Stock Photographers Unhappy With Changes to Alamy Contributor Contract

Alamy, a stock photo agency, is today bringing in big changes to how it pays contributors — with many photographers expecting less money.

The changes were announced in a blog post last month and they introduce a new tier system which will see many contributors’ commission slashed from 40% to 20%.

The new Bronze, Silver, and Gold system works like this: any photographers earning below $250 per year will get a meagre 15% while Alamy takes the other 85%. However, most serious stock photographers clear this threshold in 12 months, which would put them on the next tier, Silver.

From today, Silver stock contributors earning over $250 per year will only get 20% commission from Alamy, unless they clear £3,000 per year, in which case they’re in the Gold category and earn 40%.

Alexandre Rotenberg from brutallyhonestmicrostock.com reckons that the $3,000 threshold will exclude the vast majority of Alamy photographers from the 40% commission, which was standard, and demote many to 20%; Rotenberg estimates that 3% to 8% of contributors clear $3,000.

The company says it is making the changes to “ensure Alamy remains a strong, competitive marketplace for the future.”

“We’ve invested across several key areas of our business, including Alamy Smart Search, a simplified customer experience, expanded licensing solutions and a more modernized platform,” writes managing director Lira Mendonca.

“These investments are designed to make contributor content easier to discover, connect customers with the right content for their projects, and inspire greater usage across our collection.”

“I know some contributors will be disappointed by these changes, and I understand why. Decisions like these affect real people and businesses, and we considered them carefully,” she adds.

“Our objective is not simply to change commission rates. It’s to ensure we can continue investing in overall improvements that will help create demand for your work and keep Alamy competitive in a rapidly evolving market.”

The change hasn’t been received well among photographers, who took to Alamy’s contributor forum to vent their frustration, although the messaging board now requires a login to view.

According to Private Eye, a British satire and news magazine, one photographer wrote: “In view of this latest outrage, I’ve decided I have better things to do than waste my time with Alamy.”

In an open letter, Neil Turner, the secretary of the British Press Photographers’ Association (BPPA), urged Alamy to keep the commission rate at 40%.

“We are aware that Alamy needs to invest in technology constantly to remain competitive in a difficult marketplace,” writes Turner. “What we cannot accept is that contributors who have been loyal to your platform and who do not cause you any problems should bear the cost of it.”

Alamy is headquartered in the U.K. with a sales office in Brooklyn, New York.

Image creditsHeader photo licensed via Depositphotos.