Shutterstock review

Shutterstock is the volume player. Contributors earn a percentage of the price Shutterstock receives for each license, across six earnings levels for images and six for video that run from 15% up to 40%. You move up as customers download more of your work in each category, and the two tracks progress independently. The catch is that every contributor drops back to level 1 on January 1, so the rate you reach in December does not carry into the new year. Registration and submission are free, and Shutterstock says it has paid over $1 billion to contributors since 2003. The program now goes beyond classic licensing: photographers can sign up for custom content briefs for AI and machine learning training, regional footage requests and paid review tasks, and existing portfolios can earn through data licensing and the Contributor Fund. A mobile app handles uploads and earnings tracking.

Who it is for

High-volume contributors who upload often and can climb the yearly earnings levels.

Price

Free to join; 15% to 40% of the license price depending on yearly earnings level.

There are 6 separate earnings levels for images and for videos, ranging from 15% up to 40%.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Six earnings levels for images and six for video, from 15% to 40%
• Over $1 billion paid to contributors since 2003
• Custom content projects for AI and machine learning training
• Contributor mobile app for uploads and earnings tracking
• Data licensing and the Shutterstock Contributor Fund

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Registration and submission are free
• Strength: Image and video levels progress separately
• Strength: Extra income from AI training briefs and creator tasks
• Weakness: Levels reset to level 1 on January 1 each year
• Weakness: New contributors start at the 15% level
• Weakness: Earnings depend on download counts, so small portfolios stay at low levels

Key facts

• Royalty range: 15% to 40%
• Earnings levels: 6 for images, 6 for video
• Paid to contributors: Over $1 billion since 2003
• Level reset: January 1 each year

Where it ranks

Shutterstock is No. 3 in our Best Sites to Sell Stock Photos verdict and No. 2 in Best Stock Photo Sites.