View Full Version : The Streamate Thread
KittenGirl
09-14-2022, 12:17 PM
LiveJasmin offers 30-80%
XLoveCam offers 50-70%
MyDirtyHobby offers 30-50%
Cams.com offers 32-100%
ImLive offers 30-100%
Naked offers 40%
SecretFriends offers 50%
Camdolls offers 40%
This is just in case anyone out there truly feels limited to SM and wants to look into other premium sites.
But since this IS an SM thread I'll re-iterate that you can make good money with them still. Percentage is ass tho.
You're damn right you can make good money with them!
KittenGirl
09-14-2022, 12:20 PM
i feel like focusing on percentages misses the point. the question you should be asking is what site is best for your hustle/preferences that allows you to hit your financial goals? working for a site that offers a high payout but garbage cheap traffic isn't better than working a site that brings in consistent spending traffic with a lower payout. i generally like the traffic SM brings, it's a much more chill vibe than a token site, and i prefer the smaller group shows and one-on-ones. i've been on SM for 8 years and in general i can hit my goals if i put in the effort, so that's why I stick around despite some low periods.
to me working on a token site where you get a "higher cut" on paper but have to constantly be in performance mode in front of hundreds more freeloaders (not to mention the fact that guys are throwing literal nickels at you) would likely be way more "demotivating" to me, but to each their own. also note, you have the ability to earn up to 75% on SM if you bring your own traffic. and you are in complete control of your rates so you can charge as much as you feel you're worth.
at the end of the day if you don't like the cut, then don't work for SM. it's pretty simple, and you have plenty of other options to try. frankly i think it's rather amusing that your theoretical example of pocketing $70 from a $200 tip gives you "sweatshop vibes"... as if voluntarily sitting around in your underwear and taking money from guys with disposable income is at all comparable to working a low wage job in poor working conditions, lol.
I love this.
I put my hard ass work into MFC for three months for nothing. THAT TRAFFIC SUCKS. You'll have 80 men in there and no one will talk or tip.
Also the men on MFC brag about buzzing your vibe nonstop for 1 token. Bitch that's 5 fucking cents. And it's common. They think one token is amazing.
Whereas men on Streamate will tip 1 gold which is 35 cents. You bang that out 30 times that's $10.50!!
JustMilfnAround
09-14-2022, 12:43 PM
is any one elses placememt way off? im norm in top row 1-3rd girl an im on row like 5 or 6
When you login/start stream the algorithm places you lower on the page until one of the models on the top of the page (or in your normal area) goes into a show or offline. Once that happens you get pushed up to your "usual" spot. If the girls up top aren't "turning and burning" your placement will suck until they do. Don't worry too much, you will get bumped back up.
I figured that out stalking the front page for awhile. Also, I am autistic so patterns are my thing :)
JustMilfnAround
09-14-2022, 12:45 PM
It's a shame none of the larger sites allow sleep shows. I checked. If I could do it on CB or MFC I ABSOLUTELY WOULD!
SM is my main site right now and I am not about to tank my placement doing sleep shows. I watched too many top row models get dropped down the page hard and fast for doing that.
anonamiss
09-14-2022, 12:49 PM
I get you 100%. That's why I'm leaning towards it being a no for me. Their business decisions seem to skew too heavily in their own favor and not enough in the interest of the models and performers. I do hear that it's one of the more surefire sites to make money...but at what cost?
I'm also thinking to go as indy as possible, any tips or advice you may have is welcome and appreciated :) Thank you again for such a candid answer.
i feel like in order to succeed as a primarily indie model you need to already have an established base of followers, and/or be willing to put in a lot of unpaid time and effort seeking new traffic/clients. that's probably the main reason I stick to SM. all i have to do is log on and they bring the traffic, then it's up to me to convert users into customers. it's way less effort on my part and i'm willing to give up a huge chunk of my earnings for that. i like the majority of traffic i get on SM, and i wouldn't even know where to begin if i was totally indie and had to find a steady stream of nice high spending clients on my own.
also consider that if you go indie, it's likely going to be all one-on-one shows. personally i would find that quite limiting. you probably won't be doing any group skype shows (whereas on a site like SM, you could be earning your per minute rate multiplied by the amount of guys in the show, which can really add up fast), and you won't have a live free chat where you could be making lots of extra tips especially if you use a tip vibe.
the obvious upside to indie is that you can keep a very high percentage of your earnings, but ask the same question - at what cost? you have to drive your own traffic, you have to be mindful of more security related issues (for example guys won't find your IP address through a camsite stream, but they most certainly can through Skype or email so don't slack on using a good VPN!), you may have to deal with the risk of chargebacks depending on how you decide to process payments, you'll probably deal with more guys wanting to meet up or do extreme taboo requests, etc... going indie is arguably WAY harder to succeed.
do you currently cam on a mainstream/big box site?
