Shutterstock, Inc.
A one-stop creative content platform offering hundreds of millions of licensed assets — photos, video, music, and AI-generated content — with flexible licensing and production services for brands and agencies at any scale.
Last updated Jun 23, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment
At a glance
- Employees
- 1001-5000
- Revenue
- $800M–$900M
- Stock
- SSTK
About
One of the top two global stock content marketplaces, competing directly with Getty Images for enterprise and agency customers
Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK) is one of the world's leading creative content platforms, providing a vast library of licensed stock photography, video footage, music, and 3D assets to millions of customers globally. Founded in 2003 by Jon Oringer, the company has grown from a simple stock photo site into a comprehensive creative ecosystem serving advertisers, marketers, media companies, and enterprise brands. Its contributor network spans hundreds of thousands of creators worldwide, continuously expanding a library that now numbers in the hundreds of millions of assets. In the AdTech and marketing ecosystem, Shutterstock plays a critical role as a content supply layer — enabling brands and agencies to source high-quality visual and multimedia assets for campaigns, social media, digital advertising, and branded content. The company has expanded beyond licensing through acquisitions including Pond5 (video, 2022, $210M), Giphy (GIF platform from Meta, 2023, $53M), and Envato (design templates and creative assets, 2024). Shutterstock Custom (formerly Flashstock) and Shutterstock Studios offer bespoke content production services, while its AI-powered tools — including generative AI image creation built on partnerships with major AI labs — position it at the intersection of creative technology and automation. Shutterstock competes directly with Getty Images, Adobe Stock, and iStock, while also facing pressure from AI-native image generation platforms. The company has responded by launching its own ethical generative AI products, partnering with OpenAI, LG AI Research, and others to license training data and offer AI-generated content, creating a new revenue stream from its vast proprietary image library. With a global customer base spanning SMBs to Fortune 500 enterprises, Shutterstock remains a foundational content infrastructure provider for the modern advertising and media industry.
Business model
Marketplace
Target market
Enterprise, Mid-Market, SMB
What they offer
Shutterstock Stock Library
Hundreds of millions of licensed photos, vectors, illustrations, video clips, and music tracks available for commercial use
Shutterstock Custom (formerly Flashstock)
On-demand custom content creation service connecting brands with vetted photographers and videographers for bespoke campaign assets
Shutterstock Studios
Full-service creative production studio offering end-to-end video and photo production for enterprise clients
Pond5
Acquired video-first marketplace with a large library of footage, music, sound effects, and After Effects templates
Giphy
Acquired GIF platform and search engine enabling brands to distribute animated content across social and messaging platforms
Envato
Acquired creative marketplace offering design templates, themes, plugins, and digital assets for creators and marketers
Shutterstock AI (Generative AI)
AI-powered image generation tool built on ethical generative AI models, allowing users to create custom images from text prompts with commercial licensing
Shutterstock Editor
Browser-based design tool enabling users to customize templates and create marketing materials using stock assets
Shutterstock API
RESTful API providing programmatic access to the full Shutterstock content library for integration into third-party platforms and workflows
Shutterstock for Enterprise
Tailored licensing, DAM integrations, and dedicated support for large organizations with high-volume content needs
Key features
Use cases
Customer segments
Tech & specs
Technology stack
Security & compliance
Deployment
API
Yes