Published on 10 June 2017 | Updated on 16 January 2020
Pond5 describe themselves as the “world’s most vibrant marketplace for creativity”. And in the opinion of many microstockers they are.
Launched in 2006, Pond5 unlike other stock media agencies, started accepting videos first. Thanks to their selling power shortly became the leader in video licensing. Pond5 also offers Music Tracks, After Effect Templates, Sound Effects, 3D Models and since 2011, Photos and Illustrations. Due to their partnership initially with 123RF, Pixmac, YAY Micro and FeaturePics they managed to grow their royalty-free image collection very quickly.
Why is Pond5 different?
- You can set your own prices for all media with the option to request curators to set a price for you;
- You receive 50% royalties for each sale;
- No exclusivity or subscription plans;
- Payout level from $25. It is one of the lowest in the microstock world;
- Very friendly and helpful staff;
- Reasons for rejection clearly explained.
Pond5 Review: Our verdict
To summarise this Pond5 review we can say that it is a great place for video, audio, After Effects or 3D producers. With possibility of setting your own prices and 50/50 revenue split it is very promising. For each sale you receive much more than the industry standard. It should also be considered by stock photographers, but image sales are slow at the moment. We believe that high quality stock photos sell, but suspect the sales to be much lower than on Shutterstock or Fotolia.
Visit Pond5 website today and register your free account.
Pond5 Details
| Website | pond5.com |
| Location | New York, USA / Prague, Czech Republic / Geneve, Switzerland |
| How to apply | Register for an account and begin to upload your files. You can also send your stock images on a CD, DVD or portable hard drive |
| Image size | At least 2MP (2 Megapixels) |
| Media accepted | Video, Photo, Illustration, Music, SFX, After Effects, 3D Models, PSD Templates |
| Licenses | Royalty Free License |
| Contributor rates | 50% on all sales |
| Minimum payout | $25 |
| Payment methods | Check, Paypal or Skrill |
| Upload methods | Via HTML5 uploader or FTP |
| IPTC Data support | Yes |
| More details | Details of Contributor Royalties, Image/ Credit/ Subscription Prices, Referral Programs and Exclusivity Rates can be found in our Comparisons |
| Download Releases | See Model & Property Release Forms |
