Being independent requires strength and the ability to survive on your own. Overseeing your own destiny can be liberating. In fact, the adult industry is seeing a surge of growth thanks to performers who are craving and creating their own independence. Self-management is helping many adult performers break free as they create successful brands for and by themselves.
Although the independent performer path has been building for several years, we’ve seen COVID-19 accelerate self-management forward. Growth of independent models managing their businesses on successful Cam platforms spiked in mid-March when the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), the trade association for the adult industry, announced a voluntary production hold to coincide with the Governor of California’s shut down of all non-essential business. With studio work frozen, studio performers scrambled to find a steady income. Many moved into camming, fan sites and clip programs as a way to financially survive. In just the first two months of the pandemic Segpay saw cam sites traffic climb 32 percent. FanCentro reported a 40% increase in models signing up and OnlyFans reports seeing 7,000 to 8,000 new creators joining every day. As we celebrate America’s independence this month, we thought it was fitting to celebrate content creators gaining their independence. We reached out to colleagues in the industry and identified the top three areas of entrepreneur support being built to help performers achieve business success.
The Total Payment Package
Performers are taking control of their destiny by turning from conventional adult productions to CAM and Fan Site platforms. They’re able to have creative control of their name and likeness and they’re potentially able to be paid more. These self-produced content driven platforms thrive on being able to give as much money back to the artist as possible. For example, OnlyFans pays commissions of 80% on content creators’ earnings. The payout range can vary depending on Platform and the type of service sold on each of the Platforms. Because of this, payment providers are being pushed to become very efficient from a cost perspective. A successful platform must have a low overhead with a way to offer quick payments to models and other content creators.
Registered payment facilitators in the space help direct funds on behalf of its merchants to their artists. There has been a critical need for a strong payout solution in this market. At Segpay we’ve worked diligently with our acquirers to speed up settlements to merchants. We are also investing heavily into a payout platform that will make it easy for Segpay to direct payments on behalf of merchants to their platform artists. We have several clients using this feature and so far, the program has proven to be successful and popular.
Keeping it Legal
Having creative control is a huge plus for independent performers but in doing so they take on legal risks. These new entrepreneurs face a variety of challenges like forming an entity, negotiating contracts, intellectual property rights and knowing how to set up and file their tax returns appropriately. Attorneys like Corey Silverstein, of Silverