Selling Media

If you produce dynamic, high-quality media, are interested in reaching a global audience, and want to be rewarded with a new source of income for your work, then this website is for you. TRANSTERRA was built by media-makers for media-makers.

Revenue Split

All contributors receive a minimum of 50% of any and all revenue that their media generates through TRANSTERRA. If you are an established producer or journalist with archives or have longer format, edited content that you would like us to sell for you, please contact our Production Department. We can create a custom agreement and revenue split that meets your needs. Our default revenue split favors contributors and is based on your credibility rating. The breakdown is:

1-3 Stars = 50/50 Revenue Share
4 Stars = 60/40 Revenue Share
5 Stars = 70/30 Revenue Share.

Getting Paid

All media on the website is available for direct purchase and download through our proprietary credit system. The moment your media is purchased, you will see who purchased your media, the full sale price, and your account will automatically be credited with your split of the revenue. You can request a withdrawal of your credit at any time. Click here for the details on how this works.

Contributor Types

FREELANCERS If you are a seasoned freelancer, an independent producer or an established documentary filmmaker, we invite you to expand the horizons of your distribution possibilities by accessing our global network of media purchasers and by letting our sales team work for you.

DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKERS We want to help you bring your documentary film into the world. Wherever you are in the process, TRANSTERRA can help. Our in-house support for projects ranges from lining up a buyer for completed docs, to providing production guidance and funding for our favorite ideas and contributors. We pride ourselves in helping you bring great ideas to fruitful completion. Upload your preview to the site or pitch us (Browse > Pitch) the story, documentary, photo essay or other project that you are working on. We'll get back to you right away. See Production Support for more info.

We also offer robust licensing terms whose parameters you control entirely. For example, if you are still in production or post-production, you can license footage that will become a part of your film for a fixed time period. Setting your own license expiration dates allows you to generate revenue from your footage with news outlets and producers and know that all your media rights will be cleared before your rough cut is complete.

PRODUCTION HOUSES, TELEVISION STATIONS If you are a production company, a local or regional television station or a media-producing NGO looking to license select media to new international outlets, TRANSTERRA will work with you directly and tirelessly until your media is seen by new audiences and is generating new revenue streams for your organization.

NEW TO THE BUSINESS If you are seeking to further establish yourself or break in to the media business, we have a large network of media organizations eager to pick up quality video and images from new sources at fair prices.

STUDENTS & EMERGING PRODUCERS If you are a student with a brand new DSLR, an activist seeking to document your efforts, or anyone seeking to be heard through his or her media, TRANSTERRA is here to help you and to support you. We will help you develop the skills you need, find additional training opportunities, and we will provide production guidance and tangible support for your best projects.

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE After years of producing, all of us have a lot of media sitting on shelves or on hard drives, collecting particle and digital dust. The next time a news outlet needs that footage form Iraq 2003, Haiti 2010 or the Egyptian Revolution 2011, make your archival footage work for you. Check out our URL upload feature that allows you to upload directly from your own (or another) website.

CO-PRODUCE & COLLABORATE We all need access to fellow journalists, editors, fixers and international support to tell the stories that matter. Through TRANSTERRA’s network you can meet fellow professionals, form production teams for one assignment or forever, share footage, tips and techniques.

Do you have an eye for photography, a passion for honest storytelling and a hunger to learn? If so, we will we do everything we can to help you become someone whose images and stories transcend international borders and are sold in the open market because they tell the story that really matters—your story.

Pricing & Rights

We want you to do what you do best: tell stories—not negotiate licensing and pricing arrangements. At TRANSTERRA, all media-makers retain full control of their media at all times. You set the base price for your media, and we take care of the rest. The final price for your media will be depend on the purchaser's selections of use categories, media placement and license duration to to insure that each buyer is obtaining an appropriate license, and to insure that you are getting the best price for your media.

Credibility

TRANSTERRA is a free market in which every piece of content you sell increases your credibility. A high credibility rating helps your media’s visibility on the website and increases its value. Our staff reviews all contributor accounts regularly and adjusts credibility ratings according to: full profile development, activity level on the site, quality of media and accompanying descriptions and tagging, the level and quality of our interaction with you and, most importantly, if your media is being purchased. We do our best to do assess credibility ratings fairly and consistently, but please let us know if you feel that we have missed something. Your profile is vital to increasing your sales opportunities. Think of your profile as your online CV or resume. A full profile helps buyers to understand the person behind the media. Buyers can request content from individual contributors whose work they like and who are located in a region where they are seeking media. We direct content requests we receive from clients to our best, most highly rated contributors.

Shooters Guide

To learn what makes a good story and how to produce safely and securely in challenging environments, we highly recommend the guide written and distributed by Small World News. You can find it here in English or here in Arabic.