I Sold a Photo on Adobe Stock and… Earned Pennies

Alan Smithee

Something just happened that shocked the hell out of me. I made my first sale on Adobe Stock and was notified that I earned a commission of 18 cents.

First, I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​it​ ​clear​ ​from​ ​the​ ​start​ ​that​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​claim​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​world-class​ ​photos,​ ​nor​ ​do​ ​I desire​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​living​ ​from​ ​photography (I’m an aerial cinematographer).​ ​My​ ​fear​ ​is​ ​that​ ​once​ ​money​ ​becomes involved,​ ​I​ ​might​ ​lose​ ​the​ ​incredible​ ​enjoyment​ ​I​ ​get​ ​from​ ​photography.​ ​At​ ​various​ ​times​ ​in​ ​my life​, ​it’s​ ​been​ ​my​ ​rock​ ​to​ ​cling​ ​to​ ​when​ ​all​ ​around​ ​has​ ​cast​ ​me​ ​adrift.​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​more​ ​at​ ​peace​ ​out taking​ ​photos than anything​ ​else​ ​I​ ​do​ ​in​ ​life.

At​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time,​ ​as​ ​we​ ​all​ ​know,​ ​it’s​ ​an​ ​expensive​ ​hobby ​with​ ​an​ ​ever​-increasing​ ​wish​ ​list​ ​of new​ ​gear,​ ​travel​ ​destinations​, ​etc​. So​ ​if​ ​I​ ​can​ ​make​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​dollars​ ​along​ ​the​ ​way, ​I​ ​am​ ​happy to​ ​do​ ​so.

For​ ​a​ ​while​ ​now​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​posting​ ​photos​ ​with​ ​several​ ​different​ ​stock​ ​companies.​ ​I​ ​do​ ​not​ ​sell that​ ​many,​ ​maybe​ ​one​ ​or​ ​two​ ​a​ ​month​ ​if​ ​I​ ​am​ ​lucky.​ ​Usually, a​ ​shot​ ​earns​ ​me​ ​somewhere between​ ​$15​ ​to​ ​$30​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​the​ ​license​ ​that’s​ ​purchased.​ ​Certainly, it’s ​no​ ​great​ ​income​, ​but​ ​it’s something…​ ​and​ ​it’s ​usually​ ​more​ ​a​ ​morale​ ​booster​ ​to​ ​think​ ​someone​ ​liked​ ​my​ ​photography enough​ ​to​ ​want​ ​to​ ​buy​ ​it,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​helps​ ​push​ ​me​ ​out​ ​the​ ​door​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​shooting.

Not​ ​long​ ​after​ Adobe unveiled Adobe Stock,​ ​I​ ​started​ ​uploading​ ​photos​ ​to the service.​ ​From​ ​what​ ​I​ ​could read​, ​the​ ​split​ ​offered​ ​on​ ​sales​ ​seemed​ ​in​ ​line​ ​with​ ​the​ ​other​ ​companies​ ​I​ ​sell​ ​through,​ ​and​ ​given that Adobe​ ​is​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​media​ ​related​ ​empire,​ ​it​ ​seemed​ ​like​ ​another​ ​good​ ​avenue​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​of dollars.

I​ ​awoke​ ​two​ ​days​ ​ago​ ​to​ ​see​ ​an​ ​email​ ​from​ ​Adobe​ ​saying​ ​congratulations​ ​I​ ​have​ ​sold​ ​an​ ​image. I​ ​opened​ ​the​ ​email​ ​to​ ​see​ ​this…

It​ ​took​ ​me​ ​a​ ​while​ ​to​ ​process​ ​what​ ​I​ ​had​ ​just​ ​seen.​ ​As​ ​I​ ​said​ ​before,​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​consider​ ​myself​ ​to​ ​be a​ ​great​ ​photographer,​ ​but​ ​18​ ​cents​ ​in commission​ ​really​ ​knocked​ ​me​ ​back​ ​in​ ​my​ ​seat.

As best as I could tell, purchasing a ‘standard’ license of a photo cost $9.99 and an extended license cost $79.95. If we base it off the standard license sale of $9.99, then 18 cents in commission is less then 2%.

I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​do​ ​some​ ​investigating​ ​to​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​how​ ​my​ ​commission​ ​could​ ​end​ ​up​ ​being​ ​so ridiculously​ ​small.​ ​​​My​ ​first​ ​stop​ ​was, of​ ​course, Adobe, ​and​ ​to​ ​be​ ​fair​ ​I​ ​received​ ​a​ ​very​ ​prompt​ ​and polite​ ​response.

That would be a subscription image purchase. Subscription customers receive a set number of images per month based on the subscription plan. This only applies to still core images and not video.

It looks like there was a $0.07 withholding. Have you submitted tax documents to your account? I can put you in touch with contributor relations if you have further questions.

