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Sell stock:

Royalties

Selling stock has never been better

iStock pays a base royalty rate of 20% for each file download and up to 40% for Exclusive contributors. Files are licensed two ways:

Pay-as-you-go

You earn your royalty based on the net value of the credits used to download your image. The standard credit price is $1.30 USD.

Subscriptions

We pay your canister royalty based on how much of the subscriber's daily limit was used to download your file. And we always guarantee a minimum of 19 cents USD per credit used for each Subscription download — which is the same guarantee offered with the Pay-as-you-go plan.

How much does a non-exclusive contributor make?

> PhotosVectorFlashVideoAudio

SizeCreditsRoyalty
XSmall1$0.28
Small3$0.84
Medium5$1.40
Large10$2.80
XLarge15$4.20
XXLarge20$5.60

Note: Royalties are based on the gross credit value of $1.40 USD. Royalties above are in USD. Actual royalties are based on net credit value which varies with purchase

How do I get paid?

iStock pays in U.S. dollars. You can convert your earnings to credits at any time at a 1-1 ratio. When your account balance reaches $100 USD, you can request payment by one of the following three methods:


1

Cheque

Mailed weekly. Please allow 1 week within the US and 4-6 weeks for all other locations.

1

PayPal/Moneybookers

Processed on business days. Most payments are processed within 48 hours, although in some instances transactions can take up to five days.

1

Direct deposit or pre-paid iStockphoto MasterCard® Payoneer

Under Request Earnings, sign up for either direct deposit or our iStockphoto Payoneer card which can be used worldwide and at ATMs or as a regular MasterCard.

Curious about the full royalty structure?

Read iStock's complete royalty schedule >

Exclusive contributors make up to 40%

If you're eligible for Exclusivity, your royalty rate can reach up to 40%. You must have 250 downloads and a minimum 50% approval rating in order to qualify to join the exclusive team. Learn more >

Build your reputation

Every time one of your files is downloaded your Canister icon gets a little closer to the next level. Royalties for Exclusive contributors increase with their canister level.


Canister levels for photographs, vector illustrations or Flash files:

  • Base: 1 - 249 downloads
  • Bronze: 250 - 2,499 downloads
  • Silver: 2,500 - 9,999 downloads
  • Gold: 10,000 - 24,999 downloads
  • Diamond: 25,000 - 199,999 downloads
  • Black Diamond: 200,000+ downloads

Canister levels for video files:

  • Base: 1 - 249 downloads
  • Bronze: 250 - 1,249 downloads
  • Silver: 1,250 - 4,999 downloads
  • Gold: 5,000 - 12,499 downloads
  • Diamond: 12,500 - 99,999 downloads
  • Black Diamond: 100,000+ downloads

Canister levels for audio files:

  • Base: 1 - 124 downloads
  • Bronze: 125 - 1,249 downloads
  • Silver: 1,250 - 4,999 downloads
  • Gold: 5,000 - 12,499 downloads
  • Diamond: 12,500 - 99,999 downloads
  • Black Diamond: 100,000+ downloads