What Shutterstock Studios does

Shutterstock Studios is a global production studio and innovation lab that operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), founded in 2021 and headquartered in New York. The studio partners with enterprise brands and agencies to deliver end-to-end custom content across the production lifecycle — pre-production (creative strategy, storyboarding, scripting, casting, location scouting), production (premium photography, TV and film, social/UGC, events, CGI), and post-production (editing, retouching, 2D/3D animation, VFX, custom music, sound design, generative AI, and localization). Its named client base includes a roster of roughly 20 disclosed Fortune 500 enterprises across automotive, consumer electronics, CPG, healthcare, travel, and media (e.g., Ford, Amazon, Meta, Netflix, TikTok, Sony, P&G, L'Oreal, Nestle, Samsung, AbbVie, Hilton, Booking.com).

The studio's technology stack combines traditional production with virtual production on Unreal Engine, generative AI for post-production and asset generation, a 3D library of over 1.2 million models, and game development capabilities for branded experiences. The TurboSquid acquisition brought 25+ years of 3D expertise and a global network of 3D artists, and the studio positions virtual production as compressing production timelines from 4-5 weeks to 4-5 days while reducing reshoots and travel. The proprietary value proposition is the integration of production, AI, and Shutterstock's trusted licensing infrastructure so content can be created once and adapted across formats without rework.

The business model is enterprise B2B professional services on a project basis with no public pricing; all engagements are initiated through a direct inquiry form that captures company size (up to 1000+ employees) and seniority (up to C-Suite), consistent with a direct enterprise field sales motion. Revenue streams include custom production services and licensing integration, and distribution is global with a marketing footprint limited to LinkedIn showcase, Instagram, and the company's portfolio website. The Studios division is operationally and financially consolidated within its publicly-traded parent.

Name

Shutterstock Studios

Legal name

Shutterstock Studios

Website

https://studios.shutterstock.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shutterstock Studios is the production and innovation arm of Shutterstock (NYSE: SSTK), offering end-to-end custom content creation — photography, video, 3D, virtual production, generative AI, and gaming — to enterprise brands and agencies globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Content Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF), Virtual Production & LED Volume Services (Stage Ops, ICVFX, Real-Time Camera/Tracking) (MPADAHAB), Cloud & Distributed Real-Time Production (Remote ICVFX, Multi-site) (MPAHADAJ)

Keywords

• Video production services
• Creative production studio
• 3D content production
• Virtual production services
• Brand content creation

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Custom Production Services: Project-based professional services for brands and agencies requiring custom video, photography, 3D, AI, and immersive content creation. Engagements span pre-production through post-production across various formats and delivery formats.
2. Licensing Integration: Leverages Shutterstock's trusted licensing infrastructure to deliver content that's ready to use. Combines production with licensing capabilities for seamless content deployment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shutterstock Studios is a global production studio and innovation lab that partners with brands and agencies to produce custom video, photography, 3D, AI-generated, and immersive content. The studio delivers end-to-end services spanning pre-production (creative strategy, scripting, casting, location scouting), production (premium photography, TV/film, social/UGC, CGI & AI, events), and post-production (editing, retouching, VFX, animation, sound design, localization). It layers on specialized capabilities in virtual production, 3D production, generative AI, mobile games, and AR/VR experiences, all tied to Shutterstock's licensing infrastructure.

