Best Places from sources across the web for Selling Photos, Videos and Make Money online

Several online platforms are great for selling photos and videos, each with unique features for creators. Turn Your Passion for Photos and Videos into Profit. Snap, Shoot, and Cash In.

If you're looking to sell photos and videos online to make money, there are several platforms that cater to different types of content and offer varying payment structures. So it's essential to choose the one that fits your goals. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular options.

 

1. Stock Photography and Video Platforms:

These platforms allow photographers and videographers to upload their content for sale to businesses, designers, marketers, and other buyers who need photos and videos for commercial, editorial, or creative purposes. Stock platforms allow you to earn royalties based on the number of downloads or sales of your work.

  Pros: Passive income, access to a global market, broad exposure.

  Cons: High competition, lower royalty rates, content must meet platform standards.

 

How to Earn:

• Upload consistently to build a large portfolio.
• Focus on high-demand topics like business, lifestyle, technology, and travel.
• Use strong keywords to improve discoverability and increase downloads.

Popular Platforms:

 

v  Shutterstock:

One of the most popular platforms for stock photography and video, with a huge audience of buyers. Contributors earn between 15-40% royalties, depending on the license and number of downloads. Ideal for a broad audience of contributors, but newer creators face lower commissions. It's great for exposure due to the large audience but could limit earnings in the beginning.

• Best for: A wide range of contributors (beginners to professionals).
• Commission: Contributors earn between 15% and 40% based on lifetime earnings.
• Pros: Huge audience, easy-to-use platform, broad reach.
• Cons: Lower commissions for newer contributors.

 

v  Adobe Stock:

Perfect for photographers or videographers who already use Adobe’s ecosystem. Its integration with Adobe tools is a major advantage, but the platform may not offer the same exposure as some bigger names like Shutterstock. Integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud, this platform allows seamless uploads for photographers and videographers. It offers immediate royalties and a large customer base.

• Best for: Photographers and videographers looking for a well-integrated ecosystem (Adobe Creative Cloud users).
• Commission: Up to 33% for photos and videos.
• Pros: Seamless integration with Adobe apps like Lightroom and Photoshop.
• Cons: Less exposure compared to Shutterstock.

 

v  Getty Images/iStock : 

This platform is for creators aiming for premium, high-end clients. It offers competitive commissions, especially for exclusive content, but is highly competitive and may limit flexibility for non-exclusive work.  iStock is more exclusive and offers two payment structures: a non-exclusive option that pays around 15% royalty and an exclusive option that can pay up to 45%.

• Best for: Professionals looking to target high-end clients.
• Commission: iStock offers 15%-45%, while Getty provides 20%-30% (exclusive vs. non-exclusive).
• Pros: Access to high-profile clients and more premium pricing.
• Cons: Highly competitive, exclusive agreement may limit flexibility.

 

v  Pond5: 

Focused more on video content but also allows images. Creators can set their own prices, with royalty rates up to 60%.

• Best for: Videographers, also supports photo and music sales.
• Commission: You set your own price, and Pond5 gives up to 60% commission.
• Pros: Control over pricing, strong focus on video.
• Cons: Stiff competition from other video platforms.

ü  Some other Popular Platforms:

v  DreamsTime

DreamsTime.com is an online royalty-free micro stock provider based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Anyone can join the community and sell their photos, images and/or videos. Just create an account and upload media files. 

For each transaction, the contributor receives 25-50% Revenue Share, which is calculated based on the net amount for the transaction. Exclusive files receive an additional 10 % bonus, while exclusive contributors enjoy a 60 % Revenue Share for all sales and an additional bonus of $0.20 for each approved submission. This upload bonus is awarded for the first 100 approved files in all circumstances and only for the first 10,000 approved files if your download rate is higher than 0.1.

Any contributor may request payment as soon as the balance has reached $100.

When approved, your file will be included in the database as a 1 level file. As it gets downloaded, the image/video moves to a higher level and sells for a higher price.

v  Depositphotos:

This stock photo site is used by major brands like TripAdvisor and Warner Bros. Contributors earn 30-38% in royalties depending on their experience level. Become a Depositphotos Contributor and Start Earning With Your Photos, Illustrations, and Videos.

