Shutterstock is the world’s first global image subscription service. It is still one of the most popular and most used microstock websites and has hundreds of millions of licensed images available for purchase. Businesses, marketing agencies, and media outlets from all around the world use Shutterstock for their editorial and commercial needs, and the platform continues to grow.

 Anyone can become a Shutterstock contributor and get paid for submitting their photos. The website has a great payment system that allows photographers to earn a steady income by simply uploading their work. If you are wondering how much Shutterstock pays its contributors, this article is for you.

 

In the paragraphs below, we will take a closer look at the different ways in which you can make money on Shutterstock. We will also provide you with tips on how to create and optimize your account, as well as offer some advice that will help make you a successful Shutterstock contributor.

About Shutterstock

Shutterstock was founded in 2003 by photographer Jon OrringerIs as a way to provide licensed images at reasonable prices. He began with only around 30,000 of his own photographs, but the platform quickly grew as more and more contributors joined. Today, over 150,000 images are uploaded to Shutterstock weekly and the website hosts over 200 million stock photographs, illustrations, and vector images. Shutterstock is now a publicly-traded company with headquarters in New York and offices all around the world.

 

Shutterstock has a huge customer base of over 1.4 million users in 150 countries and a community of over 100,000 contributors. The company has paid out more than half a billion dollars to its contributors over the years, making Shutterstock a great way for photographers to earn extra cash.

How Much Does Shutterstock Pay Its Contributors?

Shutterstock contributors receive royalties every time one of their images is downloaded by a user. Royalties are determined by several factors, including the contributor’s earnings tier, the license type, and the subscription used for each download. Shutterstock offers two ways in which users can purchase images — on-demand downloads and subscription plans. Your earnings tier is formed by your lifetime earnings and the on-demand and subscription-based downloads of your images.

 

Here are the different lifetime earning tiers that Shutterstock offers:

 

• Tier 1: $0 – 500
• Tier 2: $500 – $3,000
• Tier 3: $3,000 – $10,000
• Tier 4: $10,000+

Subscription Packages

Shutterstock’s subscription plans let users download up to 750 images for a monthly fee, using a standard license. Depending on your earnings tier, you will receive from $0.25 to $0.38 each time one of your images is downloaded using a subscription plan.

On-Demand Purchases

On-demand plans let users buy a set of images under a standard or enhanced license. Once purchased, the image set is available to the user for one year. Different packages come with different rules, such as restrictions on image size. Contributors can receive from $0.81 to $1.24 per download for images with restrictions and from $1.88 to $2.85 per download for images without restrictions.

Shutterstock License Types

Shutterstock has two main types of licenses for its images — standard and enhanced. The standard license puts a restriction on how many times a purchased image can be used for print purposes and forbids its use on products. With the enhanced license, users can utilize the purchased images for commercial and merchandising purposes. Any royalties you receive as a contributor depend on the license used for purchasing your images.

 

In addition to standard and enhanced licenses, there is also a third option — custom licenses. A custom license is designed for marketing agencies and publishers and usually involves a high-volume purchase. Depending on your earnings tier and license cost, you can receive from $2 to $15 in royalties for custom license images.

 

Some custom license images come with a “sensitive use”, which can make your royalties considerably bigger. “Sensitive use” is meant for images that feature a recognizable model used in a way that implies they suffer from a physical or mental health issue. Keep in mind that the “sensitive use” flag does not automatically mean that the image will be used in such a way. Custom license pictures that are flagged to “sensitive use” pay from $75 to $90 and above in royalties.

Referral Program

Shutterstock also has an excellent referral program that allows you to make money by introducing new contributors to the platform. You will receive $0.04 every time a contributor you referred to makes a sale for the first two years after they join the website. If your referred contributor produces videos, you will receive 10% of the sale price every time a user buys one of their videos.

 

In addition to referring contributors, you can also refer customers to Shutterstock. You can get 20% of the first payment of a referred customer. However, this amount cannot be more than $200. Also, keep in mind that Shutterstock has the right to halt any referral payments for up to 90 days.

Becoming a Shutterstock Contributor

Joining Shutterstock and becoming a contributor is an easy and streamlined process that does not take a lot of time. All you have to do is create a Shutterstock account by submitting your contact information along with a valid email. Once your account is ready, you can start submitting your images using the Shutterstock content upload tool. It makes it really simple to upload, categorize, and label content — as a result, anyone can quickly and easily create their contributor account and start making money.

 

When it comes to receiving your royalties, you will also need to choose your preferred payment method. As of now, Shutterstock supports PayPal, checks, Skrill, and Payoneer as available payout options.

