Corbis Images

What Corbis Images does

Corbis Images was a major stock photography company acquired by Getty Images in 2012, and the source material describes the combined entity's current operations. Getty Images (NASDAQ: GETY), founded in 1995, operates a comprehensive visual content licensing platform offering royalty-free and rights-managed creative images, videos, illustrations, vectors, music, and editorial content. The platform architecture spans Creative Content (stock photos, videos, illustrations, vectors, music), Editorial Content (news, sports, entertainment, fashion, archival), AI Solutions (generative AI for image creation and modification), and enterprise tools including Media Manager (digital asset management), Premium Access subscriptions, and Custom Content services. The company maintains a global network of more than 340,000 creators and distributes content across 25+ countries.

The business model centers on subscription and credit-based licensing. Revenue streams include creative content licensing (subscription recurring), Premium Access enterprise subscriptions (up to 90% per-download savings), Custom Content creation services (professional services), and API integration services (licensing royalties). The go-to-market combines a self-serve digital platform for SMB and individual buyers with enterprise field sales for Premium Access, Custom Content, and Media Manager implementations. Key customer segments include Media & Publishing, Advertising & Marketing, Entertainment & Film, and Corporate Enterprise, serving needs ranging from news coverage and advertising campaigns to corporate communications and digital asset management.

The company operates multiple sub-brands including iStock (lower-cost stock photography), Unsplash (free stock photography, acquired), Photos.com, Media Manager, and VisualGPS (trends and insights research). Strategic partnerships include FIFA (exclusive editorial for World Cup 2026), Triple Scoop Music (music content), and the Unsplash creator ecosystem. The proprietary content library claiming the largest digital archive of news, sports, and entertainment photography, combined with 30+ years of brand recognition, forms the core competitive moat. The company has invested in AI-powered image generation and modification capabilities to address evolving market demand for commercially safe synthetic content.

Name

Corbis Images

Legal name

Getty Images

Website

https://corbisimages.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Corbis Images was acquired by Getty Images in 2012 and is now part of a publicly traded visual content licensing platform serving media, advertising, entertainment, and enterprise customers with royalty-free images, video, editorial content, and AI-powered generation tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stock Photography and Video Licensing

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Archive & Library Footage Licensing (News, Sports, Entertainment) (MPABANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Content Licensing (Film/TV, Clips, Stills) (MPADALAA), Talent, Likeness & Personality Rights Licensing (MPABANAG)

Keywords

• Stock photography licensing
• Royalty-free images
• Editorial video content
• Digital asset management
• Visual content platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Creative Content Licensing: Royalty-free licensing of images, videos, illustrations, vectors, and music for commercial and editorial use. Customers purchase via subscription plans or credit-based individual downloads.
2. Premium Access Subscriptions: Enterprise-focused subscription plans offering ongoing access to premium imagery with options to save up to 90% per download with single-seat Creative and Editorial image subscriptions.
3. Custom Content Creation: Bespoke content creation services tapping into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to produce content exclusively for brand clients.
4. API Integration Services: Developer API access for third-party platforms and integrations to access Getty Images content library.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Getty Images licenses royalty-free and rights-managed creative images, videos, illustrations, vectors, music, and editorial content covering news, sports, and entertainment. Customers access content through subscription plans (single-seat Creative/Editorial subscriptions, Premium Access enterprise plans) or credit-based individual downloads, and the platform also offers AI image generation/modification tools, digital asset management via Media Manager, and custom content production services using a network of 340,000+ creators.

Product overview

Getty Images (which acquired Corbis Images in 2012) operates a comprehensive visual content platform offering royalty-free and rights-managed creative images, videos, illustrations, vectors, music, and editorial content. The platform architecture includes Creative Images & Video (stock photos, videos, illustrations, vectors, music), Editorial Content (news, sports, entertainment, fashion, archive), AI Solutions (Generative AI for image creation and modification), and enterprise tools including Media Manager (digital asset management), Premium Access (subscription plans), and Custom Content services. Collections include Expert Curations, Media & Sports Coverage, and Partner Collections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iStock: Lower-cost stock photography and video platform
• Unsplash
• Photos.com
• Media Manager
• VisualGPS