Erika_Xstacy
09-14-2022, 01:01 PM
I get you 100%. That's why I'm leaning towards it being a no for me. Their business decisions seem to skew too heavily in their own favor and not enough in the interest of the models and performers. I do hear that it's one of the more surefire sites to make money...but at what cost?
I'm also thinking to go as indy as possible, any tips or advice you may have is welcome and appreciated :) Thank you again for such a candid answer.
The reasons we get 35%
affiliates sign up for pay per member join or pick 35% lifetime cut of money spent on the site. Think of places like pornhub, anyone that does huge advertising or pushes traffic through social media
when you use your cammodel link you can add 40% more to your cut, if the member spends on another model you earn 20% what he spends on the entire site
I have no clue what sm looks like on the inside, if its 5 people or 500 ppl employed they are employed and receive benefits, vacation etc
the cammodel vibe in free chat is sexy, talkative, flirtatious, peek here and there but only for a tip. That's why I love sm
Members are loyal too.
BrookeRide
09-14-2022, 01:04 PM
thnsk for responding I restarted my browser and im back to my normal placement in row 1 an am getting customers again lol
kamiliam
09-14-2022, 01:13 PM
When you login/start stream the algorithm places you lower on the page until one of the models on the top of the page (or in your normal area) goes into a show or offline. Once that happens you get pushed up to your "usual" spot. If the girls up top aren't "turning and burning" your placement will suck until they do. Don't worry too much, you will get bumped back up.
I figured that out stalking the front page for awhile. Also, I am autistic so patterns are my thing :)
I learned to not care as much about placement due to the attention I have spent on main page patterns. Same reason too
SapphireXO
09-14-2022, 01:49 PM
i would like to bring to everyones attention that we work in a business with virtually no start up costs, very low investment costs to start its not like we need to dump $40,000 into a amazon shop and be lucky to make 1k profits. or opening a retail shop, or a restaurant. pretty much any business requires huge capital.
hell just turn on shark tank and see how hard it is to turn a profit and how much blood sweat and tears go into these start up businesses.
or any other business for that matter requires huge capital to kick start and slim margins.
we have been provided an opportunity to have a web cam, a toy and a lap top turn it on and make profit.
as i search for other income streams reality really reminds you of how hard it is to make a business and how many require steep investments and low returns .
i am not defending sm % however you do need to keep in mind they need to pay affiliates, they need to pay model referrals, advertising costs, servers , staff internationally across the globe
and corporate taxes, lawyers, contest prizes ect ect plus the investors who took risk and invested in this business how much capital they had to fork over and the risk they took.
we just see our side but i really have been ironically reflecting the past few days on how this is a gravy train and i am blessed to be able to turn on a computer and make money.
i would also like to mention for those who may just think "oh she makes bank so easy for her to say" id like it to be known that i started making very low $$, literally $200 in a good week @ 15 $ an hour . and worked my way up .
id say streamate is a far cry away from exploiting workers or taking advantage or fucking us over with a low %.
id go as far to say that streamate has changed my entire life and i wouldnt be where i am today if it wasnt for them. and for liz for that matter.
my only bone to pick with sm will ever be that models lose their accounts too easily and can get shut down. thats literally my only issue.
It's funny you say this because this is a model centric forum (and thread) and I don't really know if anyone not exposed to business structuring understands the real extent of start up costs, liabilities, and consistent business overhead. I'll use firsthand examples in this industry for reference because it really is unreal.
1) I looked over a business plan from a model that makes over $1 million/year who wanted to make her own MFC/CB/SM site. All in it takes $10-13 million.
2) I personally had a meeting to open my own site. EVEN WITH the invitation only business model where they take a set percentage so you don't have to pay for content storage, hosting, web development, legal concerns etc - They said each website they run their software on and manage, their break even overhead was $3-5K ON EACH SITE!
3) I had a meeting with a 3rd party adult compliance team in 2021 that was responsible for 1) policing the feeds on webcam sites for compliance 2) keeping up with regulations in all the various countries in the world so adult business could run as usual on a day to day basis on the Internet among this huge laundry list of other duties they were responsible for. After that meeting I felt like I really had no comprehension for all the moving pieces in this industry.
4) 1 webcam site I worked for years ago that was popular at the time - went out of business recently in the last year or so.
1 webcam site I did a paid model consult with about what a webcam site needs in order to be competitive and attract top talent ended up never opening EVEN AFTER already going through an investor cycle.
1 Telegram app that was created and marketed for models to accept payments on Telegram from customers to models for content and services could not generate enough revenue to stay afloat. Again I did a paid model consult for them in 2021 and answered their questions. That app's CEO is now mysteriously hired by a big time adult company in an Executive position and not pushing their app anymore. Probably couldn't make the business work.
With all of that being said, I have no f*cking clue how much it costs to operate a huge webcam conglomerate like Streamate. We get 35%. They get 65% (sometimes more or less depending on several things.) Knowing the little I know about the business side of the adult industry and a lot about business in general, I'd still sign that SM model agreement all.day.long. I'm completely free of all of the business strife HAPPILY! Knowing what I know, I wouldn't invite it into my life for one second.
