposit Photos

In order to qualify as a member, you need to undertake an examination. With each sale you make, the profile levels-up and the higher your level the higher is the royalties. The percentage of royalty per photo ranges between 44 to 52% of each sale for new customers. The same is .30 and .35 cents for people with subscriptions make a purchase.

Fotolia

Each image that is downloaded through the Fotolia subscription earns the photographer a 33% royalty.

Photography Jobs Online

Another platform where a person can make extra income by selling their photography is Photography Jobs Online. One may work from their home or market their services through this portal.

Dreamstime

For every sale of your uploaded content, you are paid 25 to 60%. The minimum payout for each request is fixed at $100. It has one of the best contributor FAQ sections that answer various important questions. There are over 61 million stock images and a community with over 18 million users.

Getty Images

The portal accepts contributors to feature their stock photography and sell it online. The collection is huge and each member is paid on a per sale basis.

iStock Photo

It is owned by Getty Images where they feature loads of information of how to become a contributor and start earning from your photography skills.

Stock Photo Sites: The Easiest Way to Sell Photos Online

When it comes to making money from your photos or illustrations online, selling them as stock images under a royalty-free license is the best way to maximize earnings: you can make more from licensing one photo over and over, than from selling it, copyright included, once. People discovered how profitable this was long ago.

How to Sell Stock Photography Online

So, how do you go about selling your work on a stock photo website? It’s relatively simple. You need to sign up as a contributor on the agency’s website and submit an initial batch of images for their consideration.

The Best Stock Photography Sites to Sell Images

There are many, many stock photo agencies out there –just have a look at how big the stock photo market is –, but there is a handful that is decidedly the best to sell your images online.

How To Increase Earnings as Stock Photo Contributor (Exclusive Discounts)

We told you how to sign up and what are the best sites to consider. But, what does it take to actually sell images on a stock agency? How to increase Shutterstock earnings? Let’s see.

4 Must-Know Facts for Stock Photo Contributors

Selling images through stock photo sites is relatively easy, but there are still important aspects to know, consider, and always keep in mind:

Insider Tips for Stock Photo Contributors

Now you know how to sell images on stock photo sites and what to expect from it, we have a few special tips, from our industry experts, to help you boost up your stock photo game as a contributor.

Stock Photo Contributor FAQ

Finally, and before we go, let’s answer all the common questions most of you have about selling photos online.

How Can You Earn Money from Photographs?

Stock Photography Websites

• Stock photography sites are significant in two ways. First, theysell your workfor you. Once you upload the photos, all you have to do is sit back and watch your profits grow. But apart from helping you sell photos online, stock photo agencies also provide information on current trends. In other words, they give you ideas and hints on what images ha...

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Alternatives to Stock Photography Platforms

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