Simply focus on what you love doing most and discover a new way to showcase your work for extra income

Who Can Become a Contributor :

·         PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

·         BEGINNERS AND AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS

·         VIDEOGRAPHERS

·         DESIGNERS

·         ILLUSTRATORS

·         OTHER DIGITAL ARTISTS

Benefit:

·         $0.25 – $33.82 Earnings per 1 photo

·         $3.83 – $64.22 Earnings per 1 video

 

v  Foap:

If you prefer using your smartphone for capturing images and videos, Foap allows you to earn 50% of the profit on sales. It’s especially known for its corporate missions from companies like Heineken and Volvo, which can result in higher payouts.

Typically, photos on Foap sell for US$10. When your photos sell, you keep 50%, while Foap keeps the other 50%. You can potentially earn anywhere from $5 to $2,000 when you sell photos through the Foap app.

 

v  123RF:

This platform markets your work to millions of buyers globally, with royalties ranging between 30-60%. Showcase your best creative work to the world via our contributor platform and earn some income. It's a good choice for non-exclusive content, meaning you can sell the same photos elsewhere. 

The company also has an expansive collection of vector graphics, icons, fonts, videos, and audio files.

ü  Reasons to Work With them:

• Earn between 30% - 60% commissions from each license sold. 
• Over 5 million ready buyers are waiting to license your portfolio! 
• Your content will be marketed across 44 countries and in 17 local languages

 

v  Stocksy United:

Stocksy United, also referred to as Stocksy or Stocksy United Photography, is a Victoria, British Columbia based platform cooperative that accepts and provides royalty-free stock photography and stock video.

Stocksy artists earn 50% Royalty on Standard Licenses and 75% of Extended Licenses and Market Freezes. You can see the pricing of each license types here. Contributors also receive profit-sharing through patronage returns when the co-op has a surplus. Amounts are determined based on your contributions to the co-op through selling your content.

 

 

v  Picfair:

Picfair is an online photography brand and ecommerce platform that helps amateur and professional photographers sell their work through personal online stores and a central marketplace. 

Picfair don’t take any commission from the sale proceeds

Picfair a new generation of photographers to sell their images alongside award-winning pros for the first time. Picfair Stores offers an all-in-one solution for showcasing and selling your photography online. With Picfair Stores, you can showcase and display your images in beautiful layouts and sell them as digital downloads and in various print formats. You upload your images to your store and set your prices, and do all the fiddly stuff. They handle buyer's entire journey from order creation to production and delivery for print orders.

 

v  EyeEm:

EyeEm is a great site for selling photos, especially if you do commercial photography. Big clients like Apple and Spotify use EyeEm.

Upload and Sell and Get rewarded for your creativity. You'll always keep control of your copyright and be able to choose which images you submit for selling. It's as simple as that. Save time by batch uploading via your desktop, allowing our web uploader to help you automatically keyword your images and submit them for sale.

After you've sold a photo, they will send you a notification and an email linking you to the Earnings section of your account. There you can request your payout.

 

v  Zenfolio:

Seamless online storefront made for photographers.

Our platform equips photographers with a beautiful marketplace and automatic order fulfillment, making it easy to sell photos online, and increase your profits.

Everything you need to build your ultimate photography business.

Create stunning galleries and a modern portfolio website. Share, proof, and sell your photos online with one powerful solution.

 

v  Pixieset:

Pixieset, one of the fastest growing companies in the photography industry, offers simple and beautiful digital products. The better way for modern photographers to share, deliver, proof and sell online.

ü  Reasons to Work With them:

• Set Your Price. Have full control over your pricing and products.

• Commission-free.Sell photography with 0% commission for upgraded accounts.

 

 

v  Storyblocks:

Designed for videographers looking for a subscription-based revenue model. Although it offers recurring revenue potential, payouts per download may be lower.

• Best for: Videographers looking for subscription-based earnings.
• Commission: Fixed payments based on content downloads.
• Pros: Good for recurring revenue from subscribers.
• Cons: Lower individual payout due to subscription model.

 

2. Exclusive and High-End Marketplaces

If you have high-quality, exclusive content, consider these:

v  500px:

A platform more focused on premium photography, 500px allows you to sell through their marketplace. Once your photos are approved, paid members can earn up to 100% royalties and free users can earn up to 60% on content licensed exclusively with 500px. The royalty rate is up to 60%, and the platform is best for photographers with a portfolio of high-quality work.

