About Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a leading global provider of high-quality licensed images, videos, and music, headquartered in New York. Founded in 2002, it operates as a two-sided marketplace.

Content creators contribute their work (royalty-free stock photos, vector graphics, illustrations, video clips, and music tracks) to Shutterstock, where businesses, marketing agencies, media organizations, and individuals license and use the content for various creative projects. The brand is known for its massive library and tools, including an AI Image Generator.

Shutterstock Affiliate Program Overview

The Shutterstock Affiliate Program allows you to earn commissions by promoting Shutterstock’s offerings, such as their image, footage, and music subscriptions and on-demand purchases, to your audience. The program is free to join and is generally hosted through a third-party affiliate network like Impact Radius.

Factor Detail
Industry Stock Media (Stock Photography, Footage, Music), Digital Products/Services, Creative Tools
Product Type Digital Licenses (Images, Videos, Music, Editing Tools, AI Generator)
Affiliate Program Type Cost Per Sale (CPS), Single-Tier Commission

Shutterstock Affiliate Program Offers

The program provides affiliates with the necessary resources and established terms to effectively promote the brand.

Factor Detail
Promotional Materials Unique affiliate links, Banners in different sizes and languages, Text links, Customizable Affiliate Widget, API for custom integration
Affiliate Cookie Duration 30 Days
Accepted Traffic Source Websites, Blogs, Social Media, Email Marketing (Generally accepted; check specific terms for PPC/SEM restrictions)
Accepted Countries Global/Worldwide (Promotes globally, accepts 9 different currencies)
Explicit Content Not Accepted (Affiliates may not promote in any sexually explicit materials or illegal activities)
Religious or Political Content Restrictions apply (Generally affiliates may not promote in materials that employ discriminatory practices based on religion or political views)

Shutterstock Affiliate Commissions & Payments

The Shutterstock affiliate program offers a competitive commission structure for new customer sales.

Factor Detail
MLM No (It is a single-tier program, meaning affiliates earn commissions only on sales they directly generate)
Commission Rate Up to 20%-30% of the sale amount for new customer purchases, with a maximum payout of $300 per order/purchase (rates can vary based on product and campaign)
Commission Structure Percentage of sale (e.g., 20% or more for new customer sign-ups)
Payout Frequency Monthly
Payout Methods Bank Wire Transfer, PayPal, E-transfer (Varies based on the affiliate network used, e.g., Impact)
Minimum Payout $10 (Common for Impact Radius, though some sources list $100 or “no minimum payout” – $10 is the most commonly cited for Impact)

Suitable Affiliates for Shutterstock Affiliate

The Shutterstock affiliate program is an excellent fit for individuals and platforms that cater to the creative and marketing industries, as their audience frequently requires stock media assets.

Affiliate Type Suitability for Shutterstock Affiliate
Bloggers High – Especially those in niches like graphic design, web development, photography, video editing, and marketing.
TikTokers Medium to High – Those focusing on creative tutorials, video content creation tips, design hacks, or small business marketing.
KOC / KOL / Influencers High – Influencers in the creative, design, or business/marketing space who speak directly to the need for high-quality, legally licensed media.
YouTubers High – Content creators who produce videos on filmmaking, editing tutorials, photography gear reviews, graphic design software, or online business content.
Video editors High – Can recommend Shutterstock for footage and music, particularly in guides or resource lists for professional editing.
Livestreamers Medium – Livestreamers who focus on design work, video production, or creative tutorials may find it suitable to promote the assets they use.

Shutterstock Affiliate Software

Shutterstock generally partners with a third-party affiliate management software to run and track its affiliate program.

  • Affiliate Management Software: Impact Radius (Impact) is the most widely cited platform used by Shutterstock to manage its global affiliate program.
  • They do not use in-house affiliate management software exclusively for this program, but rely on the robust tracking and payment infrastructure of a major third-party network.

3 Alternatives for Shutterstock Affiliate Program

Three strong alternatives in the stock media/creative assets space that also offer affiliate programs are Adobe Stock, Envato Elements (or Envato Market), and Depositphotos.

Comparison Factor Shutterstock Affiliate Program Adobe Stock Affiliate Program Envato Elements/Market Affiliate Program Depositphotos Affiliate Program
Core Product Stock Images, Footage, Music, AI Tools Stock Images, Videos, Templates, 3D Unlimited Downloads (Elements) or Marketplace (Market) for creative assets Stock Images, Videos, Vectors, Music
Commission Up to 20-30% for new customer sales 85% on first-month subscription/1st purchase, up to $72. Max $85. Up to 30% for new customer purchases/recurring subscriptions (Envato Elements) Up to 40% on first-time purchases
Conversion Subscription & On-Demand Sales Subscription & Credit Pack Sales Subscription (Elements) or One-time Purchases (Market) Subscription & Credit Pack Sales
Entry Fees Free Free Free Free
Payment Frequency Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly
Withdrawal Threshold $10 (via Impact) $50 (via Impact) $50 (via Impact or ShareASale) $50 (via Payoneer/PayPal/Skrill)
Marketing Materials Banners, Links, Widget, API Banners, Text Links, Deals Banners, Text Links, Product Feeds Banners, Text Links, Landing Pages
Average Bill Varies widely based on plan/pack size (often high for business) Varies, typically high initial payout Lower entry price for Elements subscription, higher potential recurring revenue Varies, can be lower than Shutterstock for credit packs