Earning money by selling models

More and more people are using the Internet as a way to sell their 3D models in order to make contacts and start building their client portfolio. Even during the creation of their own portfolio, studio work can be found that can find practical outlets in online sales.

Let's not deceive ourselves, it takes a lot of time and effort to create a steady income stream from selling 3D models on the Internet, but the advantage is that once the momentum is generated, income is generated while our work relaxes. Let's take a look at some online sites where we can sell our 3D models. We have selected the addresses with the most traffic and best reviews.

Websites to sell 3D models:

Turbosquid

Turbosquid is huge and has an impressive list of clients. If your work is good and different from the usual, it's a good place, but the result is not immediate. The artist receives 40% of the sale (which is low), although they offer prices of up to 80% in exchange for exclusivity.

Shapeways

Shapeways (and similar sites) have opened up a new market segment, offering modelers the opportunity to upload their 3D models and sell them for 3D printing. The ability to print in different materials is a versatile and attractive option. 3D technology could revolutionize the way we think about object manufacturing thanks to 3D printers.

Renderosity

They have high quality standards and a gigantic user base, but the relatively low commission rates for authors mean that there are better options available for 3D artists. The artist receives a 50% commission for royalties, up to 70% with exclusivity.

3DExport

With over 130,000 members and one of the most user-friendly and attractive site designs as the website is very up-to-date. The non-exclusive license rate is competitive. The artist receives 60% for non-exclusive sales and up to 70% with an exclusive contract.

Sculpteo

Sculpteo has a business model similar to Shapeways and, despite some disadvantages, it can be taken into account. Sculpteo has higher 3D printing fees than Shapeways, so it is less crowded. This can give a certain advantage when selling as there is less competition. The royalty rate is flexible, so it needs to be consulted.

How do I choose where to sell my 3D models?

There are three factors that determine how to choose the website to sell our 3D models: commissions, traffic, and competition.

Commissions: Let's take a look at the sites with the most interesting commission rates for non-exclusivity. In principle, we will try not to limit our options since exclusive contracts are something to consider once we are already established in the market.

Traffic: The more traffic a website has, the more potential buyers there will be for our 3D models. Here is the traffic ranking:

1. Turbosquid – 9,314 (118,166 visitors)
2. Renderosity – 16,392 (66,674 visitors)
3. Shapeways – 29,521 (47,952 visitors)
4. 3D Export – 164,340 (6,788 visitors)
5. Sculpteo – 197,983 (3,262 visitors)

Competition: Low competition is desirable for obvious reasons. If buyers have fewer options to choose from, there is a higher chance they will select our work. To determine the competition, we looked at the total number of 3D models for sale on each site.

1. Turbosquid – 242,000 (High)
2. Shapeways – 63,800 (High)
3. DExport – 33,785 (Medium)
4. Renderosity – 4,020 (Low)
5. Sculpteo – 3,684 (Low)

Are you interested in 3D modeling?