There are countless pivotal reasons why you need to purchase a license to use images on your website:

Copyright protection: Most images will be protected by copyright laws. Unless an image is specifically marked as free to use, you need permission from the copyright holder to use it. Licensing images protects you from copyright infringement claims.

Image quality: Stock images come in high-resolution formats suitable for clear display on screens. Free images found online may be low-quality, watermarked versions that do not look professional. Licensed images ensure your website looks polished.

Attribution requirements: Image licenses require you to credit the photographer or copyright holder. Failing to provide proper attribution can breach the license terms. Licensed images make it easy to meet these requirements.

Commercial use rights: Many free images only allow non-commercial use. If you plan to use images on a website to promote your business, teach a class, or sell products, you need a license that permits commercial usage.

Liability protection: Using copyrighted images without permission leaves you vulnerable to lawsuits. Licenses provide legal protection as long as you follow the terms. This shields you from potential fines or other penalties.

Image licensing is necessary to legally use high-quality stock photos on your website while avoiding copyright issues. It protects both your legal rights and the photographer's intellectual property.

Editorial images refer to a specific category of stock photography intended for editorial and journalistic uses. These types of images are designed to illustrate news stories, feature articles, and other factual reporting. Their purpose is purely informative rather than promotional.

Firms that offer editorial image collections, such as Shutterstock, have amassed huge databases containing millions of photos optimized for news and editorial workflows. Subject matter typically includes current events, people in the news, locations around the world, and objects or scenes that help tell factual stories. Editorial images aim to provide a visual context and support for articles across many topics.

The licensing terms for editorial images are more flexible than in other stock photo categories. They allow for the incorporation of images into publications like newspapers, blogs, magazines, and websites to accompany news reports and features. Usage is also permitted in books and other media. While image credits to the photographer must still be provided, attributes like watermarks are sometimes optional to allow seamless integration into editorial layouts. Prices tend to be lower as well since editorial licenses permit wider distribution.

This category of stock photography serves an important role in visual storytelling for news and information. Editorial images enhance factual reporting while respecting intellectual property rights. Their flexible licensing encourages the broad dissemination of information to the public through editorial outlets. As such, they remain a vital resource for journalists, writers, and media professionals.

Shutterstock allows customers to opt out of automatic subscription renewals. Here are the steps:

Log into your Shutterstock account

Tap on the "Settings" option in the top menu.

Click on the "Billing & Payments" from the left sidebar.

Under the "Subscription" section, click "Manage" next to your active plan.

Untick the checkbox alongside "Renew my subscription automatically."

Click "Update" to save the change.

Your subscription will now expire at the end of the current term without renewal.

It's a good idea to disable auto-renew at least a few days before your renewal date to avoid unexpected charges. You can still use Shutterstock until the existing subscription period ends. Disabling auto-renew simply prevents future automatic charges.

If you have any other questions, Shutterstock customer support is available via phone, email, or online chat to walk you through the process as well. Let me know if you need any clarification on canceling auto-renewals.

The Premier license is Shutterstock's most comprehensive plan, offering unlimited downloads of high-resolution images and videos. Some key aspects:

Provides access to Shutterstock's full collection of over 380 million photos, vectors, illustrations, and videos.

Permits unlimited downloads and usage of content under this license. There are no limits on projects or image usage.

Images can be used for both commercial and editorial purposes, including advertising, merchandise, publications, films, and videos.

Content can be modified through cropping, color correction, or other basic enhancements. More extensive alterations require an enhanced license.

Attribution is required by embedding the photographer's name or studio within the image metadata.

Premier licenses are paid monthly or annually and are ideal for agencies, large companies, in-house design teams, and other high-volume users.

24/7 access to customer support for Premier members.

The Premier license from Shutterstock offers maximum flexibility and creative freedom to use extensive image libraries for all commercial needs. It's their broadest plan for professional image requirements.

No, royalty-free does not mean the content is free to use without payment. Royalty-free refers to the licensing model for some Shutterstock content.

With royalty-free images and footage, you pay a one-time fee to download and use the content as many times as needed for a project without paying additional royalties each time.

However, there is still a purchase price associated with royalty-free licenses. Pricing varies depending on factors like image resolution, video length, and license type (standard, extended, etc.).

Some key points about royalty-free content on Shutterstock:

It provides unlimited usage rights for a single fee, rather than per-use charges like rights-managed content.

Royalty-free does not mean the images are free; you must purchase a license before downloading and using them.

Standard royalty-free licenses start at $1, but prices increase based on image specs and license options.

So in a nutshell, while royalty-free licensing allows unlimited use, it does not mean the content itself is free of charge. Payment is still required to obtain a valid license before downloading and using royalty-free images or footage from Shutterstock.

An individual account provides access for only one person to license, download, and use content. If you work on a team or in a company setting, a Team subscription or Enterprise account would be the best fit for you. Please contact us and we would be happy to help you find the right plan.