Products and services

• Creative Images Royalty-free stock photographs available in various formats and styles, including exclusive visuals not found elsewhere, for commercial use by creative professionals.
• Creative Videos Royalty-free video clips and footage available in 4K and HD formats, including exclusive visual content for commercial creative projects.
• Illustrations Royalty-free exclusive illustrations in various styles from conceptual to contemporary, for use in commercial creative projects.
• Vectors Royalty-free vector graphics in various formats and styles, including exclusives, for commercial design use.
• Music Original audio content including music, sound effects, and royalty-free tracks powered by Triple Scoop Music's library, for video and creative projects.
• Editorial Images Editorial images covering news, sports, and entertainment with exclusive coverage not available elsewhere, for use by media organizations in journalism and reporting.
• Editorial Videos Editorial video footage covering news, sports, and entertainment events, available for use in journalism and broadcast reporting.
• Archive Largest digital archive of news, sports, and entertainment photos available exclusively from Getty Images, for licensing of historical and archival editorial imagery.
• Media Manager Digital asset management system for organizing, controlling, distributing, and measuring all digital content, targeting enterprise teams needing centralized visual asset governance.
• Premium Access Enterprise subscription plan providing access to millions of high-quality images, video, and music options with resource center support, targeted at large organizational customers.
• Custom Content Bespoke content creation services leveraging global scale, data-driven insights, and a network of 340,000+ creators to produce exclusive content for brand clients.
• Generate New Images (AI) Generative AI solution that turns text prompts into commercially safe, ready-to-license images, pairing Getty Images' content and data with AI technology.
• Modify Creative Images (AI) AI-powered image modification tool that adds, removes, or replaces elements in existing images from Getty Images' creative library.
• Getty Images API Developer API access for third-party platforms and applications to programmatically access Getty Images content library, enabling embedded and white-label integrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 90% per download with new image subscriptions

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• UnsplashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnsplash for Brands partnership enables Getty Images to grow brand authenticity by sharing content with internet creators. Getty Images acquired Unsplash as part of its family of brands, extending reach through Unsplash's platform and creator ecosystem.
• Triple Scoop MusicsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGetty Images Music, powered by Triple Scoop Music's library, provides original audio content including music tracks, sound effects, and royalty-free music for video and creative projects.
• FIFAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive editorial partnership providing real-time access to FIFA World Cup 2026 imagery through specialized single-seat Editorial image subscription plans.
• 340,000+ Creators NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of over 340,000 creators used for Custom Content production, enabling exclusive brand content creation through Getty Images' production services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reuters Images: Editorial news photography and video from one of the largest global news agencies; directly comparable in editorial licensing and exclusive news/sports/event coverage.
• AP Images: Associated Press's commercial photo and video archive serving newsrooms and editorial customers worldwide; directly comparable editorial licensing catalog and customer base.
• Alamy: Long-standing independent stock photography marketplace with a deep contributor catalog and both editorial and creative licensing — directly comparable contributor-led licensing model.
• Shutterstock: Largest direct competitor in licensed stock photography, video, and music with subscription and credit-pack pricing across creative and editorial categories — closest comparable in catalog breadth, GTM motion, and target buyer.
• Pond5: Specialized stock footage and editorial video marketplace with contributor-driven catalog; directly comparable in video licensing, contributor economics, and enterprise editorial use cases.

Emerging players

• Storyblocks: Unlimited-subscription stock video and audio platform targeting SMBs and creators; comparable on subscription-only pricing model and video/audio overlap.
• Freepik: Freemium stock photos, vectors, and design assets platform with rapid international growth; competes for the same SMB and creator segment as iStock and Photos.com.
• Pexels: Leading free stock photography and video platform; competes at the free-tier end of Getty's stack and pressures mid-market pricing for casual buyers.

Regional players

• Visual China Group: Dominant Chinese stock photography and visual content platform serving regional editorial and enterprise customers; comparable in licensed visual content model but primarily operating outside Getty's strongest geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Adobe Stock: Stock imagery offering bundled into Adobe Creative Cloud, leveraging the dominant creative professional ecosystem; competes head-on in creative licensing while distributing through a much larger platform incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/corbiseurope
• Facebookfacebook.com/128714623616

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Corbis Images