Contributor information and frequently asked questions about the Adobe Stock free collection.
The Adobe Stock free collection is a hand-curated collection of photos, vectors, illustrations, videos from talented Adobe Stock creators. Discover these assets on our website in the “Free” section on the navigation bar in addition to our existing free design templates, motion graphics templates and 3D assets.
Free assets meet the same standards as the Adobe Stock paid collection (including model- and property-release requirements)
and are downloaded with a commercial license.
Our free content stands out from other free stock providers because it is curated and Adobe has supported contributing artists for their efforts.
The Adobe Stock free collection launched in 2020 with the growing need for content velocity, integrity of the artist community, and accessibility during this challenging economic time top of mind.
We are closely monitoring the impact to the paid collection to ensure a healthy balance.
Customers and Adobe Stock artists alike value the free collection for many reasons, including our licensing terms, artist support, breadth of asset types offered, and search powered by Adobe Sensei.
Licensing terms
Assets from the Adobe Stock free collection can be used for personal or commercial purposes. Free assets meet the same standards as our paid collection (including model- and property-release requirements) and are downloaded with a commercial license. Adobe may also use assets in the free collection in Adobe-created templates and other design assets, allowing Adobe’s customers to discover and use the features of our applications.
Artist support
We know how much effort goes into a shoot – between the equipment, editing software, time spent, and payments for models and locations. Buyers can feel good about downloading a free asset from Adobe Stock, because we’ve paid our Contributors upfront for including their content.
For a limited time, we’re inviting selected Adobe Stock Contributors to nominate assets for potential inclusion in the free collection. If you qualify, you’ll see a banner in your dashboard when logging in to your Contributor portal.
Yes. All assets that are approved for inclusion into the free collection are done so under a non-exclusive license, so you have the freedom to continue to use and distribute your assets as you choose.
If you opt in and your nominated asset is selected for the free collection, it will be included for a minimum of 12 months in the free collection. In addition, Adobe will have the right to keep your content in the free collection for additional 12-month periods, subject to (1) giving you notice and an opportunity to opt out and (2) paying you an upfront payment for each additional 12-month period that your content stays in the free collection.
Adobe will have the right to keep your content in the free collection for additional 12-month periods, subject to (1) giving you notice and an opportunity to opt out and (2) paying you an upfront payment for each additional 12-month period that your content stays in the free collection.
Yes. Your nominated Adobe Stock asset will remain available for licensing in the paid collection unless and until it is approved and moved to the free collection.
If your nominated assets are approved into the free collection, you will receive the upfront payment within 30 days after the assets are moved to the free collection. You will see the one-time payment in the Earnings tab in the Contributor portal and the assets are marked as free in your dashboard in the portal.
We may move your nominated assets to the free collection in batches. In that case, you will be paid for each batch within 30 days after they are moved.
There are no minimum or maximum considerations. Our goal is to have a balanced free collection covering a wide range of topics.
In October, 2023 we are inviting contributors to nominate vectors and illustrations in the Contributor portal. A banner in the portal will show the eligible assets that can be nominated for the free collection, similar to the process for photos in June, 2023.
No, the assets must remain in the free collection for the entire 12-month period. When you nominate assets for the free collection you must accept the Free Collection Addendum before your assets may be selected.
If you are legally required to remove an asset, please notify us by submitting a support ticket in the Contributor portal
Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view the Free Collection Addendum.
No. The data insight in the Contributor portal only shows downloads for assets in the paid collections.
In the dashboard of your Contributor portal, all assets that were accepted into the free collection will have a ‘free’ label in the thumbnail image, and you will be able to filter by asset price in your portal's portfolio.
Assets in the free collection may also be used by Adobe in templates and other design assets within Adobe applications, allowing Adobe’s customers to discover and use the features of our applications. For example, Adobe could combine an asset from the free collection with text and additional design elements to create a template for use in one of the Adobe apps.
Yes - content in the free collection can be offered by Adobe to customers for free or for a fee (e.g., as part of a subscription or enterprise contract).
You will receive an upfront payment within 30 days after the start of each 12-month period where your content is in the free collection. Content in the free collection will not receive any additional royalties beyond the upfront payment.
This addendum (“Addendum”) to the Adobe Stock Contributor Agreement (“Contributor Agreement”) is effective May 25, 2023 (“Effective Date”) and applies to Works that you submit to Adobe for Free Collection consideration. This Addendum replaces previous Free Collection addenda.
By clicking “Agree”, you agree that:
Process
1. “Free Collection” is a collection of Adobe Stock assets that may be offered as “free content” as described in the Contributor Agreement.
2. A “Submission Period” is any time period in which Adobe enables you to review, edit and submit Works for consideration to be included in the Free Collection.