Best for fine art photographers who want to build a portfolio and reach creative professionals. Its commission structure is favorable for exclusive content, but it’s less suited to videographers.

·         Best for: Fine art photographers and those looking to build a portfolio and sell.

·         Commission: Up to 60% for exclusive content.

·         Pros: Community-based with exposure to creative professionals.

·         Cons: Focused more on photography than videos.

 

v  Alamy:

Known for offering a higher-than-average commission (up to 50%), Alamy is a great platform for those with editorial and commercial photos.

If higher payouts are a priority, Alamy is worth considering. The platform offers a generous commission, but with lower traffic, creators might need to invest extra effort in marketing their content.

• Best for: Contributors looking for higher payouts.
• Commission: 50% on non-exclusive sales.
• Pros: Higher commission rate, less saturated.
• Cons: Lower traffic than bigger platforms like Shutterstock. 

 

3. Creative Marketplaces

These platforms cater to a wide variety of digital assets, including photos, videos, templates, and more.

v  Creative Market: This is a marketplace where you can sell photos, design assets, templates, and more. Creative Market allows you to set your own prices and earn 70% of each sale.

 

 

v  Envato Elements: A subscription-based platform where users can download unlimited creative assets. The payment structure is different as it’s based on content usage and subscriber engagement.

What can you sell?

Everything digital and creative, from website templates to stock footage. different ways you can earn with Envato. It also looks at the Author Fee structure and the different ways you can get your earnings paid out, depending on where you sell your items. Envato offers a range of products and platforms to suit a variety of projects and customers, including Code Scripts, Video, Music & Audio, Website Themes, Design Assets, Stock Photos and 3D Models (called content types). These creative products can then be sold through our core platforms called Envato Market, Envato Elements and Placeit.

Access 19+ million high-quality assets and templates across the broadest range of categories with an Envato subscription. Need video content, audio, graphics, photos, fonts, or anything or anything in between? Envato Elements got it all!

Create worry-free with our lifetime commercial license. Whether you're a freelancer, agencies, or businesses, our lifetime commercial license ensures you can use their assets confidently in every project. Enjoy peace of mind with broad commercial rights and comprehensive coverage for all your downloads, ensuring your work is future-proofed and covered for life.

 

4. Print-On-Demand Sites

These platforms allow you to upload your images, which customers can then purchase printed on various items like clothing, home decor, and accessories. You get a commission based on sales, and the platform handles printing, shipping, and customer service.

• Pros: No upfront costs, no need for inventory, passive income.
• Cons: Lower profit margins (since platforms take a significant cut), limited branding control.

ü  Popular Platforms:

 

Etsy: Best for creative and artistic photo prints. Perfect for artists selling prints or digital downloads. Personalized storefronts allow more creative control, but marketing and hands-on sales management are necessary.

Etsy allows you to sell physical prints or digital downloads. You get to keep 96.5% of your sale price, making it a great platform for artists who want more control over pricing.

• Best for: Artists selling prints or digital downloads.
• Commission: 5% on sales + $0.20 listing fee.
• Pros: Personalized storefronts, ideal for selling both digital and physical prints.
• Cons: Requires more hands-on work to market and sell.

 

If you're interested in turning your photos into physical products, these sites offer great opportunities:

• Redbubble: You can upload your photos and have them printed on items like t-shirts, phone cases, mugs, wall art, and more. You can set your profit margin. You earn a margin based on the price set for each product.

 

• Society6: Similar to Redbubble, Society6 allows you to sell artwork on a wide range of products, including home decor and apparel. Focuses on high-quality art prints and home decor products like wall art, tapestries, pillows, and furniture. You earn a percentage of each sale.

 

• Teespring: Offers a wide range of products (apparel, home goods) that your photos or designs can be printed on. You set your pricing, and they handle fulfillment.

ü  How to Earn:

• Upload designs and promote them on social media.
• Use SEO keywords to make your designs discoverable on the platform.
• Create seasonal or trending designs that attract more attention.

 

5. Self-hosted sites/Personal Websites and E-Commerce Platforms

These platforms offer complete control over sales, pricing, and marketing. With no commission fees, creators keep more profit, but there’s significant time and effort required for setup and promotion.

Building your own website offers complete control over your pricing, brand, and products, allowing you to retain all earnings without sharing commissions with third-party platforms. This is a great way to sell directly to your audience or clients.