So​ ​the​ ​good​ ​news​ ​is​ ​I​ ​was​ ​actually​ ​paid​ ​25​ ​cents,​ ​I​ ​shall​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​dine​ ​out​ ​tonite! I​ ​asked​ ​for​ ​my​ ​inquiry​ ​to​ ​be​ ​sent​ ​along​ ​and​ ​a​ ​little​ ​while​ ​later​ ​had​ ​this​ ​reply;

The top plan is $200 a month for 750 regular assets a month. Large subscriptions pay $0.27 to $0.57 an asset. The minimum payout guarantee for still images is $0.25.

You can find a detailed table showing royalty details at this link. https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/royalty-details.html

Upon​ ​viewing​ ​the​ ​links,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​reminded​ ​that​ ​the​ ​royalty​ ​rates​ ​they​ ​pay​ ​are​ ​33%​ ​for​ ​stills​ ​and 35%​ ​for​ ​video.​ ​Something​ ​I​ ​was​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​when​ ​I​ ​started​ ​uploading​ ​to​ ​Adobe​ ​Stock​ ​and​ ​a​ ​rate that’s​ ​in​ ​line​ ​with​ ​what​ ​many​ ​other​ ​stock​ ​companies​ ​offer.​ ​​​What​ ​I​ ​really​ ​wasn’t​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​was​ ​how the​ ​artists​ ​are​ ​the​ ​ones​ ​who​ ​will​ ​suffer​ ​because​ ​of​ ​their​ ​‘subscription’​ ​service.

If​ ​I​ ​go​ ​by​ ​the​ ​basic​ ​‘yearly’​ ​plan​ ​of​ ​$29.95​ ​a​ ​month​ ​for​ ​ten​ ​downloads​ ​per​ ​month,​ ​that​ ​makes each​ ​photo​ ​worth​ ​$2.95.​ ​33%​ ​of​ ​that​ ​equates​ ​to​ ​roughly​ ​$1​ ​commission​ ​for​ ​the​ ​artist.​ ​Their top​ ​plan​ ​is​ ​$199​ ​a​ ​month​ ​and​ ​that​ ​gives​ ​you​ ​750​ ​downloads​ ​per​ ​month.​ ​This​ ​means​ ​they​ ​are effectively​ ​selling​ ​photos​ ​for​ ​26​ ​cents​ ​each.​ ​This​ ​explains​ ​why​ ​they​ ​consider​ ​their​ ​25​ ​cents minimum​ ​commission​ ​to​ ​be​ ​generous​, ​I​ ​guess.

Adobe​ ​is​ ​a​ ​company​ ​who​ ​makes​ ​software​ ​primarily​ ​for​ ​the​ ​creative​ ​community.​ ​They​ ​make really​ ​good​ ​software​ ​that​ ​has​ ​allowed​ ​me​ ​to​ ​grow​ ​as​ ​an​ ​artist.​ ​In​ ​general, I​ ​can’t​ ​imagine​ ​the artistic​ ​community​ ​existing​ ​without​ ​many​ ​of​ ​their​ ​programs.​ ​​​So​ ​why​ ​is​ ​Adobe​ ​devaluing​ ​what the​ ​creative​ ​world​ ​does​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​their​ ​profits?​ ​How​ ​are​ ​we​ ​expected​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​paying​ ​them monthly​ ​fees​ ​for​ ​their​ ​software​ ​if​ ​they​ ​are​ ​driving​ ​down​ ​what​ ​we​ ​can​ ​earn​ ​so​ ​dramatically?

What​ ​Adobe​ ​is​ ​doing​ ​is​ ​simply​ ​following​ ​the​ ​market​ ​trend​ ​of​ ​paying​ ​the​ ​creative​ ​community​ ​less and​ ​less.​ ​Perhaps, however, Adobe​ ​can​ ​rethink​ ​their​ ​pricing​ ​with​ ​the​ ​understanding​ ​that​ ​if​ ​we​ ​the creative​ ​community​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​have​ ​our​ ​work​ ​devalued,​ ​eventually​ ​that’s​ ​going​ ​to​ ​come​ ​back and​ ​bite​ ​them​ ​because​ ​we​ ​won’t​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​their​ ​software.

P.S. I​ ​understand​ ​I​ ​am​ ​free​ ​to​ ​post​ ​my​ ​photos​ ​wherever​ ​I​ ​like​ ​and​ ​no​ ​one​ ​forced​ ​me​ ​to​ ​sell​ ​my​ ​work via​ ​Adobe.

About the author: ‘Alan Smithee’ is a photography enthusiast and professional aerial cinematographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

,
, , , ,
Related Articles
Adobe Turned the Worst Stock Photos Into a New Clothing Line
Creators Earned $47,000 From Stock Photos, But is it Really That Easy?
Reuters Teams Up with Adobe to Add its Photo Library to Adobe Stock
Adobe Unveils Free Collection of Over 70,000 Stock Photos and Other Assets
Discussion