Guide

How to Sell Photos on Shutterstock (2026): Earnings and Steps

Updated September 12, 2026 · 6 min read · How we research

Compiled with AI-assisted research from the official help pages and sources listed at the end of this guide. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Tip: fees and payout rules change often. Check the numbers on the platform's page and work out what you'll keep before you commit.

To sell photos on Shutterstock, register free as a contributor, file your tax form, then upload 4 MP+ JPEGs with a clear title and 7 to 50 keywords. Each approved image earns 15% to 40% of every license, depending on how many licenses you have sold that calendar year, and never less than $0.10 per download. Payouts go out monthly to PayPal, Payoneer or Skrill once you pass a minimum you set between $25 and $2,000.

Earnings levels in 2026

Level	Image licenses this year	Video licenses this year	You earn
1	Up to 100	Up to 10	15%
2	101 to 250	11 to 50	20%
3	251 to 500	51 to 250	25%
4	501 to 2,500	251 to 5,000	30%
5	2,501 to 25,000	5,001 to 25,000	35%
6	Over 25,000	Over 25,000	40%

Everyone drops back to Level 1 on January 1, and images and videos climb separate ladders.
Only licenses sold on the Shutterstock marketplace count toward levels. Data licenses and Unlimited licenses do not.
Every download pays at least $0.10. Some large subscription packs cost customers only $0.20 to $0.30 per download, so those downloads often pay the floor even at higher levels. Smaller packs, single purchases and higher-value licenses pay your full percentage.
The Contributor Fund shares revenue from data licenses, such as datasets and AI-generator downloads, at a 20% average royalty rate, split by how much of your content is included. You can opt out in Account settings, with separate switches for images and video.
Shutterstock Unlimited is an invite-only pilot that splits 50% of each subscriber's monthly net revenue among the contributors whose files they downloaded. Opt out under Account settings > Licensing Options.

Step 1: Register and set up payouts

Sign up at submit.shutterstock.com or in the Shutterstock Contributor app with your legal name, a display name and your email, then verify the email. Registration is free.
Enter your address in English, without accents or special characters.
Complete your tax form in the Tax Center: a W-9 if you are a US person, or a W-8BEN if you are an individual outside the US.
Open Account settings > Payout information, choose PayPal, Payoneer or Skrill, and set your minimum payout.

You must be 18 or older and may hold only one active account. Shutterstock has not accepted new contributors from Russia or Belarus since April 2022.

Step 2: Prepare files that pass review

Use JPEG (recommended) or TIFF, at least 4 MP, in the sRGB color profile. Browser uploads are capped at 50 MB, or 100 MB for EPS, while TIFFs up to 4 GB can go through FTPS.
Save vectors as EPS files compatible with Illustrator 8 or 10 and upload them with a JPEG preview.
Every identifiable person needs a model release, including you. Releases must match the shoot date, and Easy Release forms signed on a phone or tablet screen are accepted.
Remove logos and trademarks, or submit the image as Editorial.
Do not upload AI-generated images. Shutterstock does not accept them from contributors.

Step 3: Upload, add metadata and submit

Click Upload, or +Add on the Upload page, and drag in up to 100 files at a time. FTPS and the mobile app also work.
Write the title in the Description field as an English sentence of at least five words that describes everything in the image. Keyword lists, special characters and camera details do not belong there.
Add 7 to 50 keywords, specific terms first and then broader concepts and feelings, and choose at least 1 category. Keyword suggestions, batch editing and CSV upload speed this up.
Attach releases with the + next to Releases, then Upload New Release (a JPEG of 20 MB or less) and choose Model or Property. Releases cannot be added after approval.
For news and events, select Editorial and caption the file as CITY, STATE/COUNTRY - MONTH DAY, YEAR: followed by one factual sentence.
Click Submit. If nothing happens, fix any keywords outlined in red. Uploads left unsubmitted for 21 days are deleted.

You can submit up to 500 images and 100 video clips in any rolling 7-day window.

Step 4: Track the review

Submitted files wait in the Pending tab of the Portfolio page and cannot be edited, and deleting and resubmitting pending files can get them permanently blocked. Results appear under Recently reviewed for 21 days, and approved files can take up to 72 hours to show in your portfolio. Shutterstock publishes no standard review time, and files that may suit its data marketplace can stay pending longer.

Getting paid

Item	Rule as of September 2026
Payout methods	PayPal, Payoneer or Skrill. No bank transfers or checks.
Minimum payout	You choose between $25 and $2,000
Payment dates	Monthly and automatic, usually sent between the 7th and 15th
Below your minimum	Earnings roll over to the next month
Tax form	W-9 or W-8 required before any payment
Withholding for non-US contributors	30% on licenses bought by US customers, lower or zero under a tax treaty

Settings changed after a payment is calculated apply the following month.
A PayPal or Skrill account must be at least 72 hours old before Shutterstock will accept its email.
A Payoneer account that already receives money from other companies cannot be used, so open a new one with a different email.
Accounts flagged as coming from a high-fraud area become eligible for payouts only 90 days after their first approved file, and staff cannot override this.
Closing your account before earnings reach $25 forfeits them.

Common problems and fixes

Focus or noise rejections. Shoot at a low ISO with a fast enough shutter speed, check every file at 100%, and never upscale.
Trademark rejections. Remove logos and brand names, or resubmit as Editorial and keep brand names out of commercial metadata.
Title or keyword rejections. Use a descriptive sentence rather than a keyword list, and avoid repeated word stems and irrelevant keywords.
Similar content. Shutterstock allows 1 horizontal and 1 vertical shot of the same unmoved subject, plus 1 color, 1 black-and-white and 1 filtered version. Submit your strongest frame, not the whole burst.
First batch rejected. Try again with new work as often as you like. Resending the same files gets them rejected as duplicates, and repeatedly resubmitting unfixed work can lead to warnings or suspension.
Upload and Submit buttons disabled. A tax-form reminder left unanswered for 90 days disables them, and from September 2026 contributors without completed tax forms are restricted from uploading. Submit the form in the Tax Center.
Payment smaller than your earnings. Earnings figures are shown before tax, and withholding based on your W-8 status appears in Payment History.

Grow beyond the first sales

Customers sort results by New, Popular or Best Match. Shutterstock advises giving each image its own specific title, naming the angle or technique, adding conceptual keywords, and never copying another contributor's metadata. Its Creative Insights page publishes trending keywords every month.

Shutterstock is non-exclusive, so the same images can also earn on agencies that do not require exclusivity, such as Adobe Stock and Alamy. Pond5, which Shutterstock owns, still runs separate accounts and payouts. Compare the options in our best sites to sell stock photos list, and check our Payoneer profile before choosing a payout method.