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Haseeb7
Participating Frequently
Mar 28, 2026 2:58 AM UTC
Question

Is Adobe Stock for you a hobby, a side income, or a main source of revenue?

I’m curious about how you all view your work on Adobe Stock. Are you treating it as a hobby, a side income, or is it your main source of revenue? I personally feel that most contributors use it part-time, just as an extra stream from their art, but I’m not sure—maybe some of you do rely on it full-time. What’s your experience—am I on track, or is it more of a mix?

    10 replies

    PaintedKitty
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Apr 3, 2026 4:03 AM UTC

    Haven’t contributed due to personal reasons and such in quite awhile. But previously as others have said, self interest and to make a little bit of money on the side. 

    I come here in the community to offer a bit of help where and when ever I can. Sometimes I come here for help myself if needed. 

    Plus I enjoy a bit of socializing too. 🙂

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    Haseeb7
    Haseeb7Author
    Participating Frequently
    Apr 3, 2026 4:12 AM UTC

    Appreciate you sharing that brother.

    Out of curiosity, what are your expectations from it overall? Like, how much time and effort do you usually invest, and what kind of returns are you aiming for?

    Just trying to understand how other contributors approach it and how seriously they take Adobe Stock.

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    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Mar 28, 2026 7:22 PM UTC

    It’s a hobby/part-time interest, depending on how much effort I invest in it.

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    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Inspiring
    Mar 28, 2026 6:42 PM UTC

    I started participating in April 2024, so it's been roughly two years. I saw this as a perfect job to do in my retirement, and it really was.

     

    That is, until the "Similar content in our collection" feature became active. After that, almost every piece of content I submitted started being rejected for the reason I mentioned, and after a while, I gave up.

     

    Because to reach my target of $400-$500 monthly income from this, I needed to upload very frequently and enrich my archive, unfortunately, that didn't happen.

     

    Now my archive is just sitting there, with 821 accepted images and $74.33 in my account. In two years. :)

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    Jill_C
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Mar 28, 2026 3:42 PM UTC

    I view it as a hobby, which allows me to get some of the many images that I take during my travels around the world off the hard drive and out into the world. I think that only a small percentage of Contributors regard it as their primary source of income. Mostly it’s a side hustle.

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    Jill C., Forum Volunteer
    N8.
    Community Expert
    Mar 28, 2026 1:49 PM UTC

    Are you looking for social content? What is the purpose of asking? If you are looking to make this a full time gig, ask yourself these Qs: 
    Am I doing it for the money? if so, you could burn out quickly
    Am I doing it because I see value and I want to help others get a quality product? 
    Or
    I do it just because I a buzz out seeing my work out there and selling something? 

    ​@Haseeb7 your Qs would best be used on a social platforms and create a poll for people to answer. 

    Cheers

    Nate

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    Haseeb7
    Haseeb7Author
    Participating Frequently
    Mar 29, 2026 6:19 AM UTC

    Yes, money is part of it. I’m doing this to build something that pays. But I’m not chasing quick wins.I know the only way this will work long term is by delivering quality products that are actually worth buying.

    Turning it into a poll is probably a smarter way to get broader, more useful feedback.

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    RALPH_L
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Mar 28, 2026 8:48 AM UTC

    What does it matter? That is kind of personal and depends on a lot of factors. You have a “feeling”, where do you get your information to base this “feeling”? My “guess” is that you are “guessing”.
    Like I asked, “what does it matter”?   

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    Cosmic Studio
    Inspiring
    Mar 28, 2026 9:25 AM UTC

    Maybe he’s just trying to adjust his own expectations.

    I know this community page is mainly for technical questions, and I’ve definitely learned a lot since I started following it.

    I thought there might also be room for casual, bar-style conversations, but still related to Stock. Maybe another community would be more suitable for his question.

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