‘The best guide to becoming a Shutterstock contributor’ will give you all the steps needed, plus some extra tips and advice to help you become a Shutterstock contributor, start earning and stand out from the crowd.
Originally set up in 2002 by programmer and photographer Jon Oringer, it remains one of the most popular stock libraries and the easiest way to earn a full-time or passive income stream.
Please remember to review Shutterstock’s official website for their most up-to-date requirements, terms and conditions.
To submit content for sale, you must have a Shutterstock contributor account, separate from any existing account you may already have for downloading images. The requirements at the time of writing are:
Age: (must be 18+)
Account: Set up an account with your full legal name as it appears on a valid tax form so you can receive royalties.
Content Ownership: You can only submit work for which you hold the copyright.
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The Shutterstock contributor page offers a wealth of resources that I encourage you to explore, including the latest downloads, high-value in-demand content, and current trends. I would also suggest you check out and download the Shutterstock contributor app – available for both iOS and Android users.
Sign up with your email and personal details on the registration page. You’ll need to verify your email address, so be sure to check your junk and spam folders.
To complete the account setup process, you’ll need to upload a valid photo ID that includes your address; this could be a valid driving licence or ID card.
Submitting Your Initial Images for Approval.
Before you upload your inital 8-10 images to your Shutterstock account for the submission process, there are some things you need to be aware of to ensure your images are approved. If, however, an image is rejected, don’t get dispondent. They will always give you a rejection reason so you may re-upload after you’ve fixed the problem.
The most common reason for images to be rejected:
1. Focus: The Main subject is out of focus, or the entire image’s focus is too soft.
2. Exposure: either too bright or too dark
3. Noise/Artefacts
4. Missing or invalid model release form/property release.
5. Image contains trademarks, logos or other recognisable brand elements.
Photo Requirements.
Photos must be JPEG; you cannot upload RAW files. Images must be at least 4 megapixels in size and no more than 50MB They should preferably be sRGB colour profile.
Video requirements.
Video file must be .mov or mp4, with a maximum file size of 4GB, with the video clip between 5 and 60 seconds long. It can be either horizontal or vertical, and there shouldn’t be any audio unless it enhances the clip or is considered editorial content.
Illustrative (Vector) requirements.
Files should be EPS 10 or 8 with a total file size not exceeding 100MB. No locked layers or rasterised files are permitted. The bounding box must be a minimum of 4 megapixels and up to 25 megapixels.
The requirements I’ve stated should be used as a guideline. I would encourage you to check out the most up-to-date requirements in full on Shutterstock, before submitting your inital files.
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The Truth about Stock Photography in 2025
🕣 5 minutesI was doing some blog research recently around stock photography, and a question kept coming up: “Can you still make money with authentic lifestyle stock photos” As a stock photographer myself, I thought it was worth addressing it from someone whos understands and is actively submitting images for both commercial and editorial licenses. So, here…
How to Become a Shutterstock Contributor and Prepare Your Initial Submission.
First, decide how you plan to license your photos/videos, for commercial use or editorial use. If you plan to sell with a commercial license, ensure you have the appropriate releases: a model release for recognisable people and a property release for any recognisable private property. Also, ensure there are no visible trademarks or logos.
If you’re submitting images for editorial licence, you must ensure the image is as true to life as it was when it was taken. For instance, you shouldn’t delete objects or people if the day you shot the image was raining, you can’t swap out the sky for a blue sunny one. Editorial images don’t require releases, even if people or properties are recognisable, as long as they’re used for fair reporting or are in the public interest. Editorial images cannot be used for promotional purposes; instead, you are allowing the image in a non-commercial, informative way.
Metadata, Titles, Keywords and Categories.
Whilst this isn’t the most sexy part of submitting to Shutterstock, it is fundamentally the second most important part, and worth taking your time to do right.
The title should be clear, descriptive and between 6-12 words.
A couple of good and bad titles:
Bad:
‘Woman working on a laptop’
‘Bathroom with essentials on a shelf’
Good:‘
Young woman working remotely on a laptop at a kitchen table with copy space.’
‘Sustainable bathroom essentials on a wooden shelf, natural light, with copy space.’
Editorial submissions MUST adhere to the following format:
‘City, State/Country – Month Day Year: Description’.
Keywords
Shutterstock allows you up to 50 keywords per image. Whilst you don’t have to use all 50, I always aim for a minimum of 28-30. By aiming for this number, it’s a great way to ensure your best photos are going to be found by a wide audience of potential customers.
Shutterstock will offer keyword suggestions based on your image. Many may be suitable, but in my opinion, not all, so don’t automatically add them all.
Start with the obvious words, then use more descriptive ones, like in the image below, gliding, soaring, and freedom are verbs and adjectives that potential buyers may use when searching for the perfect image.
Below you can see the Shutterstock contributor dashboard showing approved photo submissions with description, keywords, and categories.
Categories
Shutterstock allows you to submit in up to 2 categories. I have images for sale that are listed in both 1 and 2 categories. I’m careful not to just randomly add an image to a category if it’s not applicable, thinking it may improve the chances of a sale, it won’t.
