If you're a contributor looking to maximize your earnings from microstock platforms in 2024, it's important to know which sites offer the best combination of visibility, commission rates, and ease of use. Here are 10 notable microstock agencies to consider:
1. Shutterstock
- Pros: One of the largest and most popular stock sites with a broad audience and a robust contributor platform.
- Cons: Commission rates have been criticized as being on the lower side, particularly for new contributors.
2. Adobe Stock
- Pros: Integrated with the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem, making it easy for designers to find and use stock content. Competitive commission rates.
- Cons: Highly competitive, so quality must be high to stand out.
3. iStock (by Getty Images)
- Pros: Strong reputation and a wide reach through its parent company, Getty Images.
- Cons: Exclusive contributors tend to earn more, but non-exclusivity can reduce income potential.
4. Dreamstime
- Pros: User-friendly interface for contributors and a solid reputation. Offers higher percentages for exclusive content.
- Cons: Lower overall traffic compared to bigger platforms.
5. Depositphotos
- Pros: Consistent payouts and decent exposure for contributors. It’s been growing steadily in popularity.
- Cons: Commission rates may not be as high as some competitors.
6. Alamy
- Pros: Higher than average payouts (up to 50% royalty for non-exclusive contributors).
- Cons: Tougher acceptance process and a focus on high-quality, unique images.
7. Pond5
- Pros: Excellent for video contributors, as it allows creators to set their own prices. High commission rate compared to other sites.
- Cons: Strong competition in the video market.
8. 123RF
- Pros: Well-established and offers fair commission rates. Good platform for entry-level contributors.
- Cons: Less traffic than top-tier platforms.
9. Canva
- Pros: Gaining traction with its large user base of designers and content creators. Contributors can earn revenue from their media used in templates and projects.
- Cons: Relatively new as a microstock platform, so payouts and policies may evolve.
10. Wirestock
- Pros: Unique in that it distributes content to multiple stock agencies on behalf of the contributor, saving time. It also provides keywording services.
- Cons: A percentage of earnings is taken as a fee for its distribution service.
Tips for Success in 2024:
- Diversify Your Portfolio: Don’t rely solely on one platform; distribute your content across multiple sites to maximize exposure and income.
- High-Quality Content: Focus on creating images, vectors, videos, or audio files that meet the highest standards of the industry.
- Stay Current: Trends change rapidly, so keeping up with popular topics and visual styles can boost downloads.
- Keyword Strategically: Proper keywording can make or break the visibility of your content.
These platforms represent a variety of opportunities depending on the type of content you create and your goals as a contributor.