by Shutterstock, Inc.Stock video marketplaces for contributors
A free, open, non-exclusive program that licenses your footage to Shutterstock buyers for a 15% to 40% share that rises with the year’s video licenses.
Put your footage in front of Shutterstock’s buyers and partner channels for free, while you keep selling the same clips anywhere else.
Shutterstock Contributor costs nothing to join and is open to anyone 18 or over. Accepted clips are licensed on shutterstock.com, on Enterprise plans and through Shutterstock’s other brands and platforms and partner sites, and you keep the copyright and the right to sell the same footage elsewhere. Each license pays a percentage that rises with the year’s video licenses, from 15% to 40%, and data licensing adds a Contributor Fund share unless you opt out. The vendor states it has paid contributors over $1 billion since 2003.
Against 3 other products we reviewed in Stock video marketplaces for contributors: what you pay for with each, the five access facts, the plan limits we recorded and each review's bottom line. The note under the table says how each one was checked.
| Metric | Shutterstock Contributor | Pond5 | Adobe Stock Contributor | Storyblocks Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Built-in reachPut your footage in front of Shutterstock’s buyers and partner channels for free, while you keep selling the same clips anywhere else. | Built-in reachSell footage to a video-first buyer base at a flat 30% share from the first license, with no levels to climb and nothing to pay to join. | Built-in reachSell footage on Adobe Stock and inside Adobe’s own apps for one flat 35% share, with the dollar earnings per download published up front. | Built-in reachAdd your existing footage to a subscription library of everyday creators and business customers, without giving up the right to sell it elsewhere. |
| Overall score | 7.7Best | 7.5 | 6.5 | 4.7 |
| Free option | Free plan | Free plan | Free plan | Free plan |
| Card to start | No card needed | No card needed | No card needed | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve | Approval wait |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices | Public prices | Prices hidden |
| Video royalty (new non-exclusive seller) | 15% for the first 10 video licenses a year; 22% average over 100, computed | 30% flat from the first license; no levels | 35% flat from the first license | Not stated as a percentage; a monthly share of a revenue pool, split by downloads |
| Highest video royalty | 40% over 25,000 video licenses a year; no exclusive program | 40% exclusive (video only; Shutterstock still allowed) | 35%; no levels and no exclusive program | Not stated; video is non-exclusive only, with no exclusive rate |
| Dollar earnings per download published | No, a percentage of the price received | No, a percentage of net license revenue | Yes: $2.80 to $8.40 (subscriptions), $22.40 to $28.00 (HD), $56.00 to $70.00 (4K), US prices | No; the agreement says per-download earnings are not disclosed |
| Per-download minimum | $0.10 at every level | Not stated | Not stated for video | Not stated |
| Payout minimum | $25 (you can set it up to $2,000) | $25 (fixed; smaller balances roll over) | $25 | $10 on Payoneer; not stated for other methods |
| How payouts are made | Automatic, monthly | Automatic, monthly on the 15th | On request, from 45 days after the first sale | Automatic, monthly on the 15th; you can hold payments |
| Payout methods | Payoneer, PayPal, Skrill (no bank transfer, wire or check) | PayPal, Skrill (4% deducted), Payoneer | PayPal, Payoneer (outside the US only), Skrill | Payoneer, PayPal, direct deposit, wire, check, eCheck ($0 to $25 fee per payout) |
| Joining | Open and free; tax form needed; every file reviewed | Open and free; government ID check before submitting; every file reviewed | Open and free with an Adobe ID; email and phone checks; every file reviewed | Free, by application with a portfolio review; under 5% of artist applications accepted |
| Removing clips | Delete one or many at any time | Delete single files any time; batch removal through support | Delete one at any time; removing more than 100 items or 10% (whichever is greater) in 90 days needs 90 days’ notice | By request, with 30 days’ notice |
| AI training use of your clips | Data licensing at a 20% average share; video opt-out | Dataset licensing at 20% per licensed item; opt-out | Used to train Firefly; no opt-out; discretionary yearly bonus | Covered by the agreement; AI revenue share at a rate Storyblocks sets; no opt-out described |
| AI-generated video | Not accepted | Not accepted | Accepted when labelled | Not accepted |