Obviously from the defunct adult websites that come and go - it's a pretty tough industry. If any of these sites are publicly traded or open for investors - become a shareholder. Even as a model. You'll hear all about the earnings and site performance that way. Then you can judge for yourself, in real time, if they are paying talent appropriately.
goddessgalore
09-14-2022, 01:57 PM
Same here hun *hugsS* At least online we can ban those peoples!
100% What other jobs are like that? Being a waitress .. most jobs require so much now, same with a business. If anyone thinks they can make a site better than these sites and run it better for us than please do. But I know I cant
And we can invest in it or not. Everything is up to us . All the choices. I have not modelled for anyone else where I had the control like that
That's correct. We all have a decision of to where we decide to sell our services, and in order to do that we have to inform ourselves. Even if I were to make a "better site", I'd do well to know about the businesses I'm up against, so I'd still be asking questions. But that's really neither here nor there. As NitaBaby said, "be grateful and shut up" isn't enough.
SM's business model is what it is, and it's fair for me to call it into question in order to make an informed decision. I also agree that where we work is in fact an investment in that business and whatever they stand for...so it's worth knowing what exactly I'm investing in...
SapphireXO
09-14-2022, 02:07 PM
More everyday talk because this is the thread to see if SM is great today or not - I've deprioritized streaming this month because my earnings are too low on SM to be live and engaging every second of every minute of every hour to get a sale. Easier money elsewhere right now.
I really came here to see if any of you noticed your detailed earnings report (if you were included in the beta test group) being incorrect. SM makes it ungodly impossible to do month end bookkeeping with their overlapping pay dates. Just tell me what I made TOTAL for the month (with affiliate credit) - SM payout fees in the 28-31 month cycle. I track earnings by day, week, month, and year and also by passive vs. active income streams by site. I'm thinking the report is off...
goddessgalore
09-14-2022, 02:17 PM
i feel like focusing on percentages misses the point. the question you should be asking is what site is best for your hustle/preferences that allows you to hit your financial goals? working for a site that offers a high payout but garbage cheap traffic isn't better than working a site that brings in consistent spending traffic with a lower payout. i generally like the traffic SM brings, it's a much more chill vibe than a token site, and i prefer the smaller group shows and one-on-ones. i've been on SM for 8 years and in general i can hit my goals if i put in the effort, so that's why I stick around despite some low periods.
to me working on a token site where you get a "higher cut" on paper but have to constantly be in performance mode in front of hundreds more freeloaders (not to mention the fact that guys are throwing literal nickels at you) would likely be way more "demotivating" to me, but to each their own. also note, you have the ability to earn up to 75% on SM if you bring your own traffic. and you are in complete control of your rates so you can charge as much as you feel you're worth.
at the end of the day if you don't like the cut, then don't work for SM. it's pretty simple, and you have plenty of other options to try. frankly i think it's rather amusing that your theoretical example of pocketing $70 from a $200 tip gives you "sweatshop vibes"... as if voluntarily sitting around in your underwear and taking money from guys with disposable income is at all comparable to working a low wage job in poor working conditions, lol.
I see your perspective here. I haven't worked for SM so don't know how the traffic is. As others have already said, the quality of traffic makes up for the low cut. I'm listening. And I agree that finding the right site is likely to dictate my income potential more than the cut. Also, thank you for pointing out that you can make 75% by bringing your own traffic.
As for "sweat shop vibes"...from my reading on SM...I used the words I meant to use.
KittenGirl
09-14-2022, 02:20 PM
Ladies here comes another contest!! Does anyone know a rough estimate about how much it would take to even place in the 50-100 range? I'm really gonna try this time!
goddessgalore
09-14-2022, 02:22 PM
i feel like in order to succeed as a primarily indie model you need to already have an established base of followers, and/or be willing to put in a lot of unpaid time and effort seeking new traffic/clients. that's probably the main reason I stick to SM. all i have to do is log on and they bring the traffic, then it's up to me to convert users into customers. it's way less effort on my part and i'm willing to give up a huge chunk of my earnings for that. i like the majority of traffic i get on SM, and i wouldn't even know where to begin if i was totally indie and had to find a steady stream of nice high spending clients on my own.
also consider that if you go indie, it's likely going to be all one-on-one shows. personally i would find that quite limiting. you probably won't be doing any group skype shows (whereas on a site like SM, you could be earning your per minute rate multiplied by the amount of guys in the show, which can really add up fast), and you won't have a live free chat where you could be making lots of extra tips especially if you use a tip vibe.
the obvious upside to indie is that you can keep a very high percentage of your earnings, but ask the same question - at what cost? you have to drive your own traffic, you have to be mindful of more security related issues (for example guys won't find your IP address through a camsite stream, but they most certainly can through Skype or email so don't slack on using a good VPN!), you may have to deal with the risk of chargebacks depending on how you decide to process payments, you'll probably deal with more guys wanting to meet up or do extreme taboo requests, etc... going indie is arguably WAY harder to succeed.
do you currently cam on a mainstream/big box site?
