Digital design asset marketplace Envato has announced the launch of Envato Elements, the first unlimited download, community-generated design subscription for marketers, agencies, designers and other creative professionals.

A new platform from design asset marketplace Envato is offering graphics, templates, add-ons and fonts under broad usage rights for a monthly fee.

Envato Elements, as the new product is called, claims to be the only design subscription service using a progressive subscriber share model, and aims to “transform how the digital community both buys and sells designs online by providing fair compensation for its content creators”. Content for Envato Elements is provided by a global community of independent designers, and gives subscribers access to a fresh and diverse library.

Envato says Elements contributors share in 50% of the net revenue from subscriptions. It’s allocated ‘as fairly as possible’ using a subscriber share method in which contributor earnings are directly linked to the money collected from each individual subscriber. The greater the number of subscribers who use a contributor’s items, the more they earn. (If a subscriber doesn’t download anything, the 50% is shared equally among all contributors.)

“Subscription models have often been criticised as unfair to artists when it comes to royalties and payment,” says Xavier Russo, strategy and marketing manager at Envato. “Envato Elements was designed to completely change all that with our new ‘subscriber share’ model. By compensating our contributors more fairly, we can offer our subscribers the most diverse and amazing library of content. It’s a win-win for both parties and a huge step forward in the industry.”

The service was created to better serve frequent users of digital assets who care about design. The platform curates and showcases a unique library of content with a strong focus on quality and on-trend items. A single, commercial use license applies to all items on the site.

Unlike many other subscription services – such as those in the music industry – subscribers’ money actually goes to the contributors that they use and value. This encourages contributors to create items that are broadly appealing, as well as those that serve various niches.

“Think of Elements like a ‘Netflix’ for the design industry,” adds Russo. “Users can easily scan thousands of inspiring assets and download as many as they need to create their own design – be it a masterful web page or infographic, to a slick PowerPoint or blog site. Their imagination is the only limit.”