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Image Overload
Royalty Free images continue to flood the marketplace, and the sheer volume of RF content is dominating image searches by clients. A key factor is that the RF image inventory is proliferating at a far greater pace than RM due to aggressive production and loose editing standards. In contrast, Rights Managed collections are accepting diminishing numbers of images and editing more tightly than ever.
Also, most clients use the “default” setting when searching for stock images online which means that they look at RM and RF images side by side. What they are now accustomed to seeing is a selection of RM images surrounded by a much larger volume of RF images, including many close “similars”.
Another reason is that the RF collections are represented across multiple distribution channels – some brands use over a hundred – so buyers see these images everywhere.
In contrast, RM images have far more limited distribution channels, usually geographically distinct, so the net effect is that RF images are increasingly dominating what clients see. The continuing popularity of Rights Managed licenses is all the more remarkable given the intense competitive environment in which RF imagery dominates, along with its “bargain” pricing and unlimited usage rights.
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