Two Agencies Say Yes
Adobe Stock is the clearest place to sell AI images, with Magnific (formerly Freepik) second. Both accept generated files as long as you tag them as AI. Shutterstock and Getty Images refuse them outright. Adobe pays 33% of the net license price for photos and illustrations, and its own example lands at $0.99 per license as of October 2026.
That split matters more than any prompt trick. A portfolio built for the wrong agency is simply rejected, no matter how polished the images look. The rest of this guide covers what each agency asks for, what a sale earns, and how many sales cover the generator bill.
Four Agencies Compared on AI Submissions
The policies below come from each agency contributor help center. They change often, so read the linked page again before a large upload.
| Agency or tool | Accepts AI-generated uploads? | What it requires or offers | Figure worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Stock | Yes | Created using generative AI tools checkbox on every AI file | 33% royalty on photos, vectors and illustrations |
| Magnific (formerly Freepik) | Yes | AI button or the _ai_generated CSV tag | Untagged files may be rejected |
| Shutterstock | No | Its own generator, with a Contributor Fund for artists whose work trained it | Policy page dated July 16, 2025 |
| Getty Images | No | AI retouching only, on camera-made or traditional work | Retouching capped at 10% of pixels |
| Midjourney (the source tool) | Not an agency | General commercial terms for anyone who has subscribed | Pro or Mega needed above $1,000,000 revenue |
Two of the four agencies are open, and two are closed. The fifth row is there because your generator terms decide whether you can submit anything at all.
Why Shutterstock and Getty Closed the Door
- ● Shutterstock refuses AI uploads
- ● Getty caps AI retouching at 10%
- ● Neither accepts a disclosure workaround
Both refusals rest on ownership. Shutterstock states plainly that it will not allow AI-generated content to be submitted by contributors for licensing. It argues that a model draws on many artists, so ownership of the output cannot be assigned to one person.
Shutterstock gives a second reason too. It cannot verify which model produced most AI files, so it cannot make sure the artists behind the training data get paid. Its alternative is a built-in generator trained on licensed content, with a Contributor Fund that pays artists whose work was used.
Getty takes a stricter line on realism. Its retouching and modification requirements say it does not accept content created by generative AI. Every person shown must be a real, model-released person, and photorealistic AI people are not allowed.
What Getty still lets AI tools do
Getty separates light retouching from heavier modification. Under the retouching rules, AI tools may remove intellectual property, people or distractions from traditionally made media. The change must stay within 10% of the image or frame pixels, with no inpainting or outpainting.
Anything heavier counts as modification, and modification must use traditional, non-generative tools only. Getty also says to use an AI retouching tool only if its terms put no contractual limit on commercial use. A photographer who leans on generative fill is better served by Adobe Stock.
The Checkboxes Adobe Stock Requires Before Review
- ● Label every generative AI file
- ● Mark fictional people and property
- ● Keep artist names out of prompts
Adobe asks for labels rather than bans. Its generative AI content guidelines list two checkboxes in the Contributor Portal. The first, Created using generative AI tools, is required for all content made with generative AI software.
The second, People and Property are fictional, applies when an image shows a person or property that only resembles reality. If the image is based on a real, identifiable person, a model release is required instead. A property release is needed for recognizable real property.
When an edited photo counts as AI
The rule also reaches edits made in Photoshop or Illustrator. You must label the file when generative tools changed, added or recolored its primary subject. Extending a background, removing distractions, or recoloring only the background does not trigger the label.
That line is practical for photographers. A street scene with an AI-extended sky stays an ordinary photo, while the same scene with a generated cyclist in front becomes AI content.
Rules That Sink an AI Portfolio Before Quality Does
Most AI rejections on Adobe Stock come from prompts and repetition, not from image quality. Adobe bans certain words in prompts, titles and keywords, and the list is stricter than many sellers expect.
- Names of artists, real people or fictional characters.
- References to creative works still in copyright, or to third-party intellectual property.
- Names of government agencies.
- Descriptions that imply the image shows a real news event.
Adobe warns that breaking this policy may lead to removed content or a closed account. It also tells contributors not to submit several versions from the same prompt. Magnific says the same thing in its own words, rejecting files that closely resemble earlier submissions in composition, framing or motif.
Anatomy is the other common trap. Adobe asks contributors to check that subjects have anatomically correct features before upload. Hands, teeth and lettering deserve a close look at full size, since generators still struggle with text more than most subjects.
Your Generator Terms Come Before Any Agency Rule
An agency can accept an AI file and still leave you exposed. Adobe says you must have all necessary rights to submit generative AI content for commercial licensing. It also says to review the terms of each AI tool yourself.
Midjourney is the most common source, so its terms are worth knowing. The Midjourney plans page gives every tier the same general commercial terms. Anyone who has subscribed at any point may use their images in almost any way.
There is one condition for larger sellers. A company making more than $1,000,000 in gross revenue per year must buy the Pro or Mega plan. As of October 2026, Basic costs $10 a month, Standard $30, Pro $60 and Mega $120, with annual billing about 20% cheaper. Confirm current pricing on the official site before you budget.
For the wider rights picture, see whether AI images can be used commercially at all. The related question of who stands behind you in a dispute is covered in which generators offer IP indemnity.
What One Adobe Stock License Actually Pays
Adobe pays a share of the net price, not a fixed fee. As of October 2026, the royalty is 33% for photos, vectors and illustrations and 35% for video. AI files earn the same rate as anything else in those categories.
Adobe gives its own worked example. A plan costing $29.99 a month for 10 photo licenses yields $0.99 per licensed photo. Discounted plans pay less per license, so treat $0.99 as a reference point rather than a promise.