All extremely valid points. I hear you.
I don't currently stream on a big box site. Have been only using NF.
Erika_Xstacy
09-14-2022, 03:20 PM
I see your perspective here. I haven't worked for SM so don't know how the traffic is. As others have already said, the quality of traffic makes up for the low cut. I'm listening. And I agree that finding the right site is likely to dictate my income potential more than the cut. Also, thank you for pointing out that you can make 75% by bringing your own traffic.
As for "sweat shop vibes"...from my reading on SM...I used the words I meant to use.
lol when i first started sm i had came from other sites that paid 50%, my very first email to sm was WTF why so little? deactivate my account now lololol I think i even called them a trifling sweatshop
I was livid and at that time still new to camming part time and bc i couldn't make payout on my other sites in a week, how would make payout w sm @ their 35%
I would cam at night and those sm checks were BIG FOR ME at that time 500-700 bc i couldn't make payout on the other sites. I cashed out and went w sm full time, doubling money while running cams.com nude chat on the side (but they fucked that up for me by forcing obs)
I'm not a Indy girl at all and hate token sites bc its a lot of work
I've lived that make 50% of peanuts or make 35% and hit goals, sm is where u can hit goals
also models are 100% covered for chargebacks
anonamiss
09-14-2022, 03:21 PM
As for "sweat shop vibes"...from my reading on SM...I used the words I meant to use.
i just think it's lazy language to equate SM with a sweatshop, or a pimp (you didn't say that but i've seen others use that term), or anything else that implies coercion, unfair working conditions, low pay, etc. you voluntarily sign up to work on whatever site you choose and have the agency to decline shows for any reason, block customers for any reason, set your own rules and rates, work whatever hours you want, and even work on competing sites without consequence. in return all we have to do is abide by the terms of service and give up a percentage that we were already aware of when we chose to sign up and work. sure sometimes the site is glitchy, sometimes traffic is slow or rude, and sometimes you have to put in longer hours to hit your goals, but that's just the nature of camming, which is effectively just like any other commission-based sales job.
and keep in mind you're getting a very biased view of SM if you're basing it solely on reading threads like this, because the majority of posts here are negative/commiserating. most of the models who are doing well don't bother posting about it. you could check out SM related posts in the "camming rocks" thread to get a somewhat more balanced view, but in general out of the many thousands of models on SM i think it's safe to assume that only a small fraction is represented here.
zeusydoo
09-14-2022, 03:28 PM
I worked on another site for 7 years before I came to sm, that site no longer exists. On that site were given 50 % BUT.....if a member asked for a refund, committed credit card fraud, over spent on their limit etc ....it was taken from OUR earnings. Sometimes that could be $300 being taken out weeks after. With sm, they cover this its something we dont have to stress about, like is this guys money going to come thru to the point you are now paranoid about doing any long shows wondering if you are going to get paid.
At least here on sm I dont have that stress and can totally focus on my hustle and my vips and new members that are coming thru my room.
Just giving a different perspective of why sites have different %'s.
If i had of known about sm in 2003 I would have joined here instead of with the other site, but being naive, I didnt know other sites existed as this was a whole new world to me.
Happy hustling chicky babes :)
KittenGirl
09-14-2022, 04:09 PM
i just think it's lazy language to equate SM with a sweatshop, or a pimp (you didn't say that but i've seen others use that term), or anything else that implies coercion, unfair working conditions, low pay, etc. you voluntarily sign up to work on whatever site you choose and have the agency to decline shows for any reason, block customers for any reason, set your own rules and rates, work whatever hours you want, and even work on competing sites without consequence. in return all we have to do is abide by the terms of service and give up a percentage that we were already aware of when we chose to sign up and work. sure sometimes the site is glitchy, sometimes traffic is slow or rude, and sometimes you have to put in longer hours to hit your goals, but that's just the nature of camming, which is effectively just like any other commission-based sales job.
and keep in mind you're getting a very biased view of SM if you're basing it solely on reading threads like this, because the majority of posts here are negative/commiserating. most of the models who are doing well don't bother posting about it. you could check out SM related posts in the "camming rocks" thread to get a somewhat more balanced view, but in general out of the many thousands of models on SM i think it's safe to assume that only a small fraction is represented here.
