Stock Images Market to grow by USD 1.28 billion (2025-2029), driven by rising use in digital and social media marketing, Report on AI-driven market evolution - Technavio

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Report on how AI is driving market transformation - The global stock images market size is estimated to grow by USD 1.28 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of  5.3%  during the forecast period. Increased popularity of stock images for digital and social media marketing is driving market growth, with a trend towards rising investments in related business portfolios. However, declining profit margins  poses a challenge. Key market players include Adobe Inc., Alamy Ltd., Arcangel Images Inc., Can Stock Photo Inc., Canva Pty Ltd., Cimpress Plc, Depositphotos Inc., Design Pics Inc., Dissolve Inc., Dreamstime, Eezy Inc., Envato Pty Ltd., Getty Images Holdings Inc., Image Source Ltd., Inmagine Lab Pte. Ltd., Pixabay GmbH, PIXTA Inc., Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd., Shutterstock Inc., and Vexels Inc. S.A..

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Market Driver

In today's shifting consumer landscape, the demand for affordable and authentic stock imagery and videos continues to grow. Amateur content creators, including photographers, cartoonists, and illustrators, are increasingly contributing to the stock market. Brands leverage these assets for social media campaigns, content marketing, and influencer marketing. The digital transformation of businesses has fueled the growth of the stock images and videos market, with a particular focus on the cinematic footage segment. The Microstock business model allows for flexible, on-demand access to a vast library of professional content. The Macrostock segment caters to larger businesses seeking personalized collections and higher-end imagery. Agile software development practices, such as Lean programming and Microservice architecture, have led to the creation of automated solutions and shared repositories for stock content. Cloud services and strategies, including cloud-native applications and monolithic architecture, have streamlined content creation and curation. Overall, the stock images and videos market continues to evolve, delivering business value through image and videocapabilities, content curation, and online education. 

The global stock images market is witnessing a shift as vendors respond to declining profit margins and increasing customer preference for substitute products. To enhance customer experience, these vendors are investing in related business portfolios. This trend allows marketers to expand their business and geographical reach, acquire larger customer bases, and broaden product offerings. By differentiating themselves from competitors through these investments, vendors gain a competitive edge in the market. 

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Market Challenges

• In today's shifting consumer landscape, businesses require affordable and professional stock imagery and videos for their products and services. However, the rise of amateur content on social media campaigns presents a challenge. Stock Images Market offers solutions through its diverse offerings, including cartoons, illustrations, and cinematic footage in the Stock Videos segment. The Microstock business model caters to independent contractors, providing affordable prices and user-generated content. Brands leverage this content for influencer marketing, content marketing, and personalized collections. Digital transformation necessitates image and videocapabilities, making Stock Images Market's offerings essential. Agile software development, lean programming, and microservices design require high-quality visuals. Legacy practices and systems can benefit from automated solutions and shared repositories, minimizing faults and enhancing business value delivery. Cloud services and cloud strategies enable the creation and deployment of cloud-native applications, further expanding the market's reach.
• The global stock images market has experienced a decline in average image prices over the years, primarily due to shifts in consumption and technology trends. With the expansion of Internet access, vendors can now deliver images directly to buyers, eliminating the need for physical interactions and product delivery. Previously, the industry thrived on a well-distributed network with high demand for images exceeding supply. However, the advent of the Internet and advanced software systems have significantly reduced the requirement for physical product delivery.

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Segment Overview

This stock images market report extensively covers market segmentation by

1. Application 
• 1.1 Editorial
• 1.2 Commercial
2. Product 
• 2.1 Still images
• 2.2 Footage
3. Geography 
• 3.1 North America
• 3.2 Europe
• 3.3 APAC
• 3.4 Middle East and Africa
• 3.5 South America

1.1 Editorial-  The editorial segment is the largest application area in the global stock images market. Publishing houses primarily use stock images in this segment for editorial purposes. These images cannot be utilized for commercial applications. In magazines, newspapers, and books, editorial images enhance storytelling and increase reader engagement. They are also employed in video documentaries, news broadcasts, website descriptions, and personal blogs. Two main categories of editorial images exist: documentary and illustrative. The demand for editorial images is driven by the expanding number of publishing houses and news organizations, as well as the rising trend of blogging. Approximately 7.5 million blog posts are published daily, and over 77% of internet users read blogs globally. Despite the decline in newspaper and magazine subscriptions, the editorial segment is anticipated to continue growing, albeit at a slower pace compared to the commercial segment, during the forecast period.

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Research Analysis

The Stock Images Market refers to the industry where creators sell affordable stock imagery, including photos, illustrations, cartoons, and stock videos, for commercial purposes. This business model allows photographers, illustrators, and even freelancers or independent contractors to earn income by providing professional content. With the rise of virtual communication and changing consumer behavior, the demand for stock images has grown significantly. Smartphones have made it easier than ever to access and use stock images for various branding needs. The Stock Images Market includes both user-generated content and professionally produced content, with the Stock Videos segment experiencing rapid growth due to the demand for cinematic footage.

Market Research Overview

The Stock Images Market is experiencing a significant shift as consumers increasingly demand more authentic and relatable content. Amateur content creators are rising in popularity, offering affordable stock imagery through various platforms. This trend is driving innovation in the industry, with the emergence of new products and services, such as social media campaigns, content creation tools, and digital transformation solutions. The Stock Videos segment is also gaining traction, with cinematic footage becoming increasingly sought after for virtual communication and branding needs. The Macrostock segment continues to dominate the market, but the Microstock business model is gaining ground, offering personalized collections and flexible learning options through online education. Cartoons, Illustrations, and Independent contractors are also key players in this dynamic industry. Brands are leveraging influencer marketing and content marketing to enhance their image and video capabilities, while content curation and Agile software development practices are streamlining business value delivery. Cloud services and cloud strategies are transforming the way stock images and videos are produced, stored, and accessed, with cloud-native applications and automated solutions becoming increasingly popular. Developers are embracing microservice architecture and lean programming to create more efficient and scalable systems, while monolithic architecture and legacy practices are being phased out. The future of the Stock Images Market is bright, with a focus on user-generated content, professional content, and automated solutions.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary
2 Market Landscape
3 Market Sizing
4 Historic Market Size
5 Five Forces Analysis
6 Market Segmentation

• Application
• Editorial
• Commercial
• Product
• Still Images
• Footage
• Geography
• North America
• Europe
• APAC
• Middle East And Africa
• South America

7 Customer Landscape
8 Geographic Landscape
9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends
10 Company Landscape
11 Company Analysis
12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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SOURCE Technavio