| Bulk upload and metadata | FTPS and CSV metadata; web upload of up to 100 files | FTP and CSV metadata; batch edit and templates | CSV metadata; SFTP for qualified accounts | sFTP and CSV metadata (Shutterstock and Pond5 CSVs accepted); web upload of up to 100 files |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, Shutterstock Contributor is a free, open, non-exclusive outlet with paid and optional data licensing and automatic monthly payouts. The share starts at 15% and resets every January, and a few pages disagree on payout details. | From its public pages, Pond5 is a free, footage-first marketplace with a flat 30% share, a 40% exclusive option that still allows Shutterstock, and paid, optional dataset licensing. Video prices follow tiers that are not published. | From its public pages, Adobe Stock Contributor pays a flat 35% on video from standard plans, credit packs and on-demand, and publishes the dollar figures per download. Clips also train Firefly with no opt-out, payouts are on request, and rates can change with no notice period. | From its public pages, Storyblocks Contributor is an application-only, non-exclusive video library with well-documented payouts and useful bulk tools. Pay is a share of a pool whose size is not published, and the agreement covers AI dataset use with no opt-out described. |
Evidence: Shutterstock Contributor: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Pond5: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Adobe Stock Contributor: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Storyblocks Contributor: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
Review from public pages
Written from Shutterstock Contributor's public pages (pricing, security or privacy, and docs) as read on Oct 15, 2026. We did not sign up, and no hands-on run is published yet.
We read Shutterstock's contributor home page, the Earnings Schedule, the Contributor Terms of Service (effective Sep 5, 2023) and about 40 help center articles on earnings, payouts, licensing options, data licensing, uploads and the AI content policy on Oct 15, 2026; we did not sign up, upload or log in for this review. The buyer pricing pages on www.shutterstock.com returned an error to us, so buyer prices come from the Internet Archive copy of the US video pricing page (Sep 13, 2026, 'Prices shown in US Dollars').
The earnings rules are well documented. The Earnings Schedule lists six video levels counted separately from images, the help center says a pack or subscription download is valued as if the plan were fully used, and $0.10 is the minimum per download at every level. Payouts are automatic each month once your balance reaches the minimum you set, from $25 to $2,000. Dataset use is paid from the Contributor Fund, and creative and data licensing each have their own toggle for video. The help center also publishes a monthly Shot List of shoot briefs drawn from customer search trends, and referral rates: 10% of what Shutterstock receives on a referred contributor's clips for a year, or 20% of a referred customer's first payment, up to $200.
A few points need a question. The terms say royalties under the $25 minimum are forfeited if you cancel, while the help center says unpaid earnings are paid out before closing. One payout article mentions checks while another says checks are not supported, and the technical specs list vertical sizes while the mobile article asks for vertical clips to be rotated. The terms promise notice before changes but give no period, and a site banner says contributors without a tax form will be unable to upload from October 2026.
Anyone 18 or over can register without fees or a portfolio application, each file is reviewed, rejected first submissions can be retried without limit, and the same clips can be sold on other sites.
vs Pond5: iStock and Storyblocks ask for an application first; Pond5 asks for a government ID check before you submit.
The Earnings Schedule pays a "20% average corporate royalty rate" of data-license revenue through the Contributor Fund, and video has its own opt-out toggle in Account Settings.
vs Pond5: Adobe Stock uses clips to train Firefly with no opt-out and a discretionary bonus; Pond5 also pays 20% for datasets, with an opt-out.
Payments are sent each month without a request once the balance reaches the minimum you choose, anywhere from $25 to $2,000; smaller balances roll over.
Compared: Adobe Stock pays only on request, and iStock’s payout minimum is $100.
Every download earns at least $0.10, and a download from an unused pack or subscription is valued at the full-use price per asset.
vs Pond5: Adobe Stock and Pond5 state no minimum per video download.
FTPS upload, CSV metadata and batch edits of keywords and categories; the specs list 4K and ProRes. The monthly Shot List turns customer search trends into shoot briefs, and a contributor you refer earns you 10% of what Shutterstock receives for their clips for a year.
Compared: iStock’s public pages describe no FTP or CSV upload.
