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Add links and pics.

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Paul Payne
2026-01-04 15:51:36 -08:00
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content/articles/stocksy/index.md
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title: "Stocksy: Artists Who Own Their Stock Photo Platform"
description: "Photographers and videographers built a cooperative where creators keep the majority of their earnings"
summary: When photographers asked why platforms keep most of what they earn, they built their own. Stocksy has paid over $80 million to artist-members who earn 50-75% of every sale—not the industry-standard pennies.
summary: When photographers asked why platforms keep most of what they earn, they built their own. Stocksy has paid over $50 million to artist-members who earn 50-75% of every sale—not the industry-standard pennies.
date: 2026-01-04
tags: ["case-study", "cooperative", "artist-owned", "stock photography", "creative commons"]
categories: ["Creative Communities"]
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Stock photography is a brutal business for creators. The major platforms pay photographers pennies per download—sometimes literally 15-25 cents. The platforms keep most of the revenue. Artists have no say in pricing, licensing terms, or how their work is used.
In 2012, a group of photographers and industry veterans asked: what if the people who create the images owned the platform that sells them?
In [2012](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stocksy_United), a group of photographers and industry veterans—including iStockphoto founder [Bruce Livingstone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Livingstone)—asked: what if the people who create the images owned the platform that sells them?
## What They Built
They created **[Stocksy United](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stocksy_United)**—a stock photography and video cooperative owned by its contributing artists.
The model flipped the industry standard:
- **Artists earn 50-75% of each sale** (compared to 15-45% at competitors)
- **[Artists earn 50-75% of each sale](https://www.start.coop/case-studies/stocksy)** (compared to 15-45% at competitors)
- **Artists own the company.** Contributors are member-owners with voting rights.
- **Artists govern together.** Major decisions go to the membership.
- **Quality over quantity.** Curated collections rather than endless uploads.