Shutterstock is expanding our licensing opportunities by introducing a new "Unlimited downloads subscription" option.
Q: What is the Unlimited downloads subscription?
A: Shutterstock’s Unlimited downloads subscription is a subscription service for individual customers, allowing them to license digital assets for a fixed monthly fee. The Unlimited downloads subscription is an offering designed to capture an emerging market of individual users.
Q: What type of customers will purchase an Unlimited downloads subscription?
A: Our Unlimited downloads subscription provides the best value for individuals who need a mix of photos, illustrations, video and music tracks. To prevent fraud and abuse of the platform, high-volume users may run into system restrictions on how much Content can be downloaded within certain periods of time.
Q: Which Contributors are included?
A: Only a small Contributor Pilot group, who have been notified by email, are invited to participate in the initial launch of the Unlimited downloads subscription. If you have received the invitation via email, you have been automatically opted into licensing.
Q: How can my contributor account be included?
A: You can let us know if you are interested in being included in this licensing option in the future by adding your Contributor ID here. We will get back to you with next steps if your content is the right fit for the Unlimited offering.
Q: How will I get paid?
A: Unlimited downloads subscription licenses get paid via the Subscriber Share model.
Q: What is the Subscriber Share method?
A: Contributor earnings on the Unlimited downloads subscription are based on a "Subscriber Share" revenue model. 50% of the net subscription revenue is allocated among the individual contributors whose content was downloaded by each subscriber during that month. Your share of this 50% is determined by how valuable your assets were to each subscriber, with earnings assigned based on the importance of your items to the subscriber’s usage.
Q: How will I track my earnings?
A: Your Unlimited subscription earnings can be found on your contributor dashboard Earnings > Earnings Summary > By Month > Unlimited subscription column.
Example:
Q: When are my earnings paid?
A: Earnings are automatically included in the monthly payment cycle for Shutterstock contributors including the Unlimited license type. Accrued earnings for the prior month are calculated at the beginning of every calendar month. Per our standard process, contributors whose accrued earnings meet the minimum payout amount and are eligible to receive payment are notified by email once their earnings are calculated. Once payments are issued, they are reflected in the account Payment history.
Q: Will my asset still be available outside of the Unlimited downloads subscription program?
A: Yes, your assets will still be part of the main Shutterstock library and available for all of our customers to license.
Q: Can I opt out?
A: Yes, you can manage all of your licensing options, including Unlimited, in your account settings. To change licensing permissions in your account:
Sign in to your account
Navigate to your Account settings
Scroll down to the section "Licensing Options"
Toggle "Yes" or "No" for the listed options
Click “Save”
Note: It can take up to 72 hours for the removal or reactivation of your portfolio to be reflected on our website. Please note that if you choose to remove your content from creative marketplace licensing, you will not be able to reinstate your portfolio on the customer site for 30 days. This provision ensures the stability of our content library and guarantees a consistent customer experience.
Q: What if I want to opt back in later?
A: To opt back in to Unlimited, scroll down to the section “Licensing Options” in your Account Settings and toggle “yes”.
Q: Can I remove select assets from the Unlimited downloads subscription program?
A: The Unlimited invitation is at the contributor account level and individual assets can not be removed.
Our ultimate goal is to build a sustainable, thriving marketplace where you can continue to succeed over the long term. Please contact us with any additional questions or concerns you may have about the Unlimited license.