Marketplace photography
Reverb seller photo requirements: what you can and cannot use
· 3 min read
Reverb requires sellers to photograph the actual item being sold. Screenshots, images taken from another source, and stock images are against Reverb's guidelines, with one exception: authorized dealers selling brand new or like new gear may use manufacturer stock photos. Everyone else needs real photos of the real unit, including its wear, from multiple angles, up to 25 images per listing.
Do this in RorlAIProduct: Clean studio backdrop for anything boxed or bottled.The short answer
Reverb treats the photo as proof of condition, not just a picture of what the model looks like. Its help center guidelines are specific: screenshots, including screenshots of your own photos, images taken from another source, and stock images are a violation, and reusing photos from a listing you bought the item from, even on Reverb itself, is not allowed either.
The one exception
What to actually photograph
Reverb's own guidance uses a guitar as the example, and the same shot list generalizes to most gear:
- A close up of the front, sharp enough to show finish and hardware detail
- A full length front shot showing the whole instrument or unit
- The back, since wear and repairs often live there
- Headstock, serial number or brand marking, which doubles as authentication
- An angled shot showing body depth, which a straight on photo cannot convey
- Any blemish, chip, scratch or modification, photographed up close rather than implied
How many photos, and the shooting basics
| What Reverb allows or expects | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maximum images per listing | Up to 25 |
| Background | Simple and consistent, not required to be pure white |
| Focus | In focus is a stated requirement, not a style preference |
| Lighting | Well lit, with no specific setup required |
| Camera | A smartphone is explicitly fine |
Why this matters more than it looks like it does
A guitar or synth buyer on Reverb is usually shopping used gear, often at a meaningful price, and the photos are doing the job a return policy would otherwise have to cover. A seller who photographs only the clean angles and skips the scratched back panel is not breaking a rule exactly, but is setting up the exact dispute the condition photos exist to prevent.
This is also why the no stock photo rule is not just paperwork. Two amps of the same model can be years apart, one with a replaced speaker and one original, and a manufacturer's catalog shot shows neither. The only photo that answers a buyer's real question, which unit is this and what shape is it actually in, is one taken of that unit.
Where AI help ends here
RorlAI can clean up a background, straighten a crooked shot, or build a consistent set of styled images once you already have a real photo of the unit you are selling. It is not a way around Reverb's actual requirement, which is a photo of that specific item, its specific wear included. Run any cleaned up image past one question before uploading it: does this still show the real condition of the real unit, not a generic version of the product.
Common questions
- Can I use the manufacturer's press photo for a used pedal?
- No, unless you are an authorized dealer selling it brand new or like new. A used, individually owned pedal needs a photo of that actual pedal.
- Can I reuse the photos from the listing I bought the gear from?
- No. Reverb's guidelines specifically call out reusing photos from a listing you purchased on any platform, including Reverb, as not allowed.
- How many photos should I actually upload, out of the 25 allowed?
- Enough to cover every angle and every flaw honestly, which for most gear lands somewhere between six and twelve. Uploading all 25 of the same angle helps nobody, and skipping the back or the blemishes helps nobody either.
- Does Reverb require a plain white background?
- No. The stated requirement is a simple, consistent background and good focus, not a specific color or a studio setup.