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Stock Images Market to Grow by USD 1.28 Billion (2025-2029), with Increased Popularity for Digital & Social Media Marketing Boosting Revenue, Market Evolution Powered by AI – Technavio

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NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 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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Forecast period

2025-2029

Base Year

2024

Historic Data

2019 – 2023

Segment Covered

Application (Editorial and Commercial), Product (Still images and Footage), Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America), and Type (Free and Paid)

Region Covered

North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America

Key companies profiled

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.

Key Market Trends Fueling Growth

In today’s shifting consumer landscape, the demand for affordable and high-quality stock imagery and videos continues to grow. Amateur content creators and independent contractors now dominate the microstock market, offering brands affordable options for products and services promotion. Social media campaigns thrive on user-generated content, while professional content remains essential for brand consistency. The digital transformation of content creation has given rise to the Stock Videos segment, featuring cinematic footage for businesses. Macrostock segment caters to larger enterprises, while microstock business model delivers personalized collections and content curation. Photographers, illustrators, and cartoonists contribute to the vast library of stock images, catering to various industries. Brands leverage influencer marketing and content marketing through image and videocapabilities. Online education offers flexible learning options for content creators, with agile software development, lean programming, and grassroots initiatives driving innovation. Cloud services and cloud strategies enable automated solutions, shared repositories, and fault-tolerant systems. Microservices architecture and monolithic architecture coexist, with microservices design streamlining business value delivery. Legacy practices persist, but automated solutions and cloud-native applications are increasingly preferred. 

The global stock images market is experiencing a shift as vendors respond to declining profit margins and increasing customer preference for substitute products. To enhance customer experience and support business expansion, many stock image providers are investing in related business portfolios. This trend enables vendors to offer additional services, expand their customer base, and differentiate themselves from competitors. By diversifying their offerings, these companies gain a competitive edge and remain relevant in the evolving market. 

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Market Challenges

In today’s business landscape, the demand for high-quality stock images and videos continues to grow. However, the shifting consumer preference towards authentic and amateur content poses a challenge for brands seeking professional imagery. The Stock Images Market faces hurdles in balancing the need for affordable, yet high-quality content with the increasing popularity of user-generated content. The Stock Videos segment, including cinematic footage, faces similar challenges as the Macrostock segment, which follows the Microstock business model. Photographers and illustrators, working as independent contractors, grapple with virtual communication and the digital transformation of content creation. Brands leverage stock images for social media campaigns, influencer marketing, and content marketing, requiring diverse image and videocapabilities. Content curation, personalized collections, and online education offer flexible learning options for content creators. Agile software development, lean programming, and grassroots initiatives empower developers to deliver business value through microservices design, microservice architecture, and monolithic architecture. Cloud services and cloud strategies enable the creation of cloud-native applications, automating solutions, and shared repositories, minimizing faults and enhancing business efficiency.The global stock images market has experienced a decline in average image prices due to shifts in consumption and technological advancements. With the increase in Internet penetration, vendors can now deliver images directly to buyers, eliminating the need for physical interaction and product delivery. Previously, the demand for images outpaced the supply, resulting in a well-balanced industry. However, the advent of the Internet and advanced software systems have reduced the demand for physical delivery, significantly impacting the market dynamics.

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Segment Overview

This stock images market report extensively covers market segmentation by

ApplicationEditorialCommercialProductStill ImagesFootageGeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAPACMiddle East And AfricaSouth AmericaTypeFreePaid

1.1 Editorial- The editorial segment is the largest application area in the global stock images market. These images are primarily utilized in editorial applications, primarily in the publishing industry to complement stories. Once tagged as editorial, these images cannot be employed for commercial purposes. Publishing houses, which produce books, newspapers, and magazines, are the primary consumers of editorial images. A story with an accompanying image is more likely to be retained by readers than one without. Editorial images serve various purposes: in magazine or newspaper articles, in textual content without promotion, in video documentaries and news bulletins, in website descriptions or personal blogs, and in non-commercial presentations. Popular editorial stock image categories include celebrity images, descriptive scenarios, and images with explanatory content. Two types of editorial images are available: documentary, which depicts real-life situations, and illustrative, which conveys a concept or idea. The increasing number of publishing houses and news outlets, as well as the rising trend of blogging, are major factors driving demand for editorial images. Over 7.5 million daily blog posts and 77% of internet users who read blogs globally contribute to this demand. Despite this, the decline in newspaper and magazine subscriptions may somewhat restrict the growth of the editorial segment compared to the commercial segment during the forecast period.

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Research Analysis

The Stock Images Market refers to the industry that provides affordable stock imagery for commercial purposes. This market includes a vast collection of Stock Photos, Cartoons, and Illustrations, catering to various industries and themes. The business model is based on the Microstock concept, where freelance photographers, independent contractors, and employees contribute professional content. With the rise of virtual communication and changing consumer behavior, the demand for stock images, making it an attractive segment for brands. The Stock Videos segment, featuring cinematic footage, is also gaining popularity due to the increasing use of smartphones and user-generated content. The market continues to evolve, offering a diverse range of visuals for various applications.

