Selling photos on Shutterstock can be a great way to make some extra money. It requires very little investment and allows you to focus on the creative side of photography.
When submitting stock content, be sure to create images that meet the needs of customers. For example, all recognizable people should sign model releases, and all property must include a property release.
How to sell on Shutterstock
Whether you need high-resolution photos or illustrations for a website, Shutterstock has a vast library of images to meet your needs. They also offer monthly subscription plans that let you download a set number of images each month. These plans are good deals for people who use photos regularly. However, they aren’t ideal for freelancers who only need a few photos per month.
To become a contributor on Shutterstock, you must submit samples of your work that meet certain requirements. These include a variety of subjects, quality and clarity, and resolution. You must also ensure that you have rights to the images. In addition, you must be a minimum of 18 years old to register for an account. You can only have one account, and it must be in your name. Depending on your country, you may also need to provide additional legal documents.
The review process for Shutterstock is relatively quick. You can expect to get your content approved within a few business days. Typically, reviewers will look at technical execution (things like lighting and noise) and metadata (titles and keywords). They will also ensure that the photos or videos do not violate intellectual property rights, trademarks, or copyrights. They will also make sure that they do not violate any other policies.
Once your work is approved, you will be paid every time it is downloaded by a customer. This payment is based on your earnings tier and the type of license used. For example, you might earn between 25 and 38 cents for a single download of an image, depending on your earnings tier.
You can also earn money by referring new contributors or subscribers to Shutterstock. For each person you refer who becomes an official contributor or subscriber, you will earn 4 cents each time their images or video clips are downloaded. The more you refer, the higher your earnings will be.
Getting started
Stock photography is a huge business. It is used in a wide range of applications, from decorating websites to creating advertising. It is a great option for people who want to make a steady income from their creative work without the hassle of managing an e-commerce website or dealing directly with customers. It is also an excellent choice for professional photographers who want to add a new revenue stream to their business.
Getting started with Shutterstock is easy. Its website provides the tools and resources you need to start making money. You can upload photos, illustrations, and videos to the site and receive royalties when they are purchased by customers. The website also offers a variety of tools to help you improve the quality and accuracy of your work.
To get started, you must submit a sample portfolio of 10 images for review. These images must be high-resolution and represent different topics. You will also need to add titles (descriptions), keywords, and categories. This information is known as metadata and makes it easier for potential buyers to find your work.
It is important to know that not all images are accepted by Shutterstock. In fact, many of the top sellers on the site are not the highest-quality photographs. This is because the company has a very high-quality standard and wants to maintain a certain level of quality across all of its content.
If you’re not sure if your images are right for the market, you can contact the editorial team at Shutterstock and request a review of your portfolio. The editorial team is made up of a network of creative professionals who are trained on all of the company’s technical and metadata standards and policies.
Editing your photos
Stock photos are images that can be purchased for use in a variety of ways. Whether you’re looking for a background image for your website or an eye-catching image to use in an advertising campaign, Shutterstock has a large library of high-quality images to meet your needs. They offer both free and subscription-based options to purchase images.
Becoming a stock photographer is easy, but it’s important to understand the terms and conditions of your work before you start selling. For example, you can’t sell copyrighted content that infringes upon others’ rights or contains any trademarks or logos. Additionally, your images must be tagged correctly to attract potential customers. For instance, if you submit a photo of a celebrity, it must be labeled as “celeb” or “actor.” Similarly, a photograph of a building must be labeled as “buildings.”
In addition to ensuring your photos are well-tagged, you should also edit the metadata of each image before uploading them. Adding the Description and Keywords field is especially helpful, as it will make it easier to find your photo in the future. You can add this information to the photo before uploading it or do it later using a program like Xpiks. The latter option is preferable because it will allow you to use the metadata on other microstock sites as well.
Once you’ve edited your photos, you can then begin the process of submitting them to shutterstock. The site will review your submissions and may accept or reject them. If your photos are accepted, you can earn royalties based on the amount of downloads they receive. If your images are rejected, you’ll be notified via email of the reason.
Uploading your photos
If you’re a photographer who’s looking for ways to monetize your creative talent, you may be interested in selling your photos to Shutterstock. This website offers a variety of photo licensing options and has a reputation for quality content. The site has a simple upload process and a review system that will help you get started. However, you’ll need to understand the licensing terms and submission guidelines before submitting your photos.
To begin the process, you need to create an account on Shutterstock’s contributor portal. You’ll then need to fill out a form that asks for personal information, including your name and email address. After that, you’ll need to provide a sample of your best work. You can also add a description and keywords to your images, which are known as metadata. These are important for helping customers find your photos.
Once you’ve created an account, you can begin uploading your images to Shutterstock. The site has a limit of 100MB per file, so it’s a good idea to use compression software to reduce the size of your files before uploading them. Additionally, you should avoid submitting photos that contain copyrighted material or trademarks. This includes statues, artwork, and buildings. If your photos contain recognizable people, you’ll need to submit a model release.
Once your photos are accepted, you’ll earn a royalty every time they sell. The amount of money you earn depends on the license and subscription package that your customer buys. You can earn anywhere from 25 to 38 cents for each download, depending on your earnings tier.
Getting paid
If you are a photographer, you can make a good living by selling stock photos on Shutterstock. The company has millions of paying customers and you can earn money every time someone downloads your images. There are also many extra tools available to streamline the process and track your earnings. However, you must be careful to create quality content and meet the Shutterstock requirements for getting paid.
The first step in becoming a Shutterstock contributor is to submit a sample of your best work. This will be reviewed by in-house editors to ensure that it meets their standards. This will increase your chances of approval and earning potential. In addition, you should add keywords and descriptions to each image to help customers find your photos. These will increase your chances of being approved by Crestock editors and making more sales.
Once you’ve been approved to sell on Shutterstock, you can start uploading your photos and receiving payments. The minimum payout is 15% of the sale price and increases as you sell more. Once you reach 25,000 images per year, you can expect to get up to 40% of the total sale price.
To maximize your earnings, you must be willing to invest time and effort into the creation of quality stock photography. The biggest buying base for stock photos is bloggers and small to medium sized website business owners, so it’s important to focus on these types of themes when creating your content. You should also research current trends and customer needs to ensure that your content is relevant. Using editing software like Adobe Lightroom and Luminar Neo can also make your photos more appealing.