Author Topic: Are sales on Alamy lower because: (Read 7581 times)

duns123 · « **on:** May 06, 2021, 08:34 »

I have the same images on several microstock sites but also on Alamy which isn't microstock I want to get out of microstock, especially SS because I don't agree with the unethical way they treat contributors. Sadly the sales on Alamy are very low. Is this because buyers can look at Alamy then find your images cheaper (via a google search) on microstock? Or is it because Alamy doesn't offer subs to buyers.

ShadySue · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2021, 09:22 »

Alamy has recently started a ~~subs~~ package deal offering to larger buyers, but not right down to current micro prices. Can't find a link atm, but it seems that that's what three sales I've had in the past week which were zoomed and notified on the same day were (that didn't happen before except Personal Use, there's usually a long waiting time.)

Whether having the same images on micro is harmful is moot. You'll read different experiences about that.
Don't only consider what some people say on the Alamy forum. Many have a hatred for micro, which is fair enough and understandable, but no experience whatsoever of micro. In the Golden Days of micro, some of them would have made far more on micro than they ever did on Alamy, but they refuse to believe that.
I'd say that Alamy is a different market, and traditional micro stuff doesn't do as well there, but that's only going by anecdotal experience I've read, nothing scientific.

I only have exclusive RM images on Alamy and I don't sell much there. What's particularly difficult is working out what sells: for me, it seems totally random.
People I know personally who supply live news do well there; in fact, for two of them, it's their livelihood
A couple of forum regulars do well with very 'pictorial' images.

alexandersr · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2021, 10:54 »

Quote from: duns123 on May 06, 2021, 08:34

I have the same images on several microstock sites but also on Alamy which isn't microstock I want to get out of microstock, especially SS because I don't agree with the unethical way they treat contributors. Sadly the sales on Alamy are very low. Is this because buyers can look at Alamy then find your images cheaper (via a google search) on microstock? Or is it because Alamy doesn't offer subs to buyers.

Microstock destroyed sites like Alamy. I think.

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 07, 2021, 11:04 »

Quote from: ShadySue on May 06, 2021, 09:22

What's particularly difficult is working out what sells ... it seems totally random

Yes, for sure. For me almost anything can sell there but the low numbers make it seem very random. I have the same RF as the micros plus RM exclusive there. My only sale there so far this month was RM exclusive for 99 cents, leaving me a whopping 50 cents. Pathetic but equal to 5 DLs on SS. My last RM sale before that was for $119 with my half $59.50 so it is all over the place. Regular RF and RF editorial also both sell there. My lifetime RPDL there is over $19 net to me, much higher than any microstock site. Since 2009 they are my #7 site in total and last year were #3, behind only Canva and SS but ahead of Adobe and all the others. So far this year they are #4 - will probably continue to send them RM at least if I can ever be bothered to do processing and keywording again.