The best microstock sites for selling photos, illustrations, footage, flash
23. February 2009, 13:53
Selling graphics,
Stock sites
In the following article I have written down some details about the best microstock sites for photographers and graphic artists. If you are just a beginner in the microstock world, then I can recommend you to start with Dreamstime and after you have a portfolio about 50 images, try your luck on the Shutterstock.
The best selling sites
I created a graph, where you can compare the earnings according to the portfolio size:
All data are from my portfolios on microstock sites from the last year (2008). As you can see, my best (and not only mine) site is Shutterstock.
Shutterstock is the microstock agency with the biggest portfolio (more than 6 mil. images) and with the biggest selling potential for contributors – Shutterstock generates for me the biggest income. This site is based on subscription model, so the prices for one sale are one of the smallest (but the number of sales is amazing).
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, eps format),
footage
Registration page: Shutterstock
Plus
- The biggest income – see the graph above
- Quick sales – first sales comes within few hours after accepting your images
- Short pending times – from few hours to one or two days
Minus
- You have to add new images every week; otherwise the sales will go down quite quickly
- It is hard to be accepted (most of the contributors have to try it several times) – the image inspectors are really tough when reviewing yours first ten pictures.
You can read more about this agency in the Shutterstock category of this site
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, eps format)
Registration page: Dreamstime
Plus
- The easiest microstock agency for start selling photos and illustrations
- Older pictures are still selling well
Minus
- Sometimes a bigger reviewing time – one week and more
You can read more about this agency in the Dreamstime category of this site
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, eps format),
footage
Registration page: Stockxpert
Plus
- Older pictures are still selling well
Minus
- At the beginning they want 3 sample files for review
Quite a good site – from autumn 2008 the sales went up
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, svg format),
footage
Registration page: Fotolia
Plus
- No review at the beginning – you don’t have to send them sample files
- Older pictures are still selling well
Minus
- Smaller sales
- Quite small commissions for non exclusive members/pictures
- Vectors must be in SVG format
You can read more about this agency in the Fotolia category of this site
I have no illustrations there yet and also only few photos (because of the tough reviewers). But iStock is one of the top agencies with the best content and also the earnings per one picture is one of the highest.
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, eps format),
footage, flash, audio
Registration page: iStockphoto
Plus
- For somebody the best agency – lot of benefits for exclusive members
- The highest earnings per one image
Minus
- Tough registration – you have to pass the test and then send 3 sample files (if you are not accepted, you can repeat after one week, then after 2 weeks, then after month, two months, six months, one year…) and the reasons for rejection are not described well.
- Even if you pass, the reviewers are still tough – more than 50% of my photos (which are selling well on other sites) were not accepted.
- Complicated system for submitting photos and even more complicated for illustrations.
You can read more about this agency in the iStockPhoto category of this site
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, eps format)
Registration page: BigStockPhoto
Plus
- No review at the beginning – you don’t have to send them sample files
Minus
- Smaller sales
- Longer approval times
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, eps format)
Registration page: 123RF
Plus
- They accept nearly everything
- You don’t need to select categories – one of the quickest submitting system
Minus
- Small sales
I have here quite a small portfolio, so I will add some info later.
They accept: photos, illustrations (jpg, eps format), flash
Registration page: Crestock
Plus
- You don’t need to select categories
Minus
- Small sales
- Tough reviewers
I will add more information later and also will add some more agencies.
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Comments
you have missed the newish http://vectorstock.com site. It has some good designs on it and its pretty nice and simple to browse too. They do not seem to have photos, just vectors :)
[2] Sure, that you can! Some agencies offer exclusivity for photographers – then the photographers get higher rewards from each sale, their photos have better positions when searching and have other benefits – but once you are exclusive somewhere, you can't submit your photos on some other microsotck site.
So until you are not exclusive somewhere, you can submit your photos on other sites, sell them on your own site, give them for free… whatever.
How on earth did you come up with iStock paying best for photos? Huh?
The are the bottom of the barrel and their arrogance and abuse of contributors is slowly making people go away from their site. A rip-off site and yet you say some unbelievable lie about their „best“ commissions…
Hi Carson,
I didn't write, that iStock is the best agency, only that the earnings for one image are the best there. The problem is, that it is really hard to get the images there!
Their upload process it terrible – it is the worst upload process, that I have ever seen. I have there only 50 images, but some of them are selling nearly every day…
Hi Orson!
There is alot of great information here.
Can you check out Pixmac and let me know what you think?
We are a fotolia partner.
Thanks!
Hi Orson
I was wondering about what kind of rights these stock houses let me retain on my photos. If I give them photos to sell, do they own ALL rights to those photos in perpetuity? Or do they only own some rights to them for a period of time?
I am not crazy about giving up all rights to my shots forever…
Help me understand that process…
thanks
Mariner
Hi Mariner,
They own only some rights – you should read for example the Shutterstock Submitter Terms of Service
You are still the owner of all rights, and can sell your pictures on other sites (check also what the Royalty-free licence means on Wikipedia: Royalty-free).
Do you know anything about the stock motion graphics / animation industry? would like to partner with someone.
I have a collection of HD content that I'm going to market somewhere. Also have a few illustrations, but I'm not really banking on making much on my limited collection of vector illustrations
Hi,
you can try to sell it on the sites, which are selling footage:
I dont know about any site, which is specialized just to animations.
As new microstock site is http://submit.depositphotos.com with Photographer Promotion Program. Site pay $0.20 for every single original photo, upload for sale to our library, up to 500 photos.
« License and Usage Info for Freebies on SellingGraphics site 10 tips for photographers in order to get accepted by ShutterStock »
Best microstock sites
This list is sorted according to contributors - the most valuable sites first:
Read more info about those agencies.
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