How to Become an Adobe Stock Contributor

Adobe Stock is a relatively new site for selling stock photography, but it offers decent commission payouts and the ability to get involved in a community of like-minded creatives. The best part about it is that your work can be used by millions of users worldwide, giving you global exposure.

In this post, we’ll talk about why you should become an Adobe Stock contributor and what is involved in signing up. We’ll also share their image guidelines and helpful resources so you can become a successful Adobe Stock contributor straight out of the gate.

Table of contents

What Makes Adobe Stock Different?

How to Become an Adobe Stock Contributor

Sign Up Process

Image Guidelines

Quality Control

Payments

Adobe Stock Contributor Resources

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Before getting started with Adobe Stock, you first need to know what stock photography is, its requirements, and its legal implications, all of which you can find out in this guide.

If you want to explore more ways to make money as a photographer, read our comprehensive review of the best places to sell photos online.

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Adobe Stock is part of the Adobe Suite of programs, which means your work can be uploaded to this platform directly from your favorite Adobe program. Whether you prefer Lightroom or Photoshop, publishing your work to Adobe Stock is easy and fast. 

On top of that, you’re not locked into an exclusive contract, as you are free to sell your artwork on other platforms as well. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that thanks to Adobe’s clout, customers can easily license their photos and other content not only through Creative Cloud applications but also through Microsoft PowerPoint. 

What Kind of Images Can You Sell on Adobe Stock?

You can sell photographs, videos, vectors, and illustrations on Adobe Stock. Each of these content types has a review process and a set of requirements that you must follow to ensure the upload process goes as smoothly as possible. 

How to Become an Adobe Stock Contributor

Becoming an Adobe Stock contributor is not difficult, especially if you already have an Adobe ID. Let’s go through the sign-up process, and then we’ll discuss payments and technical requirements.

Sign Up Process

If you already have an Adobe ID, all you have to do is log in to the Contributor portal and accept the terms and conditions, and then you can start uploading images to Adobe Stock. If you don’t have an Adobe ID, follow the steps below to set up your Adobe Stock contributor account from scratch.

Step 1: Visit Adobe Stock 

The first step is to visit the Adobe Stock website and click on the Sell link in the main navigation at the top or scroll to the bottom and click the Become a Contributor button. You’ll be taken to another page where you must click the Join now button.

Step 2: Create Your Adobe ID

You’ll need to create your account first. You can sign up with Google, Facebook, or Apple. Alternatively, you can fill in any email address and set a password.

Next, you will have to fill in your personal information, then click on the Done button. You will receive a confirmation email to activate your account.

Step 3: Upload Your Images

Once you have accepted the terms of service and read through their privacy policy, you can start uploading your images.

If you have images on Fotolia that you want to sell through Adobe Stock, you can sync your Fotolia portfolio on the next page. You won’t have another option to do it once the sign-up process is complete, so don’t skip this step. 

Adobe Stock allows you to upload images easily through drag and drop or by browsing directly.

Your account dashboard also allows you to easily see which items are being reviewed, which are available for purchase, and insights about your sales, as well as your portfolio.

Image Guidelines

Adobe Stock allows you to sell photos, vector files, and video footage. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

• Images need at least 4MP resolution, with the max resolution allowable at 100MP.
• Only JPEG format is accepted for photos; file size shouldn’t exceed 45MB.
• Regarding vector files, you can upload standalone files in AI, EPS, and SVG formats. The Artboard size should be between 15MP and 68MP, while the file size shouldn’t exceed 45MB. 
• Vector files can be uploaded as a zipped folder with AI and EPS formats. Each vector file should be in a separate zip folder with a JPEG preview. The file size shouldn’t exceed 45MB.
• Video resolution should be at least 1,280×720, although Adobe recommends uploading full HD or 4K resolution videos. 
• Accepted file formats include MOV, MP4, MPG, or AVI format.
• Duration should be between 5 and 60 seconds, and the maximum file size is 3.9GB.
• Avoid using square or vertical video formats.

If you’re looking for a way to compress your images, compare the top image compression tools.

Quality Control

As mentioned before, your photos and other submitted content will go through a review process to ensure they meet the quality standard and technical requirements. 

Each photo or other type of content gets reviewed by the moderation team. The team checks the submissions and evaluates them based on several criteria. This includes legal standards, technical requirements, commercial value, aesthetics, etc. 

Files are reviewed as they are received; the entire review process can last up to one week. Adobe Stock has helpful resources to help you prepare your content before uploading it. They also publish visual trend reports to see what type of content is needed.

Payments

Regarding payments, Adobe Stock gives you 33% commission payouts for photos, illustrations, and vector content. For video files, the commission is set to 35%. Remember that the amount may vary based on the item’s price or the subscription level that a particular customer has. 

Payouts are paid out via PayPal, Skrill, and Payoneer. You have to have a minimum of $25 earned in royalties and meet a few additional criteria, which include the following: 

• You have to upload a valid tax form to your account
• A minimum of 45 days has to pass from the date of your first sale before you can request the first payout
• Your payout amount will be paid in the currency that you’ve selected in your account. 

Adobe Stock Contributor Resources

Adobe Stock has plenty of resources that will help you learn more about becoming a contributor. Here are a few notable resources to bookmark:

• Legal terminology and copyright – in this guide, you’ll learn all about important legal terms and copyright information related to selling your content through Adobe.
• Learn more about technical requirements for photos, videos, and vector content
• Adobe Stock Contributor tutorials in video format will help you make the most out of your account.
• The Stock Contributor user guide has helpful information on various tax requirements for US and non-US citizens.

Final Thoughts

Becoming an Adobe Stock contributor is a great way to earn extra income and get involved in a community of like-minded creatives. Sign-up is easy, and you can contribute photos, vector art, and videos. Simply follow the steps in this article to become an Adobe Stock contributor and diversify your income. 

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