Level 1 pays 15% for the first 10 video licenses of the year, 20% from the 11th and 25% from the 51st. Over 100 licenses in a year that averages 22% (computed), and there is no exclusive program with a higher rate.
Workaround: Video levels are counted apart from images, and the first step comes early: 20% from the 11th video license.
Royalties are a share of the price Shutterstock receives, after refunds, taxes and currency costs, so the same share pays less on low-priced subscription downloads. The help center says some large subscription packs, at $0.20 to $0.30 a download, pay the $0.10 minimum, without naming video plans.
Workaround: The earnings view groups clip packs, cart sales and enhanced licenses apart, so you can see which sales pay more.
Payouts go only to Payoneer, PayPal or Skrill; wire, bank transfer and check are not supported, provider fees are not stated, and a Payoneer account already used with other companies cannot be reused.
Workaround: The help center suggests checking which provider works in your country and its rates before choosing.
Submissions are capped at 100 video clips in any rolling 7-day period. The terms and help center differ on whether a balance under $25 is forfeited on closing, payout articles differ on checks, and the terms give no notice period for changes.
Workaround: Ask Contributor Support in writing before closing with a balance, or switch licensing off instead of closing.
Joining and selling cost nothing. You earn a percentage of the price Shutterstock receives per license, set by your video level for the calendar year: 15% for the first 10 video licenses, 20% to 50, 25% to 250, then 30%, 35% and 40% over 25,000. On the archived US video pricing page (Sep 13, 2026), a 4K clip from a 25-clip pack ($1,815) works out to $72.60, so Level 1 pays about $10.89; a clip from a 5-a-month yearly subscription ($708) is $11.80 at full use, or $1.77 at 15% (all computed). The help center gives a $0.10 minimum per download for large subscription packs priced as low as $0.20 to $0.30 a download; the archived US video subscriptions work out to $5.95 (20 a month, billed yearly) to $23.80 (5 a month, no contract) a clip (computed). Dataset use adds a Contributor Fund share, paid periodically. Payout provider fees are not stated, and W-8 filers may have US tax withheld.
You can delete clips one at a time or in bulk from the Marketplace Catalog; the terms commit Shutterstock to reasonable efforts to remove them from affiliate and partner sites within 90 days, and licenses already issued stay valid. You can also switch licensing off in Account settings and keep the year’s level. To close the account, any balance is paid out first by emailing [email protected], and the terms allow up to 90 days. No bulk export of files or metadata is described.
From its public pages, Shutterstock Contributor is a free, open, non-exclusive outlet with paid and optional data licensing and automatic monthly payouts. The share starts at 15% and resets every January, and a few pages disagree on payout details.
| Limit | As recorded |
|---|---|
| Video royalty (new non-exclusive seller) | 15% for the first 10 video licenses a year; 22% average over 100, computed |
| Highest video royalty | 40% over 25,000 video licenses a year; no exclusive program |
| Dollar earnings per download published | No, a percentage of the price received |
| Per-download minimum | $0.10 at every level |
| Payout minimum | $25 (you can set it up to $2,000) |
| How payouts are made | Automatic, monthly |
| Payout methods | Payoneer, PayPal, Skrill (no bank transfer, wire or check) |
| Joining | Open and free; tax form needed; every file reviewed |
| Removing clips | Delete one or many at any time |
| AI training use of your clips | Data licensing at a 20% average share; video opt-out |
| AI-generated video | Not accepted |
| Bulk upload and metadata | FTPS and CSV metadata; web upload of up to 100 files |
Read from the vendor's public pages on Oct 15, 2026. No hands-on run is published yet. How we check
We have not published a sign-up run for Shutterstock Contributor yet. The access facts above were read from its sign-up and pricing pages on Oct 15, 2026.
We have not published API calls for Shutterstock Contributor yet.
Shutterstock Contributor lists 7 plans.
Prices as listed, USD, excluding tax; observed 2026-10-15.
Source: submit.shutterstock.com pricing page. Prices change; the observed date above is when our agent read them.
We read the earnings, payout, agreement, upload and AI pages of three stock video marketplaces on the same day and scored them on the same six indicators. What a new contributor earns per license, how payouts and AI training work, and who should pick which.