Shutterstock categories include nature, technology, health and wellness, business and finance, with one of the top-selling categories being food and drink.
Once you’re happy, click submit. Congratulations, you’ve made your inital submission!
Wait times for Shutterstock quality controls teams to review your high-quality images will vary, so be patient.
It’s too easy to sit and wait until you hear if your images have been accepted or not, but my advice is to be proactive.
Use the time to research images that Shutterstock are having active searches for and start work on planning those images for your next submission for your Shutterstock portfolio.
If your images are accepted, well done. However, if any of your images are rejected, don’t despair. They will inform you why your image/s have been rejected. If you can, work on the image to correct why it was rejected and resubmit. If you’re unable to, don’t worry and don’t take it personally. Instead, learn from it and move on to the next set of images you plan to submit.
Rejection isn’t failure, it’s a way we learn and improve.
How Much Can I Earn?
The more quality stock photos and video clips you have with Shutterstock, the higher % you’ll earn. The earnings % levels are reset each calendar year beginning on 1st January.
Below is a breakdown of expected earnings for both video and photos, correct at the time of writing this blog in autumn 2025, but check out their earnings structure here
|
Image Levels |
Number of Image Licences This Calendar Year |
You Earn |
|---|---|---|
|
Level 1 |
Up to 100 |
15% |
|
Level 2 |
101-250 |
20% |
|
Level 3 |
251-500 |
25% |
|
Level 4 |
501-2,500 |
30% |
|
Level 5 |
2,501-25,000 |
25% |
|
Level 6 |
Over 25,000 |
40% |
Earnings breakdowns for photo content.
|
Video Levels |
Number of Video Licences This Calendar Year |
You Earn |
|---|---|---|
|
Level 1 |
Up to 10 |
15% |
|
Level 2 |
11-50 |
20% |
|
Level 3 |
51-250 |
25% |
|
Level 4 |
251-5,000 |
30% |
|
Level 5 |
5001-25,000 |
35% |
|
Level 6 |
Over 25,000 |
40% |
Earnings breakdowns for video content.
You may think that the percentages are low, as well as the number of licence resets on the 1st January every year, that you’ll never earn any significant commission.
On the inital face of it, that may seem true; however, as I explain to photographers, submitting images and videos to Shutterstock should be done with a strategy and consistently.
Let me show you some earning example scenarios.
|
Contributor Level |
Est Monthly Earnings |
Images Submitted Weekly |
How That May Play Out |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Level 3 |
$150-$300 |
10-15 |
You shoot 2-3 strong images per day. Over a month, 40-60 images give you a steady small income, and you move from the starter levels |
|
Level 4 |
$300-$600 |
25-30 |
You plan a couple of shoots per week, use themes buyers demand, and upload regularly, 100-200 per month. |
|
Level 5 |
$600-$1,200 |
60-70 |
Submit 50 images per week (=2,600/year. )If your work is well-performing, you might average 3-10 downloads per image. Over time, this could propel you to level 5. |
|
Level 6 |
$1,200 + |
100+ images |
You’re working at full rhythm, multiple shoots per week, varying themes, high efficiency in editing, keywording, etc., 400+ images per month. |
These assumptions depend on you getting steady sales per image. Some images sell poorly, others much better. The numbers are illustrative only, but if you’re serious about earning money through stock photography, a good strategy, consistent uploads of high-quality photos that are in demand, will deliver sales.
Tips for How to Become a Shutterstock Contributor.
- Create digital content that sells. When you plan and shoot, think like a buyer. Take the image in multiple ways: a tight crop for details and texture, a mid crop for context, and a wide crop for copy space. Shoot the same subject from 3 different angles, and 3 variations of each, 9 individual images
- Don’t edit with trending filters. Whilst this is ok for your social platforms, this is a definite no-no with stock images. Ensure your white balance, exposure, etc, is correct and pay attention to ensuring you have straight horizons.
- Use the Shutterstock contributor app. This is super convenient to access to your contributor account, submit images on the go, review submissions and easily track your earning.
- Don’t forget you can also submit images taken on a mobile device, as long as all the technical details are correct. I’ve successfully sold images that I’ve taken on my iPhone when walking the dogs, cooking and even walking through my local high street.
- Organise all your submissions into categories. This will help potential buyers who like your style to view your other photos/videos as well as ensure your profile is set up professionally for success.
Becoming a Shutterstock contributor is not about instant success. It’s about building a consistent workflow, learning what buyers need, and developing a portfolio that grows in value over time. The more you upload, refine your style, and understand your niche, the stronger your results will be. Start small, stay consistent, and remember, every image you add is another opportunity for your work to be discovered and sold.
Want some help staying on track? Download my free month-by-month stock photography planner and start planning your shoots with purpose. It’s a simple way to stay consistent and build a portfolio that sells.
BONUS PDF – 16-PAGE PDF PLANNER TO TAKE YOUR STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY FROM MEH TO 💰.
If you’ve found this blog useful, why not check out my other blogs on becoming a successful stock photographer or running a photography business without overwhelm?
Nicky x
