Stock footage can be an intriguing way to earn passive income if you’re a filmmaker or videographer. By uploading clips to the right platforms, you can create a steady revenue stream with minimal ongoing effort. Is it worth the initial effort, though?
Coming to you from Matt WhoisMatt Johnson, this insightful video breaks down how he earned nearly $10,000 from stock footage in 2024. Johnson shares the platforms he used, starting with Pond5, a major player in the industry. Despite not uploading new clips to the site this year, Johnson still earned $59.43, thanks to a data licensing deal where companies like OpenAI used his footage for AI training. While this isn’t a typical revenue stream, it highlights the evolving opportunities in the stock footage market. Johnson also notes that competition on large platforms like Pond5 can make it harder to achieve consistent sales without a significant library of popular clips.
Next, Johnson discusses Light Stock, a Christian-based stock footage site. With 1,445 clips uploaded, he earned $356.10 in 2024. Light Stock’s appeal lies in its simplicity—it handles titling and tagging for you, making the upload process much easier. While the platform has a faith-based focus, Johnson emphasizes that your clips don’t need to follow that theme. Nature shots, for example, perform well on Light Stock, particularly for churches and organizations seeking aesthetic visuals.
Adobe Stock was another significant contributor to Johnson’s earnings, bringing in $539.36 from 746 previously uploaded clips. Adobe Stock integrates seamlessly with tools like Photoshop and Premiere Pro, making it a convenient option for filmmakers. Johnson notes that while he didn’t upload new footage to the platform this year, his older content continued to generate income.
Johnson credits the bulk of his income to Artgrid, a platform tied to the Artlist music licensing service. With 1,401 clips uploaded, he made $8,961.29, nearly doubling his earnings from the previous year. Artgrid’s strong user interface and its push for vertical video content made it especially lucrative. Johnson highlights the value of filming both horizontal and vertical versions of the same clip to maximize opportunities for sales, especially as demand for vertical video grows on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. However, he cautions that Artgrid enforces strict rules against simply cropping horizontal clips to create vertical ones, so you’ll need to shoot both formats natively. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Johnson.
