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 and design templates 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 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 on 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.
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.
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
You can view the Free Collection Addendum in the Royalty Details page under Free Collection Payment.
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.