About the new Payout rate changes It’s a Final Smash-and-Grab Before the AI Storm Hits

While I fully agree with the OP on this, I think the issue here is the same as Artstation's "AI Gate" a couple of years ago:
Describing the water you are drowning in, doesn't save you, no matter how great you are at describing it.

The corporate speak we get from CGT is no different that that of any other corporation that has forgotten their reason-for-being and who made the company grow in the first place. Look at Adobe, Apple, most of the gaming industry etc etc etc.

The world is infatuated with AI right now, and trying to stop that trend is remarkably similar to when the internet became a thing, or when artists transitioned from analog tools to computers: A lot of yelling and screaming - and much of it rightfully so - but ultimately, it's like standing in front of a freight train waving your arms and telling it that it should stop in the name of fairness: It's a waste of time.
PS: I´m old enough to have experienced both transitions as a professional, and my best advice is: do NOT waste your time railing against AI. Find a way around it or with it.

Had this been ONLY about the CGT payout model, I would applaud this and even be optimistic about the prospect of CGT listening and rolling back this change.
However, just like the OP stated, this is CGT trying to secure their future (at least short term) by scaling up their AI product and “restructuring” their original/legacy business to make that transition as painless for them as possible. Not for artists, for them.

Being shocked that corporations prioritise their own interests over those of their contributors is honestly naive.
I´m not saying it’s right or fair; it isn’t - but every single business is trying to balance making money and squeezing partners/clients too much. Some are just better at creating win-win situations or have a more “humanistic” approach than others. CGT doesn’t seem to fall into this category.

I’ve been a relatively frequent 3d client for the past 5-6 years (appr. 100 projects and 1,000+ models on CGT), and my interest in models and projects have gone down significantly for the simple reason that the projects I do require less of both.
I personally don´t know if my clients want or use more AI-generated content/artwork, but I think the overall perception of art or artwork as something valuable has decreased dramatically because of AI-generated content flooding every SM platform.
Or perhaps my own work simply doesn’t seem valuable enough compared to much cheaper AI work.

Either way, it’s an absolute waste of time to be angry at or frustrated with AI.
It’s here to stay, and while it certainly will find a more “natural” place in the creative pipeline than it has now, it probably will take some time before it does.
In the meantime, there is only ONE way forward, and that is to
A) find another line of work.
B) figure out how to use AI in your work in a smart and profitable way.
C) keep doing conventional 3d models but in a way that truly stands out.
D) go bankrupt.

If CGT F’s you over, find another platform and move on.
Start building more and better dialogues with clients UNRELATED to 3d platforms (FYI the 3d artists that I are most top-of-mind for me are those on Patreon or Gumroad who have mailing lists).
Team up, build new coalitions, heck - start your OWN platform if the others suck.
And most importantly: Please stop wasting your precious creative energy on things you can’t change - including CGT´s policies.

Yeah! I was literally 20 points away from reaching 78%. It has taken a decade to reach that level. Now an instant drop to 70%
I will let the models I have uploaded already fester away, but I won't be uploading anymore. There is no incentive left for me.

I wish this was not the case. But I believe that everything you said is exactly correct.

I don’t have a clever response to all this. No grand stand, no strategy. Just the quiet truth: I’ve tried — for years. I gave this system everything I had. I worked late nights, fixed broken files, replied to clients across time zones, and poured myself into the work. And still, in the end, it wasn’t enough.

So I’m done trying to fight a system that was never built to let us win.

I’m setting all my models free.

Not because it helps me — it doesn’t. There’s no reward waiting. No payout. Just silence. But I won’t keep feeding a platform that sees artists as temporary labor to exploit on the way to an AI-powered marketplace. I won't let my work become part of their machine — priced, devalued, and fed into an algorithm that never cared where it came from.

Setting these models free won’t undo what’s been lost. It won’t fix the years I spent trying to make this work. But maybe, in some small way, it can still mean something. Maybe someone out there can use them, learn from them, or just feel a little less alone in all this.

I won’t be part of this race anymore. I won’t become the machine to compete with it.

Let them have their tiers, their fake loyalty programs, their short-term profits.

I’ll keep what little I have left: my dignity, and the decision to walk away on my own terms.