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 a focus on cinematic footage and high-quality motion graphics. The macrostock segment continues to dominate the market, while the microstock business model empowers independent contractors to contribute their work to a shared repository. Brands are leveraging user-generated content and influencer marketing to create personalized collections that resonate with their audiences. Online education and flexible learning options are also becoming essential for content creators, with a focus on image and videocapabilities, content curation, and Agile software development. Cloud services and cloud strategies are transforming the way stock images and videos are stored and accessed, with cloud-native applications and automated solutions streamlining business value delivery. However, legacy practices and systems present challenges, with monolithic architecture and legacy systems requiring modernization through microservices design and lean programming. In summary, the Stock Images Market is undergoing a digital transformation, driven by shifting consumer preferences, innovative content creation tools, and the rise of cloud services. The industry is evolving to meet the demands of brands and content creators, with a focus on affordability, flexibility, and personalization.

Table of Contents:

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

ApplicationEditorialCommercialProductStill ImagesFootageGeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAPACMiddle East And AfricaSouth AmericaTypeFreePaid

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.

Contacts

Technavio Research
Jesse Maida
Media & Marketing Executive
US: +1 844 364 1100
UK: +44 203 893 3200
Email: media@technavio.com
Website: www.technavio.com/

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ST Engineering iDirect and MBSat Partner to Build Next-Generation Sovereign Connectivity Services Across Oman and the Middle East

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Intuition ground system selected to support MBSat’s planned 2027 service launch, enabling accelerated deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable service growth

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ST Engineering iDirect today announced a strategic partnership with Mohammed Al Barwani Satellite Company (MBSat), part of Mohammed Al Barwani Group, to provide the ground system technology foundation for MBSat’s next-generation satellite gateway and network operations across Oman and the wider Middle East region. Intuition will provide a flexible, software-defined foundation to support sovereign connectivity services, enabling efficient service deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable network operations.

Intuition will deliver a turnkey ground segment solution that accelerates deployment, simplifies operations and gives MBSat the flexibility to scale services as demand grows. The software-defined platform enables dynamic resource management, service automation and seamless integration with existing and future operational systems. The solution also includes Ka-band gateway infrastructure, service provisioning and management capabilities, open API integration frameworks, training and full-lifecycle support. Together, these capabilities will help MBSat launch and operate services efficiently while adapting to evolving market requirements.

The network will leverage capacity from MB Sat-1, a sovereign MicroGEO satellite, with planned service launch in 2027, to support flexible, scalable connectivity services across the region.

The partnership reflects growing investment in sovereign communications infrastructure across the Middle East as operators seek greater control over service delivery, network expansion and long-term technology evolution.

“This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to build an advanced satellite communications platform in Oman and the region,” said Ammar Al Rawahi, General Manager, MBSat. “Through our collaboration with ST Engineering iDirect, we are establishing the technical infrastructure required to launch services efficiently, respond to evolving customer needs and expand into new markets, supporting the sustainable long-term growth of our business.”

“We are providing MBSat with a flexible, software-defined ground platform that integrates with its existing operational environment,” said Sridhar Kuppanna, Chief Executive Officer, ST Engineering iDirect. “This enables more efficient service deployment and operations today, with the flexibility to scale, introduce new capabilities and evolve as requirements change.”

About ST Engineering iDirect

ST Engineering iDirect, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, is a global leader in satellite communications, providing technology and solutions that enable its customers to expand their business, differentiate their services and optimize their networks. Through its portfolio of ground infrastructure, intelligent networking and advanced satellite communications solutions, the company supports operators, service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/st-engineering-idirect-and-mbsat-partner-to-build-next-generation-sovereign-connectivity-services-across-oman-and-the-middle-east-302918467.html

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ST Engineering iDirect and MBSat Partner to Build Next-Generation Sovereign Connectivity Services Across Oman and the Middle East

Published

on

By

Intuition ground system selected to support MBSat’s planned 2027 service launch, enabling accelerated deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable service growth

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ST Engineering iDirect today announced a strategic partnership with Mohammed Al Barwani Satellite Company (MBSat), part of Mohammed Al Barwani Group, to provide the ground system technology foundation for MBSat’s next-generation satellite gateway and network operations across Oman and the wider Middle East region. Intuition will provide a flexible, software-defined foundation to support sovereign connectivity services, enabling efficient service deployment, dynamic resource management and scalable network operations.

Intuition will deliver a turnkey ground segment solution that accelerates deployment, simplifies operations and gives MBSat the flexibility to scale services as demand grows. The software-defined platform enables dynamic resource management, service automation and seamless integration with existing and future operational systems. The solution also includes Ka-band gateway infrastructure, service provisioning and management capabilities, open API integration frameworks, training and full-lifecycle support. Together, these capabilities will help MBSat launch and operate services efficiently while adapting to evolving market requirements.

The network will leverage capacity from MB Sat-1, a sovereign MicroGEO satellite, with planned service launch in 2027, to support flexible, scalable connectivity services across the region.

