Updated 2026-09-13
It is the decision that moves the most money and the one almost nobody explains. Here are the three tiers and when each one pays off.
You sell the right to exploit the material, but you remain the owner and can sell it to whoever you like, as many times as you like.
When it pays off: generic stock — landscapes, textures, city shots, people working — that you can place on several platforms at once. Five non-exclusive sales beat one exclusive almost every time.
For a set period, usually six to twenty-four months, only one buyer has it. After that it is yours again to sell anywhere, without affecting licences the buyer has already granted.
When it pays off: topical or seasonal material, worth a lot now and little in a year. You collect the premium while it is worth something, and get it back when it barely matters.
Assigned exclusively, forever. You never sell it again.
When it pays off: unique, hard-to-repeat pieces, or material whose market is so small you will not find five buyers. Also when you want to close the matter, get paid once, and manage nothing further.
Under a non-exclusive licence, the buyer cannot sue anyone who pirates the material: only the owner or an exclusive licensee has standing. If you are worried about your material circulating unchecked, that is an argument for exclusivity, because the buyer will have both the incentive and the standing to pursue it.
We publish all three tiers with their valuation range when you submit material, and whatever you choose is written into the agreement you sign before getting paid.
What is holding you back? Pick one and I will answer straight.
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