Short-form video clips offer an increasingly lucrative option for content creators and distributors targeting a non-feature film audience, whether the result of recording live cam shows for later resale, or of producing custom content on commission for fans, or of ramping up a niche micro-studio or more traditional production processes.
For independent producers in particular (such as models), the benefits go beyond immediate sales to building long-term relationships with fans, which can lead to many more sales in the future. These performers find a ready outlet among the growing ranks of clip sites, which are always seeking new content creators to boost their catalogs and provide more options for fans.
When you have the amount of content that Clips4Sale has and the huge variety, it’s easy to keep customers coming back to pay for their porn. — Neil, Owner of Clips4Sale
Although some pro adult studios have emulated the bite-size clip approach by releasing scenes rather than focusing on features, the soul of the clip market today is made up of models — many of which will satisfy their audience with videos shot and edited on a smartphone, although clip producers are as diverse as the subjects they depict.
Kicking off with a look at the top three clip sites, XBIZ examines the rise and current state of clip production and marketing, revealing the newest clip site features and tech making a splash in 2018; productive techniques for marketing clips to consumers; and today’s top producer recruitment and retention strategies. In addition, we wanted to gain the perspective of the producers themselves — asking a roundup of content creators about best practices for clip artists in today’s market; the use of social media to build their fan base and market to consumers; and tips for clip creation and selling in 2018. Finally, XBIZ sought insights from some of today’s top cammers who are also creating clips and customs for their fans.
Here’s what they had to say:
Clips4Sale
Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2018, Clips4Sale is perhaps the oldest downloadable video clip site, offering a diverse array of mainstream, kink and fetish content, and claiming the largest variety of models and producers on any adult clip site — with more than 7 million clips to choose from.
The site features more than 1,000 categories of content, catering to just about every legal niche or kink, with high-resolution media and loads of clips added daily. Producers profit from exposure to more than 1.3 million daily page views and 20 million monthly visitors. An easy upload system, high bandwidth servers, accessible stats and sales info, free advertising banners for studios on their home page, and 24/7 support for studios and customers alike.
Clips4Sale also offers fans, models, producers and porn stars the NexoCams platform, where fans can subscribe to their timeline, as well as go live on cam if they choose. In addition, Images4Sale, Videos4Sale and the streaming video membership site C4SLive are also part of the Clips4Sale family.
As for the newest clip site features and tech making a splash in 2018, C4S owner Neil says the company has many new additions planned for the customer side, as well as the models and producers side, noting, “There are too many to list and some are not out yet and will be kept under wraps till they are released.”
Neil tells XBIZ that while he doesn’t have a favorite technique for marketing clips to consumers accustomed to free content, it really doesn’t matter.
“When you have the amount of content that Clips4Sale has and the huge variety,” Neil explains, “it’s easy to keep customers coming back to pay for their porn.”
As for favorite talent recruitment and retention strategies, Neil says this is very simple, crediting “experience, trust and word of mouth,” for keeping folks happy with C4S.
iWantClips
A more recent entrant to the fray, iWantEmpire’s flagship iWantClips is helping to define the newest trends while focusing on improving the user and content creator experience by offering more ways for fans to connect with their favorite artists.
Jay Phillips, president and co-founder of iWantEmpire, says the company’s newest platform, iWantFanClub, provides subscription-based, private social media feeds, update notifications and a built-in dashboard to access the clip and custom clip portals, plus phone and pay-to-view messaging.
“Everything is integrated and seamless for the ease of both the artist and fan,” Phillips tells XBIZ. “We also recently launched an Artist Spotlight section on our blog site which allows fans deeper and more personal insights about the artists on iWantClips.”
On the marketing front, Phillips says the company’s best techniques are top secret, “but overall the goal is to inform consumers that they get what they pay for, to keep and earn their trust.”
“Most of the consumers who patronize iWantClips are seeking a luxury experience where price is not a primary concern,” Phillips explains. “Our clientele don’t tend to be emotionally attached to money as many consumers are. We cater to a very elite demographic and consider iWantClips a gathering place for the wealthiest adult consumers in the world.”
“We are very proud of the robust incomes of our demographic, as reported by Alexa and Google Analytics,” Phillips adds. “Compared to other adult sites, we are literally off the charts.”