• Best for: Creators who want complete control over sales and higher profit margins.
• Commission: No commission, but there are hosting and transaction fees.
• Pros: Total control over pricing and marketing, no platform fees, personal branding, direct relationships with customers.
• Cons: Requires more time and effort for setup and promotion. Requires marketing and traffic generation, initial setup costs, and ongoing maintenance.

ü  How to Earn:

• Sell prints, digital downloads, or video rights directly through your site.
• Offer premium services like commissioned work, workshops, or exclusive content.

ü  Popular Platforms:

 

v  Squarespace: Offers customizable templates to build a portfolio and an e-commerce store. Easy to use, even for beginners, with integrated marketing tools.You can create your own portfolio and e-commerce store, where buyers can directly purchase your photos or videos.

 

v  Wix: Another user-friendly website builder with e-commerce functionality. You can showcase your portfolio and sell digital downloads or physical prints.

 

v  WordPress + WooCommerce: If you're tech-savvy, you can build a highly customizable website using WordPress with the WooCommerce plugin for selling products.

 

v  SmugMug: This platform offers a combination of portfolio hosting and e-commerce tools. You can set your own prices for prints, digital downloads, and more.Specifically for photographers, SmugMug allows you to host your portfolio, sell digital downloads, prints, and offer client galleries. SmugMug integrates with professional print labs. Contributors can keep 85% of their earnings, though it requires a paid membership to use.

Offers customizable galleries and print-on-demand services, making it ideal for photographers selling digital and physical prints. However, there is a subscription fee involved.

·         Best for: Photographers wanting to sell both digital and print versions.

·         Commission: You set the price, and SmugMug charges a 15% fee on the markup.

·         Pros: Fully customizable galleries, print-on-demand services.

·         Cons: Requires a subscription fee.

 

6. Social Media and Direct Sales Platforms

Social media platforms are excellent for building an audience and selling directly to customers without middlemen. This model works well if you already have a following or are willing to engage in consistent content creation and community building.

• Pros: No platform fees, direct access to a global audience, community-building, instant sales potential.
• Cons: Requires consistent posting, engagement, and marketing to grow your audience.

These allow you to sell directly to followers or clients.

• Instagram: Showcase your work and use Instagram Shopping or DM for direct inquiries. You can also link to an online store or use it for brand deals and collaborations. By showcasing your work and using Instagram’s Shopping feature or DM for business inquiries, you can directly sell to your audience.
• Patreon: If you have loyal followers, Patreon allows you to sell exclusive content (photos or videos) on a subscription model. Perfect for creators with a loyal following. You can offer exclusive content, behind-the-scenes footage, or photo/video tutorials on a subscription basis.

 

• Facebook Marketplace: Sell prints or digital services directly to your audience or through local buy-and-sell groups.

 

• Pinterest: Drive traffic to your online store or portfolio through curated boards that link directly to your website.

 

ü  How to Earn:

• Promote exclusive content, tutorials, or commissioned work.
• Partner with brands for paid collaborations or sponsorships.
• Sell prints, stock photos, or video downloads via social media links.

 

7. Video-Specific Platforms

For those who focus primarily on video, these platforms offer ways to monetize your video content.

• Vimeo On Demand: You can sell videos directly on Vimeo, setting your own prices for rentals or purchases. Vimeo takes 10% after transaction fees.
• YouTube: With YouTube’s Partner Program, you can monetize videos through ads, channel memberships, and Super Chats. This platform is best for those building a long-term brand around video content.

 

Ø  Maximizing Earnings Across Platforms:

 

1. Diversify: Spread your content across multiple platforms for broader exposure and income streams. Use multiple platforms to reach a broader audience.

 

2. Focus on Quality: Ensure your work meets the platform standards, especially for stock and print-on-demand platforms, which value high-quality content. Pay attention to trends and what buyers are looking for (e.g., business, lifestyle, travel, and nature).

 

3. Optimize Keywords and Tags: Use relevant keywords to make your content more discoverable.

 

4. Marketing: Use social media, SEO, and email marketing to promote your work and drive traffic to your store or profiles.

 

5. Trending Content: Stay updated on trends in photography and design (e.g., seasonal themes, popular niches) to create content that sells faster.

 

6. Consistency: Keep uploading and updating your portfolio to maintain visibility on these platforms.

 

Each platform has its pros and cons, so you may want to experiment with a few to see what works best for your style and type of content.