VSCO Launches Marketplace Connecting Photographers and Brands

VSCO Launches Hub to Connect Photographers with Brands

A New Marketplace for Professional Photographers

In today’s digital landscape, collaborating with brands is a primary source of income for artists and content creators. However, the process of connecting creators with companies seeking specialized talent can be challenging. VSCO, a renowned photo editing app, aims to bridge this gap for its core audience of professional photographers through the introduction of VSCO Hub, a new marketplace designed to facilitate connections between photographers and brands.

Similarities to Other Social Platforms

VSCO Hub shares similarities with creator marketplaces offered by other social platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. These platforms already provide businesses with tools to discover content creators and establish partnerships.

A LinkedIn-like Experience for Photographers

Eric Wittman, who assumed the role of VSCO’s CEO in September 2023, compares the new portal to LinkedIn, stating:

The VSCO Hub is almost like LinkedIn. Brands act as recruiters, and they can easily find someone for their projects and connect with them.

Accessing VSCO Hub and Search Filters

To gain access to VSCO Hub, photographers must subscribe to the $59.99 Pro plan, which currently boasts more than 160,000 subscribers. Businesses using the platform can utilize filters such as location, category, price, and availability to refine their search for photographers.

Unique Feature: Reference Image Upload

One standout feature of VSCO Hub is the ability for creative directors to upload a reference image and search for photographers with similar work in their portfolios.

Image Credits: VSCO

No Commission on Project Payments

VSCO serves as a connection layer and does not take a cut from project payments made through the platform.

Addressing Discoverability Challenges

Wittman attributes the lack of discoverability in the photography community to the algorithms used by social networks, noting that marketers often spend considerable time searching for photographers whose work aligns with their creative vision on platforms like Google or Instagram.

Because of how social networks have changed themselves and their algorithms, it is really hard for photographers to get discovered by potential clients. We saw the need of our photography community and decided to build VSCO Hub.

AI-Powered Search and Future Plans

VSCO is exploring the integration of AI to enhance its search capabilities. The company is internally testing a feature that allows brands to enter text queries and find images through semantic search, with plans to roll out this functionality soon. Additionally, VSCO intends to introduce more filters to help companies refine their searches.

AI as a Tool for Artists

Wittman and VSCO’s approach to AI aligns with many other platforms: the technology will be used to assist artists rather than replace them. The company plans to release more AI-powered tools to support photographers in their workflows.

Tools like Visual Electric, backed by Sequoia, and Lightricks‘ LTX Studio focus on assisting artists with ideation and workflows. Wittman believes that creatives will increasingly leverage AI’s capabilities for ideation rather than production.