STOCK LIBRARIES FOR BUSINESSES
Not every business has the luxuries of extra time to schedule a custom shoot to fit their goals, nor a budget that would allow for a crew to shoot or design assets for their next campaign. Here’s where libraries like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, and many others come into play. There are even libraries like Artlist or PremiumBeat that are music-focused. The big benefit of these platforms is the extensive library of assets ready to be downloaded at a click of a button. Some require subscriptions or license payments, which are still for most businesses a more viable option to quickly turn around a project on a tight budget.
These stock libraries are usually simple, but there are some exceptions, especially to what type of license you’re buying or getting when downloading an asset, so ensure to read the rules of the platform so you’re not infringing on the creators’ rights or platform rules. Typically, when it comes to free assets, there are more restrictions and credits needed to use the items properly, so be aware. Be aware of the two common types of licenses in stock assets:
Royalty-free Licenses, allow for more flexibility in integrating assets within your work, with subcategories like Editorial and Commercial Licenses.
Rights-Managed License, which can determine what your use case is for the following asset, and what you can or can’t do with the asset.
If you continue reading, we’re going to cover just what these creatives need to follow to be accepted and what they’re going through to list in these libraries. While stock assets are great for when you’re in a pinch, or when it’s a generic job, we always strongly recommend brands reach out to creatives for a more personalized experience and end product to their brand and image.
STOCK LIBRARIES FOR CREATIVES
Creating new photography, videos, music, and digital assets is a very time-consuming process. Most of the time, creatives leave these projects in a hard drive at the bottom of their drawer. Creating a process where you’re uploading your assets onto a stock library can help return some money on your time invested. Some specialists solely work to produce content for these stock libraries, but so many other creative artists miss out on potential revenue.
Here's what you should be keeping in mind before listing your assets on stock library assets.
- Ensure you’re submitting the best quality you can, and according to platform guidelines to make your chances of being accepted higher.
- Make sure that what you're submitting is worthy of being a stock asset, and it is generic enough for anyone to use, useful, etc.
- Learn how to properly integrate metadata, and how to package each asset, you’re relying on search, make sure to optimize your assets for search results you’re targeting.
- Selling your assets on these libraries won’t always bring the big bucks, it’s commission-based, and variable returns depending on how your asset was acquired by customers.
As a creative, you need to be aware that just simply uploading your work onto one of these sites, doesn’t guarantee you’re going to make money off it. It could be months or years of little to no sales. There’s simply just too much competition to guarantee that your images or other assets are the ones being chosen by others.
So why should you care?
If you're a business on budget stock assets are a great way to help get a project done. For creatives trying to make a passive income, stock assets are a good way to start. When in need of a personal or more specific look and feel, you're going to want to start from scratch with a professional to get the best results. If you have any questions, visit contact us to learn more.