I went from having a Payout rate of 80% to 71%, and I'm sure that percentage will go down over time, there go 7 years of effort and hard work down the drain, I used to have the discount programs activated at 50% and 60%, but not anymore, if I keep offering discounts I won't have any good profits, I just deactivated them, I know my sales will go down because of that, but I prefer that to cgtrader abusing my sales. Friends, I think the only thing left for us to do is migrate to other platforms :(

I can't imagine them reading them at all.

I can really imagine the cgtrader people reading the comments over a coffee and laughing about it

The new payout calculation system is completely demotivating. When I first joined the platform, my initial percentage was 64%. I worked hard and brought it up to 75% this spring. But then the admins decided to change the rules in the middle of the game, and now I’m back at 68% — almost the same as when I started. And uploading free models now makes absolutely no sense.

As a buyer this change is horrible, I only started buying from cgtrader this year but with this change everything is becoming more expensive, tips to sellers:
1- Find other marketplaces
2- I would advice against providing 3d viewers as I've heard people can rip them with programs , I don't know if this specific for some platforms but make sure your renders are high quality and close enough and show all necessary details.

Has the Dashboard button dissapeat for anyone else?

I have gone from 76% return down to 68%, and I was very close to 77%. I have now increased my designs by 9% to cover the loss, and it's the end buyer who will end up paying more, while CGTrader is laughing all the way to the bank.

I couldn’t agree more. Everything you said resonates deeply — especially as someone who just dropped multiple commission tiers overnight despite years of consistent work and high ratings. This new system feels like it was designed to erase our past efforts and squeeze what’s left before AI takes over.
We’re not partners anymore — just data points in a profit chart. Thanks for putting this into words.

I couldn’t agree more. Everything you said resonates deeply — especially as someone who just dropped multiple commission tiers overnight despite years of consistent work and high ratings. This new system feels like it was designed to erase our past efforts and squeeze what’s left before AI takes over.
We’re not partners anymore — just data points in a profit chart. Thanks for putting this into words.

my request was simple. i stated that many “smaller” designers will leave this platform because the new payout system will only be a win for cg traders. here is the answer:

Julius CGT (CGTrader)

May 23, 2025, 13:09 GMT+3
Hello,

We completely understand your concerns and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.

First of all I wish to clarify few things and answer your questions.

Payout sale is calculated form sales amount, not from received royalties, therefore if you wish to reach 15k you need to sell for 15k and not receive royalties that would be equal to 15k.

The percentage is recalculated daily (not yearly), as the statistic is based on 365 days. A dependable payout rate does not favor high-price models, since low-price models are sold more often. Most of our top sellers have items with lower-tier prices and a very high amount of sales (usually 20-70 sales daily) ; therefore, your statement is not true.

Change is never easy, especially when it affects something as important as payouts. However, the current system no longer reflects how the marketplace works today. It rewards volume over quality, and with AI-generated content flooding the space, we had to rethink how to fairly recognise the efforts of dedicated designers like yourself.

The new model focuses on sales performance over the past 12 months, making sure that creators who consistently produce valuable, in-demand content are the ones benefiting the most. It also opens doors for us to support your sales through paid marketing, something the old model limited.

Please know that these decisions were made carefully, with the goal of creating a fairer, more transparent system for everyone in the long term.

You can see your earnings history in My Sales>Monthly Summary and review the updated payout rates here: https://help.cgtrader.com/hc/en-us/articles/35293756906257-Payout-Rate-System-Explained

We appreciate your input and ask for your trust and understanding as we continue to work on improving our marketplace for all users.

Regards,
Julius

100 percent agree on this take . I believe that ı did a really good job on sales while keeping the quality high on my models over the years ..I can easily say that in my field (busts/Likeness models for printng) ,in terms of sales/quality ım in the top ten seller on this site and guess what ,even ı cant make 80 percent royalty ...ı cant even imagine artist who sells even less...Doing it for artists my ass ..
Anyone who sells models here ı suggest you guys go ahead and start selling your stuff on other marketplaces ass well if your not allready doing that .Do NOT rely only on this one, which honestly ı believe at this point its just going worse for creators by every new update..Go sell on other markets, start your own patreon and diverse your income if you willing to keep doing this..