How to Register a Shutterstock Account

Shutterstock accounts belong to only one person and cannot be shared with anyone else. In order to register an account, you need to be at least 18 years old. Depending on the country you reside in, you might be required to provide some legal identification in order to verify your account. Each user generally gets only one account — however, in some cases, you might need to open an additional one. In order to do that, you need special permission from Shutterstock itself.

 

When it comes to uploading content, you need to be the sole owner of anything you submit. Your images are not allowed to include any copyrighted material unless you submit a release along with them. The same goes for trademarks, logos, or marks that can be easily identified. Keep in mind that you should not add any copyrights or watermarks to the images you submit to Shutterstock.

How to Avoid Account Suspension

In order to provide a safe experience for all users, Shutterstock has a number of rules and regulations in place. Failure to comply with any of them might result in your account getting suspended. The first time a violation occurs you will only receive a warning — however, if the behavior continues, your Shutterstock contributor account will be terminated.

 

Here are a few examples of actions that will put your account at risk.

 

• Sharing a payment account with another Shutterstock contributor
• Spamming keywords in the title or description of your uploads
• Plagiarising another contributor’s description and keywords for an image
• Submitting images that seem to be plagiarized from other contributors
• Resubmitting images rejected by Shutterstock without addressing the issues
• Inputting inappropriate keywords for your uploads
• Adding keywords that were removed by admins
• Changing a caption that was previously edited by an admin

How to Get Paid on Shutterstock

Contributors at Shutterstock receive their money on monthly payment cycles that reset at the beginning of each month. If your preferred payment option is Paypal, Payoneer, or Skrill, you will be paid between the 7th and 15th of the month. If you want to get paid by check, your money will be processed around the 15th and it will take from 2 to 4 weeks for your check to arrive.

 

Each Shutterstock contributor needs to set a minimum payout amount for their account. As soon as your earnings reach that threshold, you will receive an email stating that your payment is due. The default minimum payout is $35, but many contributors like to raise it to avoid excessive processing fees. Keep in mind that in order to get paid, you need to have an approved tax form on file. Some countries require a waiting period before your money becomes available — sometimes it can reach up to 90 days.

 

One last thing to keep in mind — if your account is suspended or under investigation, you are not eligible to receive any money until the situation is resolved.

How to Submit Photos to Shutterstock

When it comes to submitting photos to Shutterstock, you need to be aware of certain regulations that the platform has. Your photos need to be either JPEG or TIFF files and must be at least 4 megapixels. You can upload files that are less than 50 MB directly from your account page. However, bigger files can only be uploaded via FTP.

 

Each piece of content at Shutterstock comes with a set of metadata that allows it to be discovered by users. Metadata includes attributes like category, title, description, and keywords. As soon as you upload an image, you have to input its metadata information. There are various recommended practices and guidelines you can follow to ensure your content is optimized in the best possible way.

Best Practices for Titles

• Use descriptive sentences that explain the image in a detailed way
• Include technical details, such as focus, angle, etc.
• Point out any unique features of the piece
• Do not simply list out keywords
• Avoid repeating keywords or phrases
• Do not include contributor names, links, camera information, etc.

Best Practices for Keywords

• List individual words and phrases
• Include topics, associations, concepts, and feelings
• Use up to 50 keywords
• Make sure each keyword is relevant to the image
• Do not repeat keywords
• Avoid general words and phrases
• Do not include contributor names, links, camera information, etc.

What Is the Review Process at Shutterstock?

Each piece of content you upload to Shutterstock will be reviewed by the platform’s team. Composed of experienced professionals and artists, the Shutterstock review team has the task of ensuring that each image on the website is compliant, legal, and safe to use. The review process usually takes from 72 hours to 7 business days, depending on how busy the team is and the specific content that is being reviewed. If the process takes even longer, the content in question was probably referred to a manager for an opinion.

 

It is important to point out that different reviewers have slightly different opinions on what is considered acceptable or not. If an image you submitted was rejected due to technical issues, you can request an evaluation from a different reviewer.

 

Here are some of the factors considered by the Shutterstock review team when approving contributor submissions.

 

• Any submissions need to comply with all Shutterstock policies regarding content
• Reviewers check if all relevant releases for the content are filled properly
• Technical aspects such as focus, noise, and lighting are also inspected
• Reviewers check whether there are issues with trademarks, copyrights, or intellectual property violations
• All metadata is inspected to ensure its relevance, accuracy, and adherence to Shutterstock guidelines

Releases

In contrast to most other microstock websites, Shutterstock requires more in terms of releases for content. For example, photos of private property require property releases, and images of identifiable people require adult or minor releases. Here are some of the more specific types of releases you need to be mindful of as a Shutterstock contributor.

3D Interiors

Any images with 3D interiors need to have a property release with the name of the software used for its creation and a confirmation that you have the right to license content created with it.

Artwork

Images that contain any form of artwork require property releases in order to be submitted. Those include paintings, sculptures, architecture, etc.

Nudity

While Shutterstock allows images that include nudity of “artistic value,” any featured models need to be at least 21 years old. You need to provide a model ID and a full model release in order for the image to be approved. Keep in mind that Shutterstock has the right to approve or reject such images at its own discretion.

Vintage Images

Vintage images can be submitted to Shutterstock, but the platform will accept them only if they are not in the public domain. You also need to provide all related property and model releases in order to get the image approved.

Submitting Editorial Images to Shutterstock

Shutterstock also accepts editorial images that are not intended for commercial use. Those can be either documentary or illustrative images that portray an event or subject of human interest. Images submitted as editorial go through an even tougher review process and must do the following in order to get approved:

 

• Be tagged as editorial upon submission
• Have relevant keywords and an editorial caption
• Adhere to the Shutterstock editorial image requirements
• Adhere to the Shutterstock documentary or illustrative editorial image requirements

 

Each editorial image must include a caption that clearly states the who, what, where, when, and why for the piece. The format that needs to be used for the caption is CITY, STATE/COUNTRY – MONTH DAY YEAR, followed by an accurate description of what the image represents. When choosing keywords for your editorial image, you need to include “editorial,” “illustrative,” and “documentary,” depending on the type of image you are submitting.

 

When it comes to quality, illustrative editorial images need to have the same level as the images for commercial use. Documentary images can have lower quality, but need to accurately communicate the event or subject they address. Generally, editorial images should not be tampered with, but some small post-processing work is allowed if it improves the quality.

How to Sell Your Photos on Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a vibrant community with over a hundred thousand contributors. As you might expect, standing out and selling your images can be a bit tough with such stiff competition. However, there are a few things you can do to improve your exposure and sell more.

Be Original

Finding a content niche that does not have a lot of contributions is a sure way to improve your visibility on Shutterstock. The less competition you have, the higher the chance your images will sell better.

Optimize Your Captions

Captions are essential to making your content noticeable and attracting new prospective buyers. Make sure you write long and descriptive captions that go into as much detail as possible.

Use Smart Keywords

Keywords are the best way to ensure your images are found by people that are likely to buy them. Shutterstock allows for up to 50 keywords for any given content, so you need to make the most of it. Keywords need to be related to your image and describe it in the best possible manner. For inspiration, look at the keywords used by other contributors on Shutterstock — just make sure you don’t copy them directly.

Submit Photos Frequently

Instead of uploading bulks of images, submit a few on a regular basis. If you do this, your content will be frequently seen in Shutterstock’s new images section, making sure you are in front of as many eyes as possible.

Go Editorial

Editorial images are another great way to ensure you get both exposure and sales. Be on the lookout for events in your area and snap some photos. There is a chance that you will be the only Shutterstock contributor to cover the event, making your images unique and in demand.

See What’s In Demand

Shutterstock has a monthly shot list that showcases the most requested images for the period. Checking it out frequently will give you a good idea of what is in demand and what sells best.

Explore the Creative Trends Page

Shutterstock’s Creative Trends show what content is expected to be popular in the next year. The platform analyzes searches from its extensive user base to determine what will be in demand. As you might expect, the Creative Trends page comes in handy if you want to produce content that sells.

Follow Shutterstock’s Blog

Shutterstock provides quite helpful tips on how to be a successful contributor via its blog section. You should also follow the corresponding Twitter page for the latest updates and more handy advice on using the platform to earn money.

Create Sets of Images

Sorting your content into sets and categories helps it be more organized and easy to browse through. On top of that, sets can quickly give potential buyers the type of images you specialize in.

Conclusion

Shutterstock is perhaps the most popular microstock website and offers a good way for photographers and artists to make money. When it comes to how much Shutterstock pays its contributors, the payment percentage is generally higher than most other similar websites. On top of that, the platform offers several ways to earn money, including referrals and creating editorial content.

 

Another great benefit of Shutterstock is the fact that the platform is not exclusive. You can submit your content to other non-exclusive platforms and maximize your profits. Overall, becoming a Shutterstock contributor is definitely worth it. Create your account today and see why.