I've also had agencies ask me to list my images as licensed if there are issues with releases -
If there are visible faces that I don't have model releases for
If there are very distinct buildings or architecture that I don't have property releases for
Listing the image as a License image gives me the opportunity to first "warn" the intended buyer that there may be issues, and second, restrict the usage of photos once they are purchased so it restricts the liability of the stock agency and me.
The other times I list the image as Licensed is if I'm totally in love with it for some distinct reason - the shot is stylized, a rare or difficult event to shoot, etc. because it will:
make me more money
not show up on a zillion different web sites/magazines and cheapen my beautiful art and my emerging brand name
My hot shot artist friends, whose brand has fully emerged over the last 30 years of shooting, list every photo they sell as a licensed image, and sell buy outs of the all rights at a premium (like $7,000 an image). They tell me they can do this because they have restricted use of their images to a very select group over the years through licensing - I'm not sure I'm buying that or not yet, but that is what they say - and they are sticking to that story.
In reality I've only been doing stock for about a year, and macro payment sites for less than that, so I'm still learning. But that is what I have learned to date - hope it's helpful.
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