On this page, you can find an updated list of the best Microstock and Macrostock agencies where you can sell your pictures and stock footage.
In the past few years, I had the chance to work with several microstock websites. Not all of them have proved to be a good choice. Some agencies are really good and can help you sell many images; others are a waste of time. On this page, I’ll regularly update my personal list of the best Microstock and Macrostock websites to sell your images.
Best Microstock and Macrostock websites
Adobestock has carved out an important place in the world of microstock thanks to its commission model and asinine decisions by other agencies (the latest of which is Shutterstock). After buying Fotolia, it has continued to grow and is set to become increasingly important.
One problem is that it does not accept editorial images. If this changes in the future, I imagine that in a short time, Adobestock will become the first agency in terms of the number of sales.
A feature of Alamy is that the curators don’t check every picture, only a small sample. This means the number of photos uploaded is very high, and the competition is strong. It can also take a long time between the first upload and the first sale. You’ll have to be patient, but eventually, you can make money with Alamy.
Alamy used to pay photographers a 50% commission until 2018. Unfortunately, starting in 2019, they reduced it to 40%. I also noticed a drop in sales.
Getty Images’ success is very much linked to its business model: It bought out most of its competitors and made several agreements to host collections from other sites on its website. Unfortunately, average sale prices have been quite low, but despite this, Getty still seems to be the secret dream of many photographers.
Currently, Getty is not accepting new photographers. If you want to become a contributor, I explain how to do it here, but remember that the commissions are really low: about 20%.
Before the creation of newer agencies such as Shutterstock, iStockphoto didn’t have any alternative and was a real goldmine for photographers who joined early: the average quality of the pictures was very high (thus attracting the best clients), the prices were high as well, and on top of that if you were an exclusive contributor, you would also sell on Getty Images (back when it was a decent agency) Since then many things have changed. Today, iStock is an agency in decline.
Now, iStock is just a shadow what it used to be.
Other Agencies
In addition to the agencies I mentioned, I upload my content to these other websites: Dreamstime, Shutterstock, Motion Array, and ClickAlps.
The sales per agency are quite low, but when you add them up, they account for about 1/5 of the total revenue. If you’re wondering whether or not it’s worth continuing to work with these agencies, the answer is it depends: some months you’ll sell a lot, some months you won’t. But I recommend diversifying as much as possible if it doesn’t involve wasting too much time.
However, if I see that an agency doesn’t make me earn much within a reasonable amount of time, as with Depositphotos and 123R, I stop uploading my content there.
Sell photos and videos as NFT and AI-generated images
I wrote a detailed article explaining how NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) work and if you can monetize your photos and videos through this tool.
I recommend you read it because it’s a relatively new technology that may have a lot of potential. It’s a rather complicated topic, but in my opinion, it cannot be ignored. If you want to know more about AI-generated images, check out this article.
What about Shutterstock?
Unfortunately, Shutterstock went from being the best to the worst agency in just six days. Since June 1st, 2020, it has changed its commission model and cut the earnings of the contributors by as much as 70%. I strongly advise against starting to upload your best photos to Shutterstock. An alternative would be uploading your best content on Alamy or Adobestock and then dumping the other pictures on Shutterstock.
Best websites to sell Stockfootage
I recently joined Motion Array. The commission model is very complicated, and long story short, the sales prices per file are some of the lowest I’ve ever seen. However, this agency does have one notable advantage: the sale volumes are quite high, and for this reason, in recent months, it has become my best-performing agency for stock footage content.
Many microstock websites allow you to sell stock footage, but Pond5 was one of the best options.
I don’t have many videos since I’m more into photography, but I did sell a few of them in the past.
Unfortunately, Shutterstock recently bought Pond5, and the sales have plummeted
Best tools to edit your pictures and videos
LUMINAR PRO
Luminar Neo combines the power of artificial intelligence with Skylum’s experience in creating photo editing software. It helps to perform complex operations such as replacing the sky and removing power lines in just a few clicks. I’ve been using Skylums’ software for years, and I recommend it.
Topaz Photo AI
Like Luminar, Topaz uses AI to evaluate photos and apply the best settings.
As I wrote in my blog, it’s a particular tool that sometimes works incredibly well on certain photos and other times doesn’t.
LRTIMELAPSE
If you are into time-lapse photography, I’m sure you know how to use LR Timelapse. The reason is simple: it’s the best software to create time-lapses, especially if you want a smooth day-to-night transition. Without this software, the time-lapse will suffer from an ugly effect called flickering.
TM Panel
Double exposure can be useful if the scene’s dynamic range is too high. TM Panel is one of the best Photoshop Panels for blending exposures.
This is quite an advanced panel, so it will take a while to master all of its settings.
Best online courses to improve your photography skills
If you want to progress and improve your photography skills, spending money on a good video series is the best suggestion.
The advantage of online courses, compared to workshops, is that they allow you to learn new things while sitting in your home, and if you don’t understand something, you can always watch the video repeatedly. There is an infinite number of more or less valid courses, and before buying any, I suggest you check the online reviews. This is because you will often not learn anything new: the courses are often a gold mine for those making them. That being said, here’s a list of what I think are very good courses that will teach you something new.
Drone Launch Academy
Drone Launch Academy is a video course created by Alex Harris, an experienced video editor, after-effects animator, camera operator, and professional drone pilot. The videos get straight to the point and cover practical topics to help you become a successful drone pilot.
Elia Locardi and Fstoppers
Elia Locardi is one of the most famous and successful photographers. He has established a real personal brand, and the number of collaborations with international brands is countless. He produced many courses that will teach you to master Photoshop and Lightroom.
Finally, I want to mention one of the best websites out there focused on stock photography and videos: Brutallyhonestmicrostock, managed by Alex, a veteran in the microstock world. He regularly talks about new agencies and possible strategies to increase sales. A very good feature of his blog is that he publishes his revenue every month, which is divided by agency. This will give you a clear idea of what to expect if you decide to contribute to a specific agency to which he’s also a contributor. Definitely recommended.
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