I know I've bitched about SM a few times but my primary gripe was the contests slashing my earnings by like 70%. Until I started obsessing over following the girl who wins all the time to see what she does and it's like yeah...I don't have a huge social following and that model works like a million hours a week. So I won't complain anymore haha
euro_princess
09-14-2022, 04:49 PM
i feel like in order to succeed as a primarily indie model you need to already have an established base of followers, and/or be willing to put in a lot of unpaid time and effort seeking new traffic/clients. that's probably the main reason I stick to SM. all i have to do is log on and they bring the traffic, then it's up to me to convert users into customers. it's way less effort on my part and i'm willing to give up a huge chunk of my earnings for that. i like the majority of traffic i get on SM, and i wouldn't even know where to begin if i was totally indie and had to find a steady stream of nice high spending clients on my own.
also consider that if you go indie, it's likely going to be all one-on-one shows. personally i would find that quite limiting. you probably won't be doing any group skype shows (whereas on a site like SM, you could be earning your per minute rate multiplied by the amount of guys in the show, which can really add up fast), and you won't have a live free chat where you could be making lots of extra tips especially if you use a tip vibe.
the obvious upside to indie is that you can keep a very high percentage of your earnings, but ask the same question - at what cost? you have to drive your own traffic, you have to be mindful of more security related issues (for example guys won't find your IP address through a camsite stream, but they most certainly can through Skype or email so don't slack on using a good VPN!), you may have to deal with the risk of chargebacks depending on how you decide to process payments, you'll probably deal with more guys wanting to meet up or do extreme taboo requests, etc... going indie is arguably WAY harder to succeed.
do you currently cam on a mainstream/big box site?
You don’t need an established base of followers. I started with 2K on Twitter and 500 on IG. All you have to do is promote and promote. It’s a different hustle, more in terms of being consistent, but no physical effort.
The fun part of indie is that you can choose what sort of services you offer, it doesn’t have to be exclusively camming. I mostly do content and sexting. I gave up customs cause it wasn’t worth the hustle for me. But I do know girls that charge $50/min for a custom or live show. It doesn’t even have to be Onlyfans. Fansly and LoyalFans have internal traffic, just 2 examples.
Yes, SM is still an option if you don’t want to build a brand and branch on social media, but making content it’s more scary than hard. Also I can guarantee no girl ever will make 150K on SM per month, while I can name at least 10 girls I know that do it with indie (Onlyfans, Fansly, private Snapchat, Cashapp, sexting, customs, live calls). So yeah, SM is comfy, but it’s limited.
euro_princess
09-14-2022, 05:04 PM
What I find funny is how often the cammodels affiliation is mentioned. How many of you could actually live of those earnings? I know I couldn’t, even tho I spammed Twitter with my link back in the day, Pornhub also. It was just peanuts. And then again, to make people join the website you need to have a presence online and market. So my question would be, why turn that person into a customer for a platform, when you could keep it for yourself? On paper it sounds very tempting, uh, 75% from your clients. But again, how many of them do you actually have, cause from what I remember other’s mentioning, it’s pulling teeth to convert people.
Also, there is no way in heaven SM isn’t making more from “covering chargebacks” and giving a lower percentage, than not covering them. It’s business. Now that I actually deal with chargebacks, I would rather than a higher % and cover a couple hundreds every few weeks, than a lower percentage and safe from chargebacks. I’m telling you chargebacks aren’t as often as you’d think.
I don’t want to sound like a broken record. I loved SM, I grew as performer there, it was a choice. But there is life afterwards and if you are a good entertainer, you can succeed in any other place!
anonamiss
09-14-2022, 06:17 PM
What I find funny is how often the cammodels affiliation is mentioned. How many of you could actually live of those earnings? I know I couldn’t, even tho I spammed Twitter with my link back in the day, Pornhub also. It was just peanuts. And then again, to make people join the website you need to have a presence online and market. So my question would be, why turn that person into a customer for a platform, when you could keep it for yourself? On paper it sounds very tempting, uh, 75% from your clients. But again, how many of them do you actually have, cause from what I remember other’s mentioning, it’s pulling teeth to convert people
the initial discussion stemmed from SM's "low cut" so i mentioned the affilliate situation just to note that you can in fact make up to 75%. if you are working indie with another known adult-friendly payment processor you're likely keeping 80%. so if i bring someone to SM instead of to IWC or some other indie site for payment, then yeah i'm giving up that extra 5% but i'm also getting to keep 20% of whatever they spend on other models indefinitely which is a nice perk. i got a fair amount of my SM affiliate signups from Clips4Sale, back when i made fetish content and would put my cammodels link at the end of my clips. this was years ago and i still make about $100 every week from those guys spending money on other girls. i also personally prefer when guys can find me while i'm already working live on SM; it's just an easy all in one situation as opposed to having to log off SM, deal with emailing the client for show details and making sure he's punctual and pays in full beforehand, etc. it's a hassle which is why i only do indie/skype with a handful of regulars who are really chill about it. i couldn't fathom doing indie camming with customers i didn't already know well. but that is just me.
i've just come to accept that i like the low effort instant gratification of big box camming (log on, do shows, make money, log off) which is the opposite of indie and content creation. you might spend all day filming and editing clips that don't even sell, or spend a lot of time promoting and marketing yourself with no guarantee that you'll gain any new clients. i don't disagree with any of the points you made. my general point has been to emphasize the additional effort/work it takes to succeed with indie especially since the original poster doesn't have experience camming on big box sites to compare.