When it comes to cultivating talent, Phillips says treating artists right goes a long way.
“As the first site built by adult artists for adult artists, we go to great lengths to work with the people who entrust us with their content,” Phillips confides. “We want to grow their brands and see these artists succeed, and we work to support them on every level.”
Phillips says that from payouts and bonuses to contests and incentives, 24/7 support, marketing and public relation campaigns, and more, the iWantClips is always striving to raise the bar in favor of artists.
“Artists gravitate to our site with a cult-like following similar to Apple, because they know we are here to push the boundaries and they know we are innovating a lot of industry firsts,” Phillips concludes, “such as daily payouts, chargeback protection, artist appreciation events, $10,000 transaction limits, artist controlled pricing from $1-10,000, publicists for top artists, high fashion photo shoots and amazing marketing collateral, highly visible billboard campaigns, a radio show on Sirius XM, and so much more to come.”
ManyVids
An aggressive up-and-comer making great strides in the market, ManyVids is first and foremost a tech firm operating in the adult industry.
“It’s very important to the MV Team that all our new features are cutting-edge. The best site features are technologically advanced and offer the best user experience,” CEO Bella French says. “We’re still a very small company of 80 dedicated MV Team members, but we believe in excellence, and we work really hard to provide all the tools our MV Stars need to do what they do best: Working as successful, smart, beautiful creative independent entrepreneurs.”
French tells XBIZ that ManyVids feels responsible for and conscious about protecting performers and creating a haven within the industry.
“Adult performers work so hard to create unique videos,” French explains. “At no point should they feel that their content, or exposure, is out of their hands.”
French is serious about protecting artist’s rights and says others shouldn’t profit from stolen content.
“This is illegal and has a detrimental impact on a cam girl’s or porn star’s privacy,” French explains. “It’s important to buy your porn, whether you’re an individual sitting at home or a website displaying thousands of petabytes of porn to tens of billions of people annually.”
As for the content on ManyVids, French says it speaks for itself.
“We believe you get what you pay for, and adult entertainers who are paid fairly for their work feel more valued and this value infuses the content. Because ManyVids offers innovative tools, emotional support and is a staunch believer in copyright protection, the MV Stars can focus on making the best content possible,” French tells XBIZ. “Consumers who are awash in free porn are, quite naturally, attracted and moved by genuine, personal content and, of course, the customized content features MV offers. A different business model will, inevitably, produce a different product.”
When it comes to building a network of artists, French notes that business owners should do everything they can to make people happy — and for the adult industry, that means treating content creators with respect and offering them the freedom to create, to express themselves and to promote whatever they want.
“We offer our MV Stars emotional support and we go the extra mile in our product development. At ManyVids, we truly believe that we don’t have ‘models’ or ‘producers,’ per se. We have business partners!” French exclaims. “Together, we are going to improve the shortfalls of the adult industry.
“The MV Team is truly invested in making our MV Stars happy in the same way you’d want to support your best friend and see them thrive,” French concludes. “We wish to build a long-lasting relationship with our MV Stars, and we will do whatever it takes to prove to them, over and over again, that we are here to help them — and that we exist to protect them, so they can thrive and concentrate their energies on creating amazing content for their fanbase and growing their businesses.”
Clip Creators
Seeking input from the content creators, XBIZ asked a number of top clip artists what they see as best practices for today’s marketplace.
MV Boy Johnnystonecb (@johnnystonecb) says one key to becoming a great clip artist is to really put your creativity and personality into your videos.
“Pretty much anything you can think of can be sold, so whatever it is that excites you and gets your blood pumping, go ahead and do it!” he exclaims. “Porn is consumed by so many people every single day, the demand for your clips is much higher than you could imagine, so just put your stuff out there!”
XBIZ Cam Awards nominee Violet Doll (@VioletDoll) says for new artists trying to build a fan base, quantity is key.
“The more clips you produce, the more you’ll be seen. If you only have a few clips in your store, that’s only a few possible sales per customer. Your customers can’t come back and spend more if there’s nothing new to buy,” she explains. “Even as an established content producer, my sales are always better when I have something new to offer. Although now that my store has a wide selection and a strong customer base, I’m able to focus a bit more on quality over quantity.”
