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How creative professionals are using Adobe Stock AI Studio to source images and videos: 7 ways to keep your creative momentum
I’ve spent longer than I’d like to admit finding the right stock image or video for a project. I’ve scrolled the depths of sites trying to locate that one perfect asset, only to settle one that’s kinda, sorta, almost, but not-quite right.
And it’s an area of the creative professional’s workflow that Adobe Stock AI Studio seeks to change. Instead of searching for the right photo or video, you can take an existing piece of content and modify it to make it match the vision that exists in your head (we’ve all been there, right?).
The platform, which is blended into Stock so well, it’s indistinguishable, lets you make video and image edits in seconds without ever having to switch to other software. So, after testing out the new AI-powered tools, I’ve selected 7 top features of the suite that actually benefit professionals who hate making those tiny tweaks that take so much time and just want to streamline the creative workflow.
For more, see my companion piece What is Adobe Stock AI Studio and how can it reshape creative workflows
Create and generate before licensing
This is the headline feature for Adobe Stock AI Studio - and the one that really stands out to me. Instead of spending half the working day looking for the perfect stock asset (a pain I know only too well) before licensing one you’re only half happy with, the platform does things differently.
Here, you can select your media and begin working it into something that’s right for your project using the AI tools. You only need to license it once you’re happy with the finished product.
This means you can effectively spin up new stock assets that genuinely match your vision based on existing media like it’s a totally blank canvas. No more scrolling through stock images that aren’t exactly right.
Speed up editing workflows in plain language
Any image editing takes time - but the AI Studio’s tools help speed up those workflows without compromising on creative control thanks to the Type to Edit feature. Using natural language, creative professionals can describe exactly the changes they want.
And that’s not limited to single images, either. Adobe Stock AI Studio also allows for bulk editing, applying the same edits across multiple images.
Now, I wouldn’t class this as a substitute for Photoshop or similar apps if you want to really zero in on your edits. But it does mean instead of switching between different software and apps, you can generate and edit stock content on a single platform.
Take control of every element
As a professional creator, creative control is absolutely critical as far as I’m concerned - otherwise, we’re left in a swamp of the same identi-kit AI imagery and ‘photos’. So, I was pleased to see there’s a great level of control over the edits you can make using Adobe Stock AI Studio.
If you’re familiar with AI editing suites, particularly Adobe Firefly, you’ll have an idea what to expect here. It’s all clever tools like the classic Remove Background, Expand Image that let you switch up the image to match the project - for example, creating social media posts - and Change Mood, which changes an images vibe based on pre-set options or using Type to Edit.
Change Color is one of the most original and useful tools here. It lets you alter a photo’s color palette to better match your vision. You can also create your own palette to retain brand consistency.
Breathe new life into static images
Animate Image is a very fun feature - and it’s one of the most impressive of the stable, particularly if you don’t have time to shoot video content.
Because static photos don’t always get the attention they deserve online, this tool lets you turn a photo into a few seconds of engaging live video. They’re capped at five seconds, so this is perfect for social media posts or a quick clip for a website without requiring demanding timeline work in Premiere Pro or other video editing software.
The results were actually amazing. In one test, I made a bison herd drift towards the camera - and the video looked so real, I was almost fooled myself. If you’re looking to breathe new life into images, edited or otherwise, this one’s worth seeing in action.
Make videos match your vision
Image editing is one thing, but Adobe Stock AI Studio also handles editing of stock videos too. One of the big features here, as with image edits, is the ability to change the color palette.
Removing the need to spend hours finding that one perfect clip, you can quickly modify the colors to meet your vision. It works exactly the same as it does when editing stock photos, but in motion.
However, it’s worth pointing out that video manipulation isn’t free, even with a subscription. Some of these changes are clearly labelled, some are not. So, make sure you’ve banked enough credits to complete the project.
Generate pitch-perfect audio matches
The second video editing feature in the AI Studio is even more impressive in my experience. Audio Match is a way for creative professionals to generate exactly the right sounds for the video.
The canvas here is incredibly broad. You can choose a specific mood - think ‘playful’ or ‘warm’ - or choose a particular genre of music, such as classical or jazz.
Now, again, I’ve spent hours searching through stock music that either isn’t quite right or doesn’t match up to what viewers see on-screen, so this is a genuine game-changer. It did take me the longest of all the processes of the AI suite, but compared to actually trying to locate the exact right sound for my creative work, it’s a breeze, and the results were excellent.
Track your changes
I found the entire process of using AI Studio simple that calling it a ‘process’ seems like overkill. You have a sidebar on the left offering the list of tools you can work with. The rest of the interface focuses on your chosen asset. Directly beneath it, is a row which should currently only have one icon in it. This is your alteration history. Every time you use an AI tool, a little thumbnail is added to that row.
This makes it easy to check back on your AI journey. If you’ve gone down a rabbit hole of requests and the results have started looking a little peculiar - as can sometimes happen with AI - just select a previous thumbnail and carry on from there. This won’t delete any of your rejected attempts, but merely add more thumbnails to the list, and hopefully create a more acceptable thread.
I find this is a good way to make changes quickly and see how an image fares, creating multiple versions of the same shot as you go, giving you great flexibility, all without ever having to leave the Adobe Stock interface, without downloading anything nor licensing any asset - until you’re ready.
Final thoughts
If you're into AI, Adobe Stock AI Studio opens up huge opportunities not only to find the perfect asset for your project, but to tweak it using Firefly’s powerful algorithms to make sure it is absolutely ideal for your needs before you license it.
Probably the biggest worry with using AI is making sure you don’t get into trouble for using AI generated content.
So, Adobe has made this one really simple: With Adobe Stock, creative professionals have full permission to edit and use any of the stock assets using the AI Studio suite.
That’s it. You’re effectively commercially bullet-proof using the platform, without any worries around copyright.
You can still simply search and use any existing stock assets on the site without editing them with AI, of course. You’re totally free to browse through Adobe’s constantly growing catalog without ever using the AI bolt-on..
But all in all, AI Studio is seamlessly integrated, works as you’d expect, and ideal when you wish that image you found was just a little brighter, those people a little happier, that shirt a little redder, that canvas a little wider… It’s the ultimate try before you buy - or more accurately, alter before you license.
