What happens if I don’t fill out recommended file information?

Annotating your files with relevant file information isn’t a barrel of fun but it’s essential if you wish your files to be found on LightRocket.

A file that can’t be found, can’t be sold.

We recommend completing five essential file information fields. These are copyright/credit, description (the ‘who’, 'why' and ‘what’ of your file), keywords, date of creation and location (at least the country where the picture/video was recorded).

You'll notice that as you complete these fields, your visible meter will move from poor to excellent. The more of the recommended metadata fields you complete the more visible your file becomes online and more findable it is for picture buyers.

An informative description gives meaning to a picture. Keywords are used by the LightRocket search engine to find files – so they are essential if you’re hoping to make sales. If your files aren’t annotated with credit and copyright info, you are leaving yourself open to copyright infringement.

You can still publish files on LightRocket without completing these recommended file information fields but you are likely to be missing opportunities. You will also leave your work more open to copyright infringement and risk potential clients not understanding the full meaning of your work.