What is Shutterstock? A guide to making money by selling images on Shutterstock.

Shutterstock is a useful tool for individuals and businesses in need of high-quality creative resources. This website offers a diverse collection of resources at affordable prices and provides opportunities for creators to earn money. So how can you make money with Shutterstock? In this article, FPT Shop will explain in detail about Shutterstock and the latest ways to make money with Shutterstock.

Understanding Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a website that provides images, videos, audio, vector graphics, and other creative resources. Founded in 2003 by Jonathan Oringer, it is now one of the largest websites that offers creative content in the world.

This website provides users with access to millions of high-quality creative resources with diverse themes and categories. These resources can be used for both commercial and non-commercial purposes, including:

• Websites, blogs, and online publications.
• Advertising and marketing.
• Graphic design.
• Education and training.
• Research and development.

Shutterstock operates on a subscription model, where users need to pay a fee to access and use the resources on the website. The subscription fees depend on the type of resource and the duration of use. Additionally, the website also offers opportunities for photographers, videographers, and other creators to earn money by selling their work on the platform. Authors can create an account, upload their work, and sell it to users worldwide.

Features of Shutterstock

Image Search Tool

You can use the search bar to find images that match your needs. You can enter keywords, apply filters, adjust relevance or upload date to search quickly and easily.

Step 1: Go to the Shutterstock homepage and select the “Images” category.

Step 2: Enter keywords in the search bar to find images.

Quick Image Resizing

Shutterstock not only provides a vast library of licensed images but also offers other useful features. One of them is the ability to resize images. You can customize the size of the downloaded or uploaded images from your computer.

Step 1: Click on the “Create” category on the left side of the screen. Underneath, you will find the “Start with a blank” section. Select “Custom size” right below it.

Step 2: Enter the desired size. After entering the size, click on “Create design”.

Step 3: Click on “Add background image” to upload the image you want to resize. After editing, click “Download” to save the image to your device.

Image Editing

To edit images with Shutterstock, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on the “Create” category on the left side of the screen and click on the search bar to access the image editing interface.

Step 2: Click on “Add background image” to upload the image you want to edit. After editing, click on “Download” to save the image to your device.

Video and Music Downloads

In addition to a vast collection of images, Shutterstock also offers a library of music and thousands of videos for various purposes. To search for videos and music on Shutterstock, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on the “Music/Videos” category in the toolbar and enter keywords in the search bar to find the desired videos or music. Additionally, you can explore different categories below the search bar.

Step 2: Select the desired song and click on “Download” to save it to your device.

Shutterstock Color Palette

The Shutterstock Color Palette is a feature that helps users search for and use appropriate colors for their creative projects. This color palette is created based on data analysis from millions of images and videos on Shutterstock. With over 100 color codes in the Shutterstock color palette, each color will display a unique code to help users easily choose.

In addition, Shutterstock also provides explanations of the origin and meaning of each color, color combination suggestions, and color coordination for different designs. For example:

Color	Nature	Meaning	Combinations
Royal Blue	Darker shade of blue, similar to the sky or the ocean	Represents elegance, formality	Emerald green, ivory white, silver, black, gold…
Burnt Orange	Orange-brown color reminiscent of fire or desert	Indicates brightness, vibrancy, or classic look, warm and sophisticated	Beige, gray, black, white, navy blue…
Hot Pink	Neon pink color resembling the brightness of sweet candies	Represents femininity, sweetness, energy, and uniqueness	White, brown, gray…

Using the color palette is very simple:

Step 1: Click on “Design” > “Design tool” > “Color Palette” on the toolbar.

Step 2: Select the suitable color or click on “Try Palette Generator” to create your own colors.

Shutterstock WordPress Plugin

This feature allows you to use a plugin to upload Shutterstock images to your WordPress posts. Using this plugin is simple, just connect it with your Shutterstock account, and you can start using it. The uploaded images will be displayed on your website in high quality without distortion.

Shutterstock Images

What are Shutterstock images?

Shutterstock images are stock images. By uploading an image to Shutterstock, you will have the copyright to your name, and the image will be stored in the archive and ready to be used.

Stock images were created to meet the needs of various audiences. For people in need of images, they may not always be able to hire a photographer on demand. Because they do not understand the process of creating images, coming up with ideas, as well as the cost and time to hire a photographer. For professional photographers, besides taking photos as a hobby, they also see this as a way to make money.

Therefore, the Shutterstock image library is a place that people need to come to. It was born as an essential part of life to meet the needs of various audiences and satisfy everyone’s artistic creativity.

Features of Shutterstock images

All images uploaded to Shutterstock have a resolution of over 300 DPI. Therefore, all uploaded images will have the best quality and be the same as the size of the original file you uploaded.

Notes on Selling Images on Shutterstock

Earnings are based on download rates

Shutterstock will pay you $0.25 per downloaded image. This means the more downloads you have, the more money you will earn. Here are the specific rates:

Number of downloads	Amount received
0 – 500	$0.25 per download
500 – 3000	$0.33 per download
3000 – 10,000	$0.36 per download
Over 10,000	$0.38 per download

Focus on image quality

Images on Shutterstock always prioritize quality. Therefore, the uploaded images are well-invested and attract many downloads.

For images with models, users need to have release models to certify the right to use the image and provide this information to customers to ensure copyright compliance. In the case of images with models but no release model, the images can only be used as illustrations in books and news.

Use English

The language used on Shutterstock is English, which means that customers will search for keywords in English on the website. Therefore, to effectively reach customers, you should use English for the descriptions of your images.

How to Buy Images on Shutterstock

Free Downloads

All images, videos, and audio on Shutterstock can be downloaded for free. However, the downloaded products will have the Shutterstock logo, blurred images, or watermarks. To avoid these limitations, you need to purchase packages from Shutterstock.

If you intend to use the images, videos, and audio for personal purposes only, you should visit the official Shutterstock website to download. This ensures that the images are high resolution and of the highest quality.

To download images for free on Shutterstock, simply follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the Shutterstock website and search for images with the desired theme.

Step 2: Click on “Download” to download the image to your device.

Paid Downloads

There are two ways to purchase paid packages on Shutterstock:

Option 1:

Step 1: Go to the Shutterstock website and click on “Pricing” on the top right corner, then select the “Image” category.

Step 2: Choose the suitable package for your needs, then fill in the relevant information and make the payment.

Option 2:

Step 1: Go to the Shutterstock website.

Step 2: Search for and select the image you want to download. Then, click on “Download with a subscription” to proceed with the payment.

How to Register an Account on Shutterstock

Requirements

To register an account on Shutterstock, you must be at least 18 years old and have an email address.

Steps to Register an Account on Shutterstock

To register an account on Shutterstock, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the Shutterstock website, click on “Sign In” > “Create Account” to register an account.

Step 2: Fill in all the required information, then click on “Begin” to create an account.

Tips for Buying Images on Shutterstock

To effectively purchase images on Shutterstock, here are some effective tips:

• Before making a purchase, determine your specific needs for images, videos, or audio. This will help you search for and choose the most suitable products.
• Reading reviews from other users can help you evaluate the quality and reliability of a product before making a purchase. This will help you make informed decisions and avoid unreliable products.
• Shutterstock offers various types of licenses for their products. Therefore, read and understand the terms and conditions of each license before making a purchase, ensuring that you use the products legally and comply with the regulations.
• You have the right to customize purchased images to suit your own needs.
• For images purchased for commercial purposes, when creating videos, you need to include the required source information according to Shutterstock’s regulations.