Allie Eve Knox (@allieeveknox) advises artists to be on top of their business.
“Make sure that you are taking notice of what is working and what isn’t,” Knox says. “I put all of my clips into a spreadsheet and every week, I update how many of that clip I have sold. It makes me realize what my fans are looking for and more importantly, what kind of content of mine they are buying.”
For her part, Goddess Haven (@Haven_TheGreat) is a believer in consistency.
“It’s really important to keep up and stay on top of things when making clips,” Goddess Haven reveals. “The more work you’re getting done the more likely you are to build your fan base, find your niche and increase your income.”
Just as in camming, many clip creators rely on social media to build their fan base and market to consumers, but this is not as easy an avenue to audiences as it once was.
Violet Doll confides that social media is tough in the adult industry these days, telling XBIZ that censorship has become an even bigger threat in 2018.
“Rather than focusing on followers, hashtags, or like and retweet counts, I choose to focus on our online community,” Doll declares. “I’m always following new sex workers and trying to participate in boosting visibility for all of us. I can’t control shadow bans, but I can retweet my peers.”
Like many of her peers, Knox remains a fan of Snapchat and Twitter.
“I have two Twitters, one that is just myself and character stuff and the other is pure promotion, so just previews of my clips,” Knox says. “If someone doesn’t want to get bogged down with my life stuff and just wants to see my promos, they have that option. Snapchat is just everyday life stuff. My followers there are mostly my long-term slaves, subs, and fans.”
Likewise, Goddess Haven loves using social media “to network with other amazing women in the industry.”
MV Girl NovaPatra (@NovaPatra) underscores the importance of synergy in the current digital landscape.
“That’s why I’ve been growing all of my mainstream social media channels (Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Twitch and Snapchat) to elevate my exposure and to keep my fan base engaged,” NovaPatra explains. “Social media is a great place to give my audience a taste of my content-creating curiosity, which leads to more sales. I believe social media is a critical bridge between personal brand and sales.”
As for useful tips for clip creation and selling, performers are not shy about offering advice.
MV Trans TSEdenRaynes (@Edenraynesxxx) says the best advice is to have a good set up.
“That includes a good camera and lighting,” Raynes tells XBIZ. “Everything else after that is really up to the performers.”
“It’s important that the people in the clip have chemistry and are both enjoying it, otherwise it’s uncomfortable to watch,” Raynes adds. “Also, being uninhibited and not worrying about how messy you look while playing is important, in my opinion. It’s sexier to see a girl’s makeup go from immaculate to a post-gang-bang-runny-mascara look. Have fun, and just fuck.”
“Be yourself! Don’t think you can steal content from other producers and get by! Originality is really important if you want to stand out,” Goddess Haven advises while encouraging other artists. “Don’t be discouraged if you’re not seeing high earnings the moment you start producing clips. The more clips you put out the more likely you are to increase your income. Not everyone is an overnight success!”
Allie Eve Knox tells clip artists to focus on consistency and variety, saying, “Try to get clips out on a weekly basis. Also, try different stuff.”
“One of my best-selling clips was made as a joke but people loved it,” Knox reveals. “Also, be prepared to fail. I make clips all the time that hardly sell. But I also make clips that sell a gazillion times and make up for the ones that bombed. I also have three different stores that I run. They all cater to a different clientele, so fans know just where to go for that type of clip.”
Violet Doll advises clip creators not to imitate other artists.
“Focus on creating your own style, instead of being a knock-off of whoever might be top selling at the moment. This will help you stand out and develop a brand that attracts loyal fans,” she tells XBIZ. “When I first started producing clips, I didn’t watch any other producers. I didn’t want to be influenced, I wanted to do my own thing. So, I made a list of the kinks and categories I was interested in experimenting with, and I came up with ideas. It worked out well for me.
“I know not everyone is a creative type, but this is art. If you can’t come up with unique ideas, clips might not be for you,” Violet Doll concludes. “Try to pull inspiration from outside of the adult industry. Whether it be your favorite books, movies, music. Go to a museum, take a walk in the park. You never know where you’ll find motivation.”
Wanting to more fully explore the current market for custom clips produced by cam models, XBIZ asked some of the top names in the business about their approach to customs and the importance of this tailored material in 2018.