High-volume plans carry a floor. On the large subscription, with 350 or more licenses a month, a contributor with fewer than 1,000 lifetime licenses earns at least $0.33 per license. The floor rises to $0.36 from 1,000 lifetime licenses and $0.38 from 10,000.
Getting the money out
Payouts come with their own gates. You need a balance of $25, a wait of 45 days after your first sale, and a PayPal, Payoneer or Skrill account. Without a valid tax form, Adobe withholds up to 30% depending on your country.
How Many Sales Cover a Midjourney Subscription
- ● 11 licenses cover a $10 month
- ● 31 licenses at the $0.33 minimum
- ● 26 licenses unlock the first payout
Here is a scenario built only from the figures above. A new contributor generates images on Midjourney and sells them through Adobe Stock. The question is how many licenses pay for the generator.
| Scenario | Monthly cost | Earnings per license | Licenses needed per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic plan, Adobe example rate | $10 | $0.99 | 11 |
| Basic plan, large subscription floor | $10 | $0.33 | 31 |
| Basic plan, 30% withholding applied | $10 | $0.69 | 15 |
| Standard plan, Adobe example rate | $30 | $0.99 | 31 |
| Pro plan for a company over $1M revenue | $60 | $0.99 | 61 |
The arithmetic is simple division, rounded up to whole licenses. For example, $10 divided by $0.99 is 10.1, so the 11th sale covers the month. The withholding row uses $0.99 times 0.7, which is about $0.69.
Two more numbers shape the first months. The $25 payout threshold needs 26 licenses at $0.99, and the 45-day wait applies even if those sales arrive fast. An annual Basic plan at $96 needs 97 licenses across the year, or roughly 8 a month.
The example assumes every sale earns the same rate, which real portfolios rarely do. What it shows is the scale of the task. A subscription is cheap, but covering it still takes a steady trickle of accepted, licensed images every month.
Which Stock Strategy Fits Your Situation
The right agency depends on how your images are made, not on how good they look. These verdicts cover the most common starting points.
Situation: fully generated illustrations or concept art. Adobe Stock first, with Magnific as a second outlet. Tag every file, and keep prompts free of artist names and brands.
Situation: a photographer who uses generative fill now and then. Keep AI work within the light retouching rules if you also sell through Getty. Label any image on Adobe Stock where the AI changed the main subject.
Situation: a business selling AI images under its company name. Check revenue first. Above $1,000,000 in yearly gross revenue, Midjourney requires Pro or Mega, which raises the break-even to about 61 licenses a month at $0.99.
Situation: a Shutterstock contributor curious about AI. Do not upload generated files there. Earn from AI indirectly through the Contributor Fund, and send generated work to an agency that accepts it.
Situation: a seller weighing stock against merch. Stock pays per license and never reaches the buyer directly. Merch has its own rules, covered in selling AI art on print on demand.
A Short Checklist Before the First Batch
Run through these points before you upload a single file. Each one maps to a rule quoted above.
- Confirm that the generator terms allow commercial use on your current plan and revenue level.
- Remove artist names, characters, brands and agency names from prompts, titles and keywords.
- Tick the Created using generative AI tools box, plus the fictional people box where it applies.
- Inspect hands, faces and any lettering at full size.
- Pick one strong image per prompt instead of several near-duplicates.
- Keep prompts and source files, which helps if a rights question ever arises.
Labels also travel with the file in other ways. Some tools embed provenance data, explained in what Content Credentials mean on an AI image. Leave that metadata intact, since Getty explicitly tells contributors not to strip it.
A seller who also licenses images for their own blog may want the buyer view too. That comparison is in AI image generators versus stock photos for blog images. Read both sides, and the economics of each agency become much easier to judge.
FAQ
Does Shutterstock accept AI-generated images from contributors?
No. Shutterstock says it will not allow AI-generated content to be submitted by contributors for licensing. Its stated reasons are that ownership cannot be assigned to one person and that it cannot verify which artists trained the model.
Do you have to label AI images when you upload them to Adobe Stock?
Yes. Every file made with generative AI software needs the Created using generative AI tools checkbox, whether or not a release is required. Fictional people or property also need the People and Property are fictional checkbox.
Can you sell Midjourney images on Adobe Stock?
Adobe accepts content from tools such as Midjourney, but it leaves the rights question to you. Midjourney grants general commercial terms to anyone who has subscribed, and a company above $1,000,000 in yearly gross revenue needs the Pro or Mega plan.
Can you use generative fill on photos you sell through Getty Images?
Only within narrow limits. Getty does not accept content created by generative AI, and its retouching rules allow AI tools only to remove elements from no more than 10% of the pixels in a camera-made image. Adding new elements with AI is not allowed.
How much does Adobe Stock pay for an AI-generated image license?
The same as any other image. Adobe Stock pays 33% of the net license price for photos, vectors and illustrations, and its own example works out to $0.99 per license. Large subscription licenses carry a minimum of $0.33 for newer contributors.
Sources
- Adobe Stock: Generative AI content guidelines — checked 2026-10-11
- Adobe Stock: Royalty rates for content — checked 2026-10-11
- Adobe Stock: Payment requirements for Contributors — checked 2026-10-11
- Shutterstock: Content Policy Updates, AI-generated Content — checked 2026-10-11
- Shutterstock: AI-generated Content on Shutterstock, Contributor FAQ — checked 2026-10-11
- Getty Images: Creative Content Retouching and Modification Requirements — checked 2026-10-11
- Magnific (formerly Freepik): AI generated resources, General guidelines — checked 2026-10-11
- Midjourney: Comparing Midjourney Plans — checked 2026-10-11
Some links may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
How this article was made: it was drafted with AI assistance from the official sources listed above, and its figures were checked against those pages on the dates shown. It is not based on personal hands-on testing.
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