SAA recognizes the urgent need to expand industry-wide understanding about how stock licensing models work for the creators, users and distributors of images. SAAs White Paper: Understanding Stock Licensing Models is downloadable from the SAA web site at www.stockartistsalliance.org . Many of the points made in that paper form the basis of this report.
As for RM
The good news is that Rights Managed licensing continues to offer a viable business opportunity for stock photographers. RM licenses continue to command significantly higher license fees, and photographers can also expect a significantly higher share of RM licensing revenues. The range is 40-65 percent across the industry, though down as low as 25 percent if a sub-distributor also takes a share.
Some progress has been made on the distributor side to streamline the RM licensing process through simplified online pricing calculators and options for packaged uses.
An inter-organizational coalition has come together to support an important new industry initiative called PLUS, the Picture Universal Licensing System, that is developing a standardized licensing vocabulary, another step towards simplifying the online purchasing possibilities for buyers.
More education efforts are needed to promote clearer understanding and appreciation of RM licensing terms. Increased awareness among clients will illustrate that a distinct benefit of an RM license is the ability to provide them with information on competitive uses, the option for a degree of exclusivity, as well as the value of sensitive use restrictions. RM distributors need to uphold high standards of true rights management to leverage a core asset of their RM businesses.
Looking Ahead
Weve looked at the stock licensing models of today. It would appear that there is plenty of room for improvement.
The challenge is how can stock licensing models evolve to do a better job of meeting the needs of all parties involved in the transaction. Better cannot just mean bigger profit margins for distributors or lower prices for clients. It must also mean a fair deal for image creators.
Stock is no longer a boom market for photographers, but it can provide substantial income to those who find a way to successfully engage, especially as part of a diversified business plan. If the business of stock is indeed all about the images, then it must be fairly focused on those who create the images.
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About SAA
StockArtistsAlliance (SAA) is a global trade association dedicated to the interests of Rights Managed stock photographers worldwide through advocacy, education and community.
Learn more about what SAA is doing to help stock photographers at www.stockartistsalliance.org and SAA invites professional photographers, dedicated students and allied industry professionals to apply for membership.
Our StockArtists web site at www.StockArtists.com features over 200 portfolios of SAA member images available for Rights Managed license.
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