matchafox
09-14-2022, 06:32 PM
I am pumped for the contest and ready to give it my all!! Does anyone have any experience with a contest where they do the top three days before? Any tips or tricks?
goddessgalore
09-14-2022, 06:53 PM
i just think it's lazy language to equate SM with a sweatshop, or a pimp (you didn't say that but i've seen others use that term), or anything else that implies coercion, unfair working conditions, low pay, etc. you voluntarily sign up to work on whatever site you choose and have the agency to decline shows for any reason, block customers for any reason, set your own rules and rates, work whatever hours you want, and even work on competing sites without consequence. in return all we have to do is abide by the terms of service and give up a percentage that we were already aware of when we chose to sign up and work. sure sometimes the site is glitchy, sometimes traffic is slow or rude, and sometimes you have to put in longer hours to hit your goals, but that's just the nature of camming, which is effectively just like any other commission-based sales job.
and keep in mind you're getting a very biased view of SM if you're basing it solely on reading threads like this, because the majority of posts here are negative/commiserating. most of the models who are doing well don't bother posting about it. you could check out SM related posts in the "camming rocks" thread to get a somewhat more balanced view, but in general out of the many thousands of models on SM i think it's safe to assume that only a small fraction is represented here.
I hear you. I agree that it's important to gain a balanced perspective so I'll definitely check out the thread you mentioned.
Also get you on the sweat shop vibe comment, but I am only being honest about the image that came to mind! Steam whistle and all. Lol. And now that you mention it..."pimp" crossed my mind too.
I recognize that many of us who cam have made an active decision to do so, and we don't have to cam on SM if we don't want. But just because we have that level of agency doesn't mean that the cam sites can't be exploitative of us. Capitalism exploits by nature, and there are the big boys and the worker bees. The more money involved the more exploitative the industry is to someone. I know there are levels...but the energetic divide may not be as disparate as you think.
That said. From what I've gathered, SM cuts are low af...but that doesn't mean that my pay will be low af. It sounds like it is a site where a lot of women started and there are ways to leverage it. I know I've taken the piss with SM today, but I really just wanted to see how the performers who actually work there feel about it. Seems polarized. I can see why many of you have stayed (as some have pointed out the benefits to SM's model) and I can definitely see why some have left.
goddessgalore
09-14-2022, 06:56 PM
I worked on another site for 7 years before I came to sm, that site no longer exists. On that site were given 50 % BUT.....if a member asked for a refund, committed credit card fraud, over spent on their limit etc ....it was taken from OUR earnings. Sometimes that could be $300 being taken out weeks after. With sm, they cover this its something we dont have to stress about, like is this guys money going to come thru to the point you are now paranoid about doing any long shows wondering if you are going to get paid.
At least here on sm I dont have that stress and can totally focus on my hustle and my vips and new members that are coming thru my room.
Just giving a different perspective of why sites have different %'s.
If i had of known about sm in 2003 I would have joined here instead of with the other site, but being naive, I didnt know other sites existed as this was a whole new world to me.
Happy hustling chicky babes :)
Thank you for your perspective :) Chargeback protection is definitely helpful.
goddessgalore
09-14-2022, 07:07 PM
You don’t need an established base of followers. I started with 2K on Twitter and 500 on IG. All you have to do is promote and promote. It’s a different hustle, more in terms of being consistent, but no physical effort.
The fun part of indie is that you can choose what sort of services you offer, it doesn’t have to be exclusively camming. I mostly do content and sexting. I gave up customs cause it wasn’t worth the hustle for me. But I do know girls that charge $50/min for a custom or live show. It doesn’t even have to be Onlyfans. Fansly and LoyalFans have internal traffic, just 2 examples.
Yes, SM is still an option if you don’t want to build a brand and branch on social media, but making content it’s more scary than hard. Also I can guarantee no girl ever will make 150K on SM per month, while I can name at least 10 girls I know that do it with indie (Onlyfans, Fansly, private Snapchat, Cashapp, sexting, customs, live calls). So yeah, SM is comfy, but it’s limited.
THIS. I'm actually trying to be very strategic from the outset with which platforms I work on, what services I offer and how I want to manage my image/brand. Some of these platforms are actually run and owned by men who don't respect SW and I'd rather avoid them as much as possible.
