Author Listings
Stocksy United
- Pay : 50% royalty on standard license sales. 75% royalty on extended license sales. Standard licenses typically sell for $30 to $150 per image. Extended licenses sell for $150 to $1,000+. Annual profit-sharing distributions for accepted cooperative members. Active contributors with curated libraries report $500 to $5,000+ per month.
- Best For : Professional photographers with a strong, visually distinctive portfolio who want the highest royalty rates available in the stock photography industry and a genuine ownership stake in the platform they contribute to.
- Skill Level : Advanced (distinctive professional portfolio required, selective application process)
- Payment Method : PayPal, bank transfer
- Country Availability : Globally
Dreamstime
- Pay : 25% royalty for non-exclusive contributors. Up to 60% for exclusive contributors. Per-download earnings range from $0.15 to $1.20 for subscription purchases and up to $30 for on-demand license purchases. $0.20 upload bonus per new submission available at higher contributor tiers.
- Best For : Photographers and illustrators willing to commit to exclusivity for significantly higher royalty rates, or creators who want a beginner-accessible platform with a referral income stream alongside their portfolio royalties
- Skill Level : Beginner to Intermediate
- Payment Method : PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill, checkv
- Country Availability : Globally
Depositphotos
- Pay : $0.25 to $0.33 per subscription download for new contributors. 30% to 38% royalty on on-demand pack purchases. Rates increase as your contributor level rises with lifetime downloads. Active contributors with large portfolios report $200 to $1,500+ per month depending on portfolio size and content demand.
- Best For : Photographers, illustrators, and videographers who want to build a diversified passive income portfolio across a globally active stock platform with a clear commission growth path
- Skill Level : Beginner to Intermediate
- Payment Method : PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill
- Country Availability : Globally
Getty Images
- Pay : 15% to 45% royalty depending on exclusivity and content category. Editorial and rights-managed content licenses for $100 to $10,000 per use depending on the publication and usage rights. A 15% royalty on a $1,000 editorial license earns $150 per single use.
- Best For : Professional photographers with high-quality editorial, news, sports, or commercial content who want access to the highest-paying licensing market in the stock media industry
- Skill Level : Advanced (professional photography or video quality required, editorial access preferred)
- Payment Method : PayPal, check, wire transfer
- Country Availability : Global
Pexels Contributor Program
- Pay : Earnings vary depending on contributor programs and brand partnerships. Client projects generated through portfolio exposure can range from $200 to $2,000+ per contract.
- Best For : Photographers and videographers who want free exposure, portfolio growth, donations, and occasional cash prize opportunities.
- Skill Level : Intermediate
- Payment Method : PayPal or bank transfer (where applicable)
- Country Availability : Globally
Unsplash
- Pay : Unsplash+ contributors typically earn $10 to $50 per accepted image, with the exact rate shown on each brief.
- Best For : Photographers and visual creators who want to build an audience while pursuing paid photography opportunities.
- Skill Level : Intermediate to Advanced
- Payment Method : Banking information and an available payment method selected through Unsplash's payment process.
- Country Availability : Globally
Foap
- Pay : Creators receive 50% of the license fee from standard Foap Market sales. Mission rewards vary by campaign, while branded opportunities can have their own rates.
- Best For : Photographers and video creators who want to earn from their existing visual content and take part in brand campaigns.
- Skill Level : Beginner (smartphone camera and basic photography eye required)
- Payment Method : PayPal
- Country Availability : Globally
Alamy
- Pay : Contributors can earn between 20% and 50% of gross sales depending on their commission tier and the type of content sold.
- Best For : Photographers with existing collections of travel, editorial, lifestyle, documentary, or commercial images.
- Skill Level : Intermediate (quality review required, technical standards enforced)
- Payment Method : PayPal, bank transfer
- Country Availability : International.
Adobe Stock (Contributor)
- Pay : 33% royalty for photos, vectors, and illustrations, and 35% for video under Adobe's standard royalty rates.
- Best For : Photographers, videographers, illustrators, graphic designers, and creators who already produce original visual content.
- Skill Level : Intermediate (quality review process applies, technical standards required)
- Payment Method : PayPal, Skrill, bank transfer
- Country Availability : International.
Shutterstock (Contributor)
- Pay : Contributors earn 15% to 40% of the amount allocated to each licensed download, depending on their earnings level and the type of content sold.
- Best For : Photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, videographers, and other creators who want to earn from licensing original digital content.
- Skill Level : Beginner to Advanced
- Payment Method : PayPal, Skrill, bank transfer (Payoneer in some regions)
- Country Availability : International, subject to Shutterstock's contributor eligibility, payment, and legal requirements.