We knew things were going to change at Flickr when it switched over to SmugMug’s ownership, but few imagined that the vaunted 1TB of free photo storage for free accounts would go away.
Purchased back in April, the changes coming to Flickr won’t come into effect until January 2019, giving people plenty of time to consider the benefits these changes have to offer them.
Among the many requested features, and one that makes the most sense given the new ownership, SmugMug will enable users to sign up and log in to Flickr without the need for a Yahoo account.
But the biggest change that is grabbing headlines is that Flickr is getting rid of its 1TB of free storage that the firm has offered for years. Users will, instead, be able to store 1000 photos of any quality on Flickr at the free account level while Pro members will have access to unlimited storage for photos or videos of any quality.
Users with more than 1000 photos will be given the opportunity to switch their accounts over to a Pro level membership. The price touted by SmugMug is the reasonable amount of $USD 49.95 though competing with the previously free offerings does change the value proposition somewhat. Flickr is giving users the chance to upgrade before November 30 with the lure of a 30% discount off of their first year’s membership costs in a bid to rapidly transition their accounts to the new system.
There are a couple of other perks on offer for Pro users including advanced metrics for your photos and ad-free browsing according to Photo Focus. There is also a new Flickr Explore feature coming up that gives Pro members the chance to gain increased exposure to new audiences.
SmugMug is also promising 5K photo upload and improved video playback from “three to ten minutes” according to a press release we received from Flickr. Pro members will also get discounts on Adobe CC services, half off of a custom portfolio site on SmugMug, and discounts on gear from Peak Design. Naturally, Pro members will have access to premium customer service as well.