Product overview

Shutterstock Studios is a global production studio and innovation lab that partners with brands and agencies to create content across all formats. The offering is a comprehensive service portfolio organized around the production lifecycle: Pre-Production & Development (creative strategy, scripting, casting, location scouting), Production (photography, video/TV, social/UGC, CGI & AI, events, end-to-end campaigns), and Post-Production (editing, VFX, animation, music, localization). The portfolio also includes specialized capabilities in Virtual Production (real-time technology for sustainable, rapid content creation), 3D Services (leveraging TurboSquid's 25+ years of expertise and 1.2M+ model library), AI-Powered Content Production (generative AI integrated throughout workflows), Gaming & Mobile Games (immersive branded experiences), and AR & VR Experiences. The studio combines production expertise with AI and Shutterstock's licensing infrastructure to deliver scalable content solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Production & Development Services Comprehensive pre-production services including creative strategy, ideation, storyboarding, copywriting, scripting, casting, talent scouting, and location scouting for commercial, TV, and traditional production projects for enterprise brands and agencies.
• Production Services Full-service production covering premium photography, TV and film production, social/creator/UGC content, event coverage, CGI and AI integration, and end-to-end campaign production for enterprise brands and agencies.
• Post-Production Services Editing, photo retouching, graphic design, 2D and 3D animation, custom music composition, illustrations, sound design, VFX, generative AI, and localization and versioning services.
• Virtual Production Real-time virtual production technology enabling any set, location, object, or weather to be manipulated with creative freedom. Supports sustainable production with reduced carbon footprint and accelerates production timelines from 4-5 weeks to 4-5 days.
• 3D Services 3D content production leveraging TurboSquid's network of 3D artists, an expansive 3D library of over 1.2 million models, and real-time scene design and optimization in Unreal Engine for branded content.
• AI-Powered Content Production Production approach that combines production, AI, and licensing into a connected workflow so content can be created once, adapted, and scaled without rework. Includes generative AI capabilities for post-production and asset generation.
• Gaming & Mobile Games Mobile game development designed to bring brand IP to life through immersive branded worlds, extending reach into diverse demographics for enjoyment and brand recognition.
• AR & VR Experiences Immersive experiences using AR and VR technology combined with game development expertise for branded content creation and audience engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production timeline reduced from 4-5 weeks to 4-5 days using virtual production pre-visualization

Named customers21 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• B-Reel: B-Reel is a creative production and technology studio serving global brands with content, digital experiences, and film — overlapping closely with Shutterstock Studios' enterprise brand content and immersive/AR-VR work.
• Framestore: Framestore is an Oscar-winning VFX, virtual production, and immersive content studio with comparable enterprise and entertainment brand work, overlapping on virtual production and Unreal Engine pipelines used by Shutterstock Studios.
• The Mill: The Mill is a global VFX and virtual production studio serving advertising and entertainment clients, directly competing with Shutterstock Studios' virtual production, VFX, and post-production capabilities for enterprise brands.
• Tool of North America: Tool is a bicoastal production studio that partners with brands and agencies on integrated content, commercials, and post-production — directly comparable to Shutterstock Studios' model of custom enterprise content production across video, photography, and finishing.

Others

• Getty Images: Getty Images is a leading stock content and visual licensing platform that, like Shutterstock, is investing in AI-generated imagery and creative services — an adjacent/ecosystem comparable rather than direct production competitor.

Emerging players

• Superside: Superside delivers design and creative production at scale via an AI-augmented delivery model for enterprise marketing teams — comparable to Shutterstock Studios' AI-powered content production but with a more subscription/recurring model.
• Runway: Runway offers generative AI video and image tools used by brand and agency creative teams; competes with Shutterstock Studios on AI-driven content creation workflows, especially for social and short-form branded content.
• Stability AI: Stability AI provides generative AI models for image and video creation targeting enterprise creative workflows — an emerging technology peer whose tooling increasingly overlaps with portions of Shutterstock Studios' AI-powered content production stack.

Broad incumbents

• Dentsu Creative: Dentsu Creative is the global creative and production network of Dentsu International, offering integrated campaign production for enterprise brands — a broad incumbent competing with Shutterstock Studios for the same enterprise content budgets.
• Publicis Production: Publicis's production arm (Prodigious) delivers content at scale for global enterprise clients inside one of the world's largest agency holding companies — overlapping with Shutterstock Studios' end-to-end enterprise content offering but with vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shutterstockstudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/shutterstock_studios/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Shutterstock Studios