What are the Pond5 Subscriptions?
Pond5 offers four types of subscriptions to its customers:
- Music Subscription – this subscription plan includes all music tracks.
- Music & Sound Effects Subscription – this plan includes all music tracks and sound effects.
- Footage Plus Subscription – includes all eligible videos, photos, after effects, etc., and the entire music and sound effects library.
- Custom Subscription – This solution is not self-serve and is handled by our Sales organization. We target Custom subscriptions toward high intent buyers with specific needs, and all media types in the Pond5 Marketplace are eligible through this plan.
How much will I get paid per download?
In addition to regular sales through the Pond5 Marketplace and the Referral program, artists earn revenue through the Pond5 Subscriptions.
Subscription payouts are based on the price paid for each item downloaded through a subscription. A commission rate is then applied depending on the media type to calculate the artist’s final payout for the item.
When will I get paid?
All Subscriptions, including the legacy Membership (now Footage Plus), will get paid out on the 15th of every month, together with the Referral program earnings and regular Pond5 Marketplace earnings if they are above the $25 limit for payouts.
Where can I find my Subscription earnings?
Each month, Subscription earnings will appear in the My Financials section of the Artist Dashboard. Those earnings will be for all Subscription downloads in the previous month.

Where can I find what items were purchased through Subscription?
In the Subscription Downloads section of the Artist Dashboard, you can see all items downloaded through a subscription and the number of times each item was downloaded. You can also download a CSV file with all your subscription downloads.

My items are not part of the Subscription collection. Why do I see Subscription sales?
These sales are part of the Pond5 Custom subscriptions handled through our Sales organization. They are not self-serve. We target Custom subscriptions toward high intent buyers with specific needs, and all media types in the Pond5 Marketplace are eligible through this plan.
How can I add my items to the Subscriptions?
We automatically add all music tracks and sound effects in the marketplace to our subscriptions.
Are Subscription purchases included in the Referral Program?
Yes. With the Pond5 Referral Program, artists earn a commission on every new buyer they introduce to Pond5, no matter what they buy. Referral Commissions are in addition to the regular Marketplace Royalty share.
When you refer a new customer who purchases a subscription, they get a 20% discount on their first Subscription billing cycle. And you take home 20% of their purchase.
For example: if your new referral purchases a monthly subscription for $199/per month, they will get a 20% discount on that first $199 purchase, and you will earn 20% of that purchase as the referrer. Only the initial subscription purchase is eligible for commission. Reoccurring monthly payments do not qualify for the Refer & Earn program.
Learn more about the Referral Program and how to earn up to a 90% royalty rate.
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