3. Your indication that a Work is “nominated” means you are submitting that Work for consideration to be included in the Free Collection in exchange for a Payment (as defined below);
4. During a Submission Period, you may review and edit your Works submission choices until the applicable submission deadline posted in the Adobe Stock contributor portal (“Submission Deadline”), after which your submission will be sent to Adobe for consideration for the Free Collection;
5. Adobe may – but is not required to – place any Work you submit for consideration into the Free Collection;
Payment
6. For each Work Adobe places in the Free Collection, Adobe will pay you as described in the Free Collection Payment section of the Pricing and Payment Details at helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/royalty-details.html (or a successor URL); (each, a "Payment");
7. For clarity, any Work that is not placed into, or that is removed from, the Free Collection is subject to the applicable payment terms in the Contributor Agreement;
Free Period, Auto-Renewal
8. For one year from the date a submitted Work is first placed in the Free Collection (“Initial Period”) and for any Renewal Periods (each, a “Free Period”), you designate the Work as “free content” as described in the Contributor Agreement;
9. Following the Initial Period, Adobe may – but is not required to – elect to keep any Work in the Free Collection for successive one-year periods (each, a “Renewal Period”) as described herein;
10. For Works first placed in the Free Collection after the Effective Date: before a Free Period expires, Adobe will give you prior notice and an opportunity to opt-out of including Works in the Free Collection during the next Renewal Period;
11. For Works first placed in the Free Collection before the Effective Date:
a. for the next Renewal Period, you may exclude such Works from the Free Collection during the next Submission Period by following the instructions in the contributor portal before the applicable Submission Deadline;
b. for all subsequent Renewal Periods, the notice and opt-out process in paragraphs 9, 10 and 12 will apply;
12. Adobe may manage this notice and opt-out process through email, the contributor portal, or other communication methods it chooses;
13. During a Free Period:
a. you will not be owed any additional payment for Free Collection Works beyond the Payment;
b. Adobe may use Free Collection Works to create compilation and/or derivative content (“Compilation Content”);
c. Compilation Content may be offered to users through Adobe’s applications and services (including any past, current and/or future versions or releases);
Removal of Works
14. During a Free Period, you will not remove any Free Collection Work from your Adobe Stock portfolio unless technically or legally required to do so (in which case you will notify Adobe of the need for removal by sending an email to contributor-support@adobe.com).
If there is a conflict between this Addendum and the Contributor Agreement, this Addendum governs solely as to (A) Works submitted for consideration in the Free Collection; (B) Free Collection Works during a Free Period; and (C) Compilation Content.
THIS ADDENDUM ("ADDENDUM") TO THE ADOBE STOCK CONTRIBUTOR AGREEMENT ("CONTRIBUTOR AGREEMENT") IS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 11TH, 2022 ("EFFECTIVE DATE") AND APPLIES TO WORKS THAT YOU SUBMIT TO ADOBE FOR FREE COLLECTION CONSIDERATION. THIS ADDENDUM REPLACES PREVIOUS FREE COLLECTION ADDENDA.
By clicking "Agree", you agree that:
Process
1. "Free Collection" is a collection of Adobe Stock assets that may be offered as “free content” as described in the Contributor Agreement;
2. A "Submission Period" is any time period in which Adobe enables you to review, edit and submit Works for consideration to be included in the Free Collection;
3. Your indication that a Work is "nominated" means you are submitting that Work for consideration to be included in the Free Collection in exchange for a Payment (as defined below);
4. During a Submission Period, you may review and edit your Works submission choices until the applicable submission deadline posted in the Adobe Stock contributor portal ("Submission Deadline"), after which your submission will be sent to Adobe for consideration for the Free Collection;
5. Adobe may – but is not required to – place any Work you submit for consideration into the Free Collection;
Payment
6. For each Work Adobe places in the Free Collection, Adobe will pay you as described in the Free Collection Payment section of the Pricing and Payment Details at helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/royalty-details.html (or a successor URL);
7. For clarity, any Work that is not placed into, or that is removed from, the Free Collection is subject to the applicable payment terms in the Contributor Agreement;
Free Period, Auto-Renewal
8. For one year from the date a submitted Work is first placed in the Free Collection ("Initial Period") and for any Renewal Periods (each, a "Free Period"), you designate the Work as “free content” as described in the Contributor Agreement;
9. Following the Initial Period, Adobe may – but is not required to – elect to keep any Work in the Free Collection for successive one-year periods (each, a "Renewal Period") as described herein;
10. For Works first placed in the Free Collection after the Effective Date: before a Free Period expires, Adobe will give you prior notice and an opportunity to opt-out of including Works in the Free Collection during the next Renewal Period;
11. For Works first placed in the Free Collection before the Effective Date:
a. for the next Renewal Period, you may exclude such Works from the Free Collection during the next Submission Period by following the instructions in the contributor portal before the applicable Submission Deadline;
b. for all subsequent Renewal Periods, the notice and opt-out process in paragraphs 9, 10 and 12 will apply;
12. Adobe may manage this notice and opt-out process through email, the contributor portal, or other communication methods it chooses;
13. During a Free Period:
a. you will not be owed any additional payment for Free Collection Works beyond the Payment;
b. Adobe may use Free Collection Works to create compilation and/or derivative content ("Compilation Content");
c. Compilation Content may be offered to users through Adobe’s applications and services (including any past, current and/or future versions or releases);
Removal of Works
14. During a Free Period, you will not remove any Free Collection Work from your Adobe Stock portfolio unless technically or legally required to do so (in which case you will notify Adobe of the need for removal by sending an email to contributor-support@adobe.com);