2017 XBIZ Best Male Cam Model, Dave Slick (@itsDaveSlick), tells XBIZ that while he creates and sells clips, custom clips are something he does less frequently.
“Honestly, it's a matter of money. The clips that people want often involve other talent and cost money to produce,” Slick explains. “That, combined with a healthy margin of profit, put the cost of my custom clips out of reach for most people.”
Slick says that for the talented solo performer, however, custom clip sales can be great.
“Going into this year I would say that those people stand to make the most money by doing it,” Slick adds. “Particularly in the cases of fetish content, people have very specific needs they want met — and many of them are willing to pay for it.”
2017 XBIZ Best Cam Duo BlondeRider and RobxxxRider reveal that most of their recent clips are recordings of the couple’s cam shows but they plan to shoot more custom and scripted content soon.
“We put most of our focus into cam shows, but clips are very important,” the duo declares. “With a little time invested, a single clip can produce a lot of income over time.”
Bailey Rayne (@TheBaileyRayne) tells XBIZ she doesn’t offer customs very often, in part due to the often-daunting technical requirements.
“I did customs all the time when I was new, but I had too many bad experiences — a lot of the requests I received were way too detailed and scripted for me to create the videos on my own,” Rayne reveals. “I finally told everyone I was finished offering customs when someone requested a ‘green screen.’”
2017 XBIZ Best MILF Cam Model and 2018 XBIZ Female Cam Model of the Year Jenny Blighe (@JennyBlighe) says she recently resumed her production of custom clips on JennyBlighe.com.
“I’ve filmed 100s of custom clip orders for my fans during the last six years. I was accepting custom clip orders long before dozens of clip sites started popping up all over the web like some sort of epidemic,” Blighe says. “With that being said, custom clips are very important — but the significance of these clips didn’t begin this year.”
As for the recent uptick in popularity, Blighe tells XBIZ clip sales are not necessarily more important now than before, it’s just that “this is the year everyone is catching on to what many of us cam models have been trying to say for years!”
TajaEthereal (@camhustlers) believes creating customized content is the number one thing a cammer can do to stand out in an extremely competitive environment.
“Once I became more comfortable in my own niche, I started to do more research for things that my customer base would be interested in and from there I’ve been able to provide some really unique content via video and audio clips,” Taja tells XBIZ. “Now that I’ve discovered all of the different formats that I can use to cater to them it makes advertising my content so much easier. Plus, it’s an opportunity to show off more of my personality beyond the chatroom.”
Melody Kush (@MelodyKush) says it’s important to offer custom clips in 2018.
“Part of what makes camming special is that connection you make with individuals in your chat room,” Kush explains. “What better way to connect with them than collaborating on a ‘for your eyes only’ piece of content?”
Kush says new laws may spur custom offers, making the market skyrocket.
“As sex workers, it may get harder to publicly share/sell our content on social media, so custom content orders are a way to connect privately with a fan, offline,” Kush reveals. “I currently only offer an occasional custom video as a raffle prize, etc., but I hope to offer more in the months and years to come.”
2017 XBIZ Best Cam Model in North America, Vera Sky (@VeraSkyLive), makes two or three custom clips every month.
“To me, selling custom clips isn’t a must-do, but I have some mega-fans and most of them own every single video I have made since I was 18 years old!” Sky exclaims. “So, I think having the option of custom clips open is great because it gives those people the opportunity to see you in whatever way they have been dreaming about seeing you in.”
Studio 20’s Devious Angel (@DeviousAngell), the 2017 XBIZ Female Cam Model of the Year, tells XBIZ she makes clips for her personal site, operated through the ModelCentro Platform.
“It’s easy for me to use, it’s easy for my fans also, I upload content and they subscribe to it, they can even send me requests and so on,” Angel says. “Plus, it’s about having a connection with your fans, and the platform allows that.”
From network sites to the individual creators, content and creativity are truly king when it comes to succeeding in today’s clip market, where almost regardless of experience, investment or skill, nearly everyone can leverage accessible technology such as smartphones and consumer-grade video gear to build a career, a fan base and ongoing opportunity by selling video clips. Try it for yourself and see!