The partnership reflects growing investment in sovereign communications infrastructure across the Middle East as operators seek greater control over service delivery, network expansion and long-term technology evolution.

“This partnership represents an important milestone in our efforts to build an advanced satellite communications platform in Oman and the region,” said Ammar Al Rawahi, General Manager, MBSat. “Through our collaboration with ST Engineering iDirect, we are establishing the technical infrastructure required to launch services efficiently, respond to evolving customer needs and expand into new markets, supporting the sustainable long-term growth of our business.”

“We are providing MBSat with a flexible, software-defined ground platform that integrates with its existing operational environment,” said Sridhar Kuppanna, Chief Executive Officer, ST Engineering iDirect. “This enables more efficient service deployment and operations today, with the flexibility to scale, introduce new capabilities and evolve as requirements change.”

About ST Engineering iDirect

ST Engineering iDirect, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, is a global leader in satellite communications, providing technology and solutions that enable its customers to expand their business, differentiate their services and optimize their networks. Through its portfolio of ground infrastructure, intelligent networking and advanced satellite communications solutions, the company supports operators, service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/st-engineering-idirect-and-mbsat-partner-to-build-next-generation-sovereign-connectivity-services-across-oman-and-the-middle-east-302918467.html

SOURCE ST Engineering iDirect

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Global Security & Technology Summit Unveils Month-Long Program of Activities Ahead of December Event

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Organizing Committee of the Global Security & Technology Summit (GSTS) held an introductory session today at the Ministry of Interior’s headquarters in Riyadh, bringing together representatives from the government, private, and nonprofit sectors to introduce the program of activities leading up to the summit. The upcoming summit will be held in Riyadh under the patronage of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, under the supervision of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Interior, and organized by the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with Tuwaiq Academy.

During the session, the Organizing Committee presented the comprehensive GSTS program, comprising three key components: GSTS Month, running from November 1 to 30, 2026; the Global Security & Innovation Fair (SAIF), taking place from November 24 to 26, 2026; and the main Summit, scheduled for December 18 to 20, 2026, in Riyadh. Together, these events form an integrated program designed to advance security and technology innovation, strengthen national capabilities, and foster international cooperation.

GSTS Month will feature working groups, boot camps, training programs, knowledge-sharing sessions, and technical workshops across Saudi Arabia’s 13 administrative regions, delivered both in person and remotely in collaboration with specialized entities. The month-long program aims to develop national capabilities, identify emerging talent, enrich knowledge-sharing opportunities, and equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to develop innovative solutions to future security and technology challenges.

The main Summit will bring together global leaders, decision-makers, experts, and innovators to explore the future of security and technology, promote the integration of advanced technologies within the security sector, strengthen national capabilities, support innovation, and foster international cooperation, further positioning the Kingdom as a global hub for security and technology.

Showcasing the latest technological breakthroughs and security solutions, the summit will bring together government entities, private sector organizations, academic institutions, and research centers to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration across key fields, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart security solutions, emerging technologies, and crisis management. The program will also feature main sessions, specialized discussions, and interactive exhibitions. Registration is available at gsts.sa.

Advisor to HRH the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the GSTS Organizing Committee, Ahmed Altowayan, stated that the summit builds on Saudi Arabia’s efforts to establish an advanced security and technology ecosystem focused on knowledge and innovation, keeping pace with rapid developments and future challenges.

Mr. Altowayan noted that the summit is a global platform for strengthening cooperation and exchanging expertise, anticipating future developments in security and technology, and developing strategic partnerships and innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency and readiness of security systems.

Vice Chairman of the GSTS Organizing Committee, Eng. Abdulaziz Alhammadi, said that the summit will offer a range of integrated programs and activities focused on enhancing national skills, encouraging innovation, and supporting international cooperation.

He added that GSTS Month will help build national capabilities, discover talent, and develop skills, with SAIF providing a platform for innovators and researchers from around the world to showcase leading technological solutions, while the main Summit will bring together leaders and experts to discuss the future of security and technology and explore new strategic partnership opportunities.

SAIF will take place at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center, bringing together innovators, researchers, technology talents, and industry experts from around the world to showcase promising innovations and projects across 14 fields of technology and innovation. The fair will provide opportunities to engage with project owners, including students, graduates, and entrepreneurs, and explore the different stages of innovation development through interactive zones, panel discussions on emerging security and innovation trends, and knowledge-sharing workshops led by specialists. Visitor registration is open to participants from within and outside the Kingdom through saifair.sa.

The introductory session also featured contributions from representatives of government, private, and nonprofit sector entities, alongside members of the media. Discussions focused on developing national capabilities in security and technology, strengthening students’ technical expertise, translating scientific research into practical solutions, and supporting Saudi companies in developing security and technology solutions and advancing digital transformation.

Organized by the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with Tuwaiq Academy, GSTS is produced by Tahaluf, with the Ministry of Education serving as Strategic Scientific Partner, Tahakom as Founding Partner, and Elm as Principal Partner.

Registration for participants from within and outside the Kingdom is available at gsts.sa.

Click here to view the media kit. 

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