If you’re looking to transition into freelance work, this can be a great way to start building a client base, and the nature of the work means you’ll learn a lot about how to build an online presence, market yourself, and leverage your connections to gain exposure. Even if you’re more interested in building a portfolio you can use to apply for studio jobs, successfully selling 3D stock will show potential employers that you have the ability to create quality work with high efficiency. Like anything worth doing, it takes a lot of time and effort to build up a steady income stream from selling stock models online, but the advantage is that once you’ve built a network, the income is relatively passive. There are a lot of things that can help you succeed as a 3D stock seller, but before we delve into anything else, let’s take a look at the nine best places to sell your models online. These are the marketplaces with the most traffic, the strongest reputations, and the best royalties: If you’re somehow able to set yourself apart there, then Turbosquid’s massive userbase offers a huge upside, but don’t expect to upload your models and watch the dollars roll in. Success here will most likely require a significant amount of active marketing and, in all honesty, if you’re good enough to stand out at Turbosquid, you’re probably good enough to start looking for legitimate freelance contracts (that will pay you a heck of a lot better). Royalty rate — Artist receives (a measly) 40 percent, although their guild program offers rates up to 80 percent in exchange for exclusivity. Visit Turbosquid Shapeways (and similar sites) have opened up an entirely new market segment, offering the ability for modelers to upload their work and sell physical copies of their 3D models through a process known as 3D printing. The ability to print in numerous different material types makes 3D printing a versatile and attractive option for jewelry, decorative items, and small character statues. The idea of physically printing a digital model might sound like science fiction if you’re just hearing about it for the first time, but the tech has arrived and could potentially revolutionize the way we think about manufacturing as printers continue to advance. If you’d like to sell your models as 3D prints, keep in mind that there are additional steps/conversions that must be completed to make a model “print-ready.” Royalty rate — Flexible. Shapeways sets a price based on the volume and material of your print, and you determine how much of a markup you’d like to charge. Visit Shapeways 3D models include insanely detailed computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality gaming models, and printing models ranging from jewelry and miniatures to engineering parts. Designers can choose to sell, stream to a 3D printer, or have an item printed and shipped via Sculpteo. Royalty rate — There are 13 different reputation levels; Beginners to Legends. Royalty rate varies from 70 to 90 percent depending on where you fall in the levels. Visit CGTrader There’s quite a bit of potential here, but we honestly can’t see it being an option for you unless you’re familiar with Daz Studio and Poser. They’ve also got a pretty specific list of requirements and a manual vetting process, so if you’re looking for a quick and easy upload, look elsewhere. The upside is that DAZ is a marketplace aimed at people who need to make CG but typically don’t know how to model, which makes them more likely to buy their assets. Royalty rate — Artist receives 50 percent on non-exclusive sales, up to 65 percent with exclusivity. Visit Daz 3D However, Renderosity has successfully positioned itself as a leading marketplace for Daz Studio and Poser models, so if that’s your thing, you’ll definitely want to set up shop here (in addition to Daz 3D). The two are pretty equivalent in traffic, so make sure you give them both some attention. Royalty rate — Artist receives 50 percent on non-exclusive sales, up to 70 percent with exclusivity. Visit Renderosity Envato products are pretty solid, so 3Docean is definitely worth looking into to supplement what you’re doing at one of the larger marketplaces, but definitely don’t rely on them as your primary storefront — the non-exclusive licensing rate they offer is downright offensive. Royalty rate — Artist receives 33 percent on non-exclusive sales, 50-70 percent with exclusivity contract. Visit 3Docean Royalty rate — Artist receives 60 percent for non-exclusive sales, up to 70 percent with exclusivity contract. Visit 3DExport Sculpteo offers fewer material and color choices, and, compared to Shapeways, the same model tends to be more expensive to print. Having said that, the marketplace is also less crowded, so you may have more success making sales. If you’re looking to sell your models as prints, our advice is to poke around both sites to see which one you prefer. Royalty rate — Flexible. Sculpteo sets a price based on the volume and material of your print, and you determine how much of a markup you’d like to charge. Visit Sculpteo