Yes i support your idea. This company is really selfish and try to bite our earn money, and what they think in their's brain, they think we easy to do our design in each projects. I really disappointed in this company... Shit company.

Yes i support your idea. This company is really selfish and try to bite our earn money, and what they think in their's brain, they think we easy to do our design in each projects. I really disappointed in this company... Shit company.

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/exterior/sci-fi-exterior/no-new-payout-rate

The reduction in earnings percentage for model designers is simply unacceptable. This isn’t just a financial loss — it’s a complete disregard for the years of effort, time, and creativity we’ve put into our work. Uploading affordable models no longer makes sense, because the compensation doesn’t reflect the value of our labor.

!!!Joining any discount event under these new terms would only hurt us further. That’s why we must not participate in any discount campaigns. Maybe then, our voices will be heard and this unfair revenue model will be reconsidered.!!!

We’ve contributed to the growth and quality of this platform for years. We’ve met the standards, consistently produced content, and invested ourselves fully. But clearly, all that effort means nothing now. Designers are the foundation of this system, yet we’re the ones suffering the most from this decision.

Being part of a system that ignores its creators like this is becoming harder to justify. We are truly disappointed.

You have a second account on Turbosquid and there are other models and I have to say that the sales here are pathetic, the only thing that saved the case were higher royalties, so when they were lowered I throw everything on TS and here I delete the model, I earn more there or the same but CGtradej will not earn anything from me anymore so it's your decision, calculate whether you prefer to give my royalties or zero? what is more profitable for you? You have a week to answer, if not I delete everything here

The decision to reduce the payout percentage for model designers is a complete disappointment. It doesn’t just affect our earnings — it deeply damages our motivation. Uploading affordable models is no longer an option, because we’re simply not being compensated fairly for our work.

!!! Under these conditions, the only logical response is to opt out of every discount event. Maybe that’s the only way we can even begin to reach the already reduced percentage they expect us to earn from.!!!

We’ve spent years building up our portfolios, meeting every standard this platform demands, investing countless hours into creating high-quality models. And this is the thanks we get? Designers are the backbone of this system, yet we’re the ones being neglected the most.

This is a major letdown for every artist who’s ever contributed to this platform. You need to hear our voices — because if this decision stands, many of us are losing faith in the future here.

I will increase the price of all my models on cgtrader. And i will write a caption that. If you want a good price contact me directly by email. If someone is interested i will sell it outside of cgtrader. Now i will just treat cgtrader as a page where i can promote my products. And i will find another asset selling platform and sell it cheaper than cgtrader

I will increase the price of all my models on cgtrader. And i will write a caption that. If you want a good price contact me directly by email. If someone is interested i will sell it outside of cgtrader. Now i will just treat cgtrader as a page where i can promote my products. And i will find another asset selling platform and sell it cheaper than cgtrader

Agreed. According to the founder, CG Trader was started because he wasn't satisfied with the low pay rate of other 3d sites and would take almost 50% of the royalties. That's why a lot of artists, like myself, came here originally. Now this new system really screws over us smaller artists.

Here is the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVanaYuqVA8&t=192s

how can you change the rules of the game during the game!?, I still have emails from you that if I start selling with you, you guarantee me high royalties, this change of policy is a scam, I want my royalties back, otherwise I'm taking all my models and transferring them to turbosqid

how can you change the rules of the game during the game!?, I still have emails from you that if I start selling with you, you guarantee me high royalties, this change of policy is a scam, I want my royalties back, otherwise I'm taking all my models and transferring them to turbosqid

how can you change the rules of the game during the game!?, I still have emails from you that if I start selling with you, you guarantee me high royalties, this change of policy is a scam, I want my royalties back, otherwise I'm taking all my models and transferring them to turbosqid

Could sign at every word. Well said.

Given your passion regarding this, have you thought about where to go next? If CGTrader is becoming unviable, where do we move? Just like 2d artists found ways to ensure their safety with making AI almost taboo on specific, large platforms, do we have any similar place we can go? If you have thought about this, please help the rest of us and let us know where we can go.
Thank you

I couldn't agree more. I have seen this happen half a dozen times. Wherever I go next, I will no doubt see it again. Greed always catches up with you.