I am still considering SM as it does sound like a good place to get up and running, but...I also feel like there are ways around it. Lol. I have a Fansly that I haven't posted on yet, can I sell cam shows there too?
goddessgalore
09-14-2022, 07:15 PM
the initial discussion stemmed from SM's "low cut" so i mentioned the affilliate situation just to note that you can in fact make up to 75%. if you are working indie with another known adult-friendly payment processor you're likely keeping 80%. so if i bring someone to SM instead of to IWC or some other indie site for payment, then yeah i'm giving up that extra 5% but i'm also getting to keep 20% of whatever they spend on other models indefinitely which is a nice perk. i got a fair amount of my SM affiliate signups from Clips4Sale, back when i made fetish content and would put my cammodels link at the end of my clips. this was years ago and i still make about $100 every week from those guys spending money on other girls. i also personally prefer when guys can find me while i'm already working live on SM; it's just an easy all in one situation as opposed to having to log off SM, deal with emailing the client for show details and making sure he's punctual and pays in full beforehand, etc. it's a hassle which is why i only do indie/skype with a handful of regulars who are really chill about it. i couldn't fathom doing indie camming with customers i didn't already know well. but that is just me.
i've just come to accept that i like the low effort instant gratification of big box camming (log on, do shows, make money, log off) which is the opposite of indie and content creation. you might spend all day filming and editing clips that don't even sell, or spend a lot of time promoting and marketing yourself with no guarantee that you'll gain any new clients. i don't disagree with any of the points you made. my general point has been to emphasize the additional effort/work it takes to succeed with indie especially since the original poster doesn't have experience camming on big box sites to compare.
Once again, valid points. Content creation was always fun for me. I also like that I can edit and create the mood I want. But...it definitely takes more time to reap the rewards, especially with an audience of 0. Like you said, camming on a major site is a much easier entry point when coming with zero audience, and you get paid for the work you do right then rather than waiting for marketing efforts to pay off. Sounds like those who are indie now also built to that with the sites. So, yeah. Even if my goal is to go as indie as possible, seems like those first steps might need to be taken on a big box.
No matter how we look at it, SW is potential high risk with potential high reward given you put in the effort. So however we get there, we all have to put in the time. Shrugging emoji.
Angela888
09-15-2022, 01:03 AM
I try not to worry too much about percentages and more about if a site works for my look, personality and vibe. When I first started I was just on SM but I branched out and do multiple streaming which means more revenue streams and not worrying so much about the %. I enjoy the benefits of SM, fact you have to do zero marketing to make money. Like someone else said if you don’t like the % just don’t join that site cos you’ll have a negative vibe about it and it will end up pissing you off. Having said that yes, 35% is low, I think flirt 4 free is 27% even lower. Obviously the private based sites don’t pay as well as token sites. I think if you enjoy doing gold shows then you’ll prob do well on token sites too. Personally the way I’ve made it work for me is multiple sites and just trying things out. I can’t change their percentage but I can change my perspective on it .
Streamate has loads of perks to it, you just got to do what’s best for you as an individual. We all love a moan but end of the day moaning gets you no where fast, a proactive approach to camming really gets you to places. Sending you all big money vibes x
JustMilfnAround
09-15-2022, 09:53 AM
Another advertiser: mariorogan99 This site is better for jerking off - ( sexe23 com )
ID#: 113267874
Blocked in chat but it didn't take - manual block worked :)
anonamiss
09-15-2022, 11:25 AM
i've never used the mass message PPV feature so just wondering, do you keep the standard 35% on what you charge to open it?
naomi_doll
09-15-2022, 11:39 AM
i've never used the mass message PPV feature so just wondering, do you keep the standard 35% on what you charge to open it?
You get 50% on ppv
emkato
09-15-2022, 12:37 PM
where tf is the traffic? at certain points i literally have 0 potentials:rip:
SapphireXO
09-15-2022, 01:22 PM
More everyday talk because this is the thread to see if SM is great today or not - I've deprioritized streaming this month because my earnings are too low on SM to be live and engaging every second of every minute of every hour to get a sale. Easier money elsewhere right now.
I really came here to see if any of you noticed your detailed earnings report (if you were included in the beta test group) being incorrect. SM makes it ungodly impossible to do month end bookkeeping with their overlapping pay dates. Just tell me what I made TOTAL for the month (with affiliate credit) - SM payout fees in the 28-31 month cycle. I track earnings by day, week, month, and year and also by passive vs. active income streams by site. I'm thinking the report is off...
I semi-figured it out. Any pay adjustments or contest earnings aren't on the earnings report. FFS.
Erika_Xstacy
09-15-2022, 03:09 PM
where tf is the traffic? at certain points i literally have 0 potentials:rip:
always before a contest .......
did you make sure the system wasnt making you log back in? i go to zero when that happens and stay dead until I realize i need to reverify and it goes back to norm
eta: just realized u said it was increments
anywhoooo is there a tech issue w members not spending money, not giving gold? lololol
I semi-figured it out. Any pay adjustments or contest earnings aren't on the earnings report. FFS.
:) its pretty lol so colorful
I looked at it last night real quick but didn't see anything new
I work well with visuals, it's nice to have a pretty page w sections::)
anonymous camgirl
09-15-2022, 09:57 PM
seems it's taking a long time for the awaiting for connection, I have to do it 2 or 3 times to connect.
izshadow
09-15-2022, 09:59 PM
seems it's taking a long time for the awaiting for connection, I have to do it 2 or 3 times to connect.
