Shutterstock

Table of Contents

  1. Social handles
  2. Key Features
  3. Brief history
  4. Executive team
  5. Competitors
  • Related Articles, News, & Episodes
    1. References

    • Shutterstock is a global creative platform that provides high-quality licensed stock photography, vectors, illustrations, videos, music, and 3D models to businesses, marketing agencies, and media organizations. Its key differentiator is its massive and diverse marketplace, powered by a pioneering subscription-based model that made creative assets more accessible, alongside a recent expansion into AI-powered content generation and creative editing tools.

    https://www.shutterstock.com

    Social handles

    Back to Top

    Key Features

    • Vast Content Library: Access to over 400 million images, as well as extensive collections of video footage, music tracks, sound effects, 3D models, and editorial content.
    • AI-Powered Tools: Includes an AI Image Generator that creates new visuals from text prompts, alongside predictive search features that help users find relevant content faster.
    • Creative Flow: An all-in-one platform with tools for creative editing, content planning, and collaboration, designed to streamline the marketing workflow from discovery to final campaign.
    • Flexible Licensing and Plans: Offers a range of purchasing options, including monthly/annual subscriptions, on-demand image packs, and enterprise-level plans to fit different user needs and budgets.
    • Integrations and API: Provides integrations for major content management systems, social media platforms, and design tools (e.g., WordPress, Google Slides, Adobe Creative Cloud) as well as a robust API for custom solutions.
    • Editorial Content: A dedicated section for up-to-the-minute editorial images and videos covering news, sports, and entertainment for journalistic and media use.
    • Shutterstock Studios: A service offering custom content creation, connecting brands with a global network of artists, directors, and producers for bespoke creative projects.
    Back to Top

    Brief history

    Shutterstock was founded in 2003 by programmer and photographer Jon Oringer. Initially, Oringer uploaded 30,000 of his own stock photos and created one of the first subscription-based online stock photo marketplaces, a disruptive model at a time when images were primarily sold individually at high prices. The company grew rapidly, expanding its library by crowdsourcing content from contributors around the world.

    Shutterstock went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012 (NYSE: SSTK). Over the years, it has expanded its offerings well beyond photos to include video, music, and editorial content, often through strategic acquisitions such as Bigstock (2009), Rex Features (2015), Pond5 (2022), and GIPHY (2023). In recent years, the company has heavily invested in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, to power its search capabilities and launch new generative AI tools for content creation.

    Back to Top

    Executive team

    • Paul Hennessy: Chief Executive Officer
    • Jarrod Yahes: Chief Financial Officer
    • Sejal Amin: Chief Technology Officer
    • Aimee Egan: Chief Marketing Officer
    • Meagan Finneran: Chief People Officer
    • John Lapham: General Counsel

    (Note: Executive team is subject to change. This list is accurate as of late 2023).

    Back to Top

    Competitors

    • Getty Images (and iStock): A major global competitor with a strong focus on high-end editorial, creative, and archival imagery. Its subsidiary, iStock, competes more directly with Shutterstock’s pricing model.
    • Adobe Stock: Directly integrated into the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, making it a convenient and formidable competitor for designers and creative professionals already using Adobe products.
    • Unsplash / Pexels / Pixabay: Free stock photo platforms that compete for users with limited budgets, though they typically offer a smaller selection and different licensing terms than paid platforms.
    • Canva: While primarily a design platform, Canva’s extensive library of free and pro-level stock media makes it a significant competitor for marketers creating social media graphics and simple designs.
    • Epidemic Sound / Artlist: Specialized platforms that compete directly with Shutterstock Music for high-quality, royalty-free music and sound effects for video creators.
    Back to Top
    Back to Top

    References

    1. Shutterstock. (n.d.). About Shutterstock. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/about
    2. Shutterstock. (n.d.). Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/about/leadership
    3. Shutterstock. (2023, May 23). Shutterstock Completes Acquisition of GIPHY, the World’s Largest GIF Library and Search Engine. [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/press/20230523-shutterstock-completes-acquisition-of-giphy-the-worlds-largest-gif-library-and-search-engine
    4. Roof, K. (2022, May 11). Shutterstock to Buy Pond5 for $210 Million as Video Demand Soars. Bloomberg. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-11/shutterstock-to-buy-pond5-for-210-million-as-video-demand-soars
    5. Goud, N. (2023, July 27). Adobe Stock vs Shutterstock. TechPcVipers. Retrieved from https://www.techpcvipers.com/adobe-stock-vs-shutterstock/
    6. Forbes. (2013, May 8). The New Billionaire Behind Shutterstock. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2013/05/08/the-new-billionaire-behind-shutterstock/?sh=6f9a0f5a3ff8
    7. Vincent, J. (2022, October 25). Shutterstock is launching its own AI image generator and contributor fund. The Verge. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/25/23422325/shutterstock-ai-generated-art-image-generator-dall-e-2-openai-partnership-contributor-fund
    Back to Top

    Was this helpful?

    Previous

    PAN Communications

    Next

    Stitch Fix