Custom Content requirements
Your imagery must be:
Your imagery must be:
Created specifically for the Custom Content brief
Cleared for commercial use (released)
Not published or shared anywhere online
Authentic and candid, reflecting real‑world experiences
Sometimes specific to a location or region
Built around a distinct theme, like living a healthy life or family time
What makes Custom Content special?
Unlike traditional commissioned shoots, Custom Content is designed to fill our clients’ need for cost‑effective, exclusive brand images and video clips for marketing use. You are free to opt in to any brief that matches your interests, availability, and expertise.
Uniquely, you get to build a stock portfolio with imagery not selected by the clients. So, you’re always winning—either getting paid when Custom Content customers download your imagery, or earning ongoing royalties when your eligible, non‑selected imagery makes it to istock.com / gettyimages.com (depending on your contributor agreement).
Uniquely, you get to build a stock portfolio with imagery not selected by the clients. So, you’re always winning—either getting paid when Custom Content customers download your imagery, or earning ongoing royalties when your eligible, non‑selected imagery makes it to istock.com / gettyimages.com (depending on your contributor agreement).
Exclusivity and why it’s important
Exclusive use* is one of the key features of Custom Content for clients. More and more brands are looking for specific imagery that their competition doesn’t have. Custom Content provides this option.
Each image chosen by the client is available to them on an exclusive, worldwide, perpetual basis. That’s why it's very important that imagery you submit to Custom Content has not been published or shared anywhere else.
Shooting to Custom Content is available only to exclusive contributors with iStock and Getty Images. When you sign up to be exclusive, you legally agree that your submitted content is not available through any other stock agency and is not directly licensed by you.
Each image chosen by the client is available to them on an exclusive, worldwide, perpetual basis. That’s why it's very important that imagery you submit to Custom Content has not been published or shared anywhere else.
Shooting to Custom Content is available only to exclusive contributors with iStock and Getty Images. When you sign up to be exclusive, you legally agree that your submitted content is not available through any other stock agency and is not directly licensed by you.
What’s in it for you?
Custom Content briefs give you valuable insight into the real‑world visual needs of leading global brands, indicating trends before they hit the market.
The opportunity to work directly from these detailed briefs allows you to grow your skills. At every point in your career, you can create work that builds off your strengths, while also expanding your abilities.
Clients license the content that best meets their needs, resulting in per‑file payouts for contributors. The remaining market‑ready imagery gets automatically included in your stock portfolio—providing you additional earning opportunities in the long run.
The opportunity to work directly from these detailed briefs allows you to grow your skills. At every point in your career, you can create work that builds off your strengths, while also expanding your abilities.
Clients license the content that best meets their needs, resulting in per‑file payouts for contributors. The remaining market‑ready imagery gets automatically included in your stock portfolio—providing you additional earning opportunities in the long run.
How much will you earn?
For imagery that goes into your stock portfolio, you receive your contracted royalty rate (starting from 20%).
Every time a customer licenses your imagery, you earn your royalty which is a percentage of the price they pay. Your stock imagery can be downloaded many times by different customers and can continue to earn you money over months and years.
Custom Content pricing is based on the volume of content the client requests—typically between $200 and $400 per file. You will receive your royalty rate on each sold image or video clip. This imagery will be used by the client exclusively and in perpetuity.
Regularly submitting to Custom Content briefs, with the benefit of adding non‑selected content to your stock portfolio, can create new revenue streams.
FAQs
Do I retain copyright of my work?
Absolutely. We license imagery to our customers on your behalf and you retain the copyright to all content that you submit to us. You can register as an individual or a business as long as you are at least 18 years of age.
What is stock and royalty‑free licensing?
It is important to understand what a royalty‑free license is and how the imagery you submit to Getty Images and iStock can be used. When our customers find the imagery they want, they purchase a license that allows them to download your file for their personal or commercial purposes (based on the terms of the content license agreement). Customers can then use your imagery in advertising, marketing, apps, websites, social media, TV and film, presentations, newspapers, magazines, books, and product packaging, among hundreds of other uses.
Are there any legal requirement for images I submit?
All contributors must ensure that the content they submit does not contain copyrighted materials. Copyright is a form of legal protection for the authors of “original works of authorship”. This covers literary, musical, dramatic, architectural, and pictorial works. Getty Images will not accept content that is a violation of the exclusive rights of the creator. That also includes less obvious items present in the image—branded clothes, logos on drinks and food, technology brands. Be careful to shoot in a way that they are not visible or retouch your images to remove visible logos to ensure that your images will be accepted.
Do I need permission (model or property releases) from the people, property, or locations featured in my imagery before I submit them to you?
Yes. Any content submitted must be cleared for commercial use, with model and property releases where required. A release is a written permission from an individual or property owner allowing the use of that person’s likeness or property (for example, a private home or a place of business) in an image for commercial licensing. It’s easier than it sounds—we have the tools, forms, and FAQs to help you understand commercial use. Learn more about releases here.
Have outstanding questions? Email us
*Custom Content is subject to specific license terms, in addition to the ones you agree to when you sign your initial contract. Please ensure that you review the Custom Content License Terms before submitting: You agree that all content (photo, illustration, video) submitted to Getty Images/iStock in response or in conjunction with this Brief, ("Brief Content"), shall only be made available for license through Getty Images and iStock, whether or not you are currently or later become a Non Exclusive contributor or terminate your contributor relationship with Getty Images. Notwithstanding the terms of your contributor agreement with Getty Images, you agree that you shall not use Brief Content for any purpose except to make available under the terms of this Brief. You further understand and acknowledge that if your Brief Content is selected by the customer, the customer shall have a perpetual, worldwide exclusive license to use that content.