My cam kept freezing but I finally got it to work and logged in. Now I'm sitting here bored out of my mind but halfway to my insanely low goal so here I sit and hope haha. I'm also irritated these guys wont freaking rate after a show! I've been gone for so long cause I moved that I need one more 5 star to bump me back up in the pages but noooooo everyone just keeps not rating after their freaking shows!
anonamiss
09-15-2022, 10:02 PM
anyone else not able to stream right now?
been trying for 10 minutes. restarted computer and browser. had to take new verification pics each time. it just sits at the "your stream will start soon" load screen, and then after several minutes of loading it spits me back to the SM connect page without being logged on.
ughhhhhh.
edit: oops just noticed other related posts in the last few mins <3 sorry it's happening but nice to know it's not just me!
izshadow
09-15-2022, 10:27 PM
My stream quality keeps dropping. Contest is coming soooo.....
kamiliam
09-16-2022, 12:58 AM
I started getting the profile pic not updating glitch forever ago. Really sucks when you hate t
Your picture. It seems to be spreading to others and more frequent. I don’t have zero potentials, but low and that number sticks. Was actually better when football was airing.
There might be some internet stuff going on, tik tok has been down a couple of times, zoom, this site for me. And yeah you can smell the contest.
izshadow
09-16-2022, 12:22 PM
Another day, another stream quality issue. Thank you coming contest! Anyone else dealing with this so I dont feel so alone?
fetishqueen
09-16-2022, 02:55 PM
I've had very slow waits to connect, and rubbish traffic, does that count!
I've just emailed Liz about a discrepancy with Masspay, my last two week's payments have both been just over $8 short. I didn't notice last week but this week I did, up until this each of my Masspay payouts have been bang on correct. I mean the payment amounts from SM to Masspay, nothing to do with Masspay I don't think. I wonder if there is now a charge for SM to send to Masspay. I hope not.
I'll update when I get a response, has anyone else noticed any discrepancies? Or maybe it's just me! :)
Luckygoldfish
09-16-2022, 04:41 PM
Girlies , customers seem to get disconnected and so am I occasionally with an error . Anyone else ? 2 weeks are very slow like half of earning and literally very few people are joining (and staying). Mostly regulars are paining if they can get through
Just me?
Genoveve
09-16-2022, 06:37 PM
I started getting the profile pic not updating glitch forever ago.
Same. The other day it never ended up switching and I had to take another in order to get it to(still took a while).
Also just had a glitch where someone whose username never showed up in my room or was in the chat log as having logged on was typing to me. Never showed him logging off either.
I don’t have zero potentials, but low and that number sticks. Was actually better when football was airing.
They might not actually be that low. I notice that during contests that potentials take forever to update and so it will make it look like you have hardly anyone for a long time, and if you're coming in and out of pvts to where it's resetting regularly you'll probably constantly look like you have hardly any.
There might be some internet stuff going on, tik tok has been down a couple of times, zoom, this site for me. And yeah you can smell the contest.
My bank's website has been down for like a week now too, and it's a huge national bank. The ap still works at least.
whirlerz
09-16-2022, 10:56 PM
I wanted to email a reg & it wouldn't let me, kept making me sign in over & over, disconnecting, taking forever to go live.. :(
whirlerz
09-16-2022, 10:58 PM
Girlies , customers seem to get disconnected and so am I occasionally with an error . Anyone else ? 2 weeks are very slow like half of earning and literally very few people are joining (and staying). Mostly regulars are paining if they can get through
Just me?
Nope, not at all just you..
bigbum
09-16-2022, 11:45 PM
Girlies , customers seem to get disconnected and so am I occasionally with an error . Anyone else ? 2 weeks are very slow like half of earning and literally very few people are joining (and staying). Mostly regulars are paining if they can get through
Just me?
things have been steady for me overall
but had a few errors and glitches more than usual.
Angela888
09-17-2022, 02:47 AM
Did anyone have a glitch yesterday where customers can’t tip gold in priv or exclusive? Can I’m free chat thou. I also had potentials issue, I logged out and logged back in and the potentials appeared. I wonder what’s going on
Erika_Xstacy
09-17-2022, 08:02 AM
Logging back on after every show was hard. I hate getting dressed during the countdown it’s habit to log off but a pain last night.
I didn’t have issues w tips not being sent but it did seem like connection was a issue bc guys got kicked out of privates and came back saying they got booted but went back and we finished shows.
Some days are sucky with tech issues but most are good with zero tech issues
FloridaSunDoll
09-17-2022, 08:38 AM
heres another spammer today : arturkia76 but I wasnt fast enough to catch the numbers dammit
FloridaSunDoll
09-17-2022, 08:50 AM
got it: 113301385
KittenGirl
09-17-2022, 04:02 PM
got it: 113301385
How do we block properly? I tried blocking that loser like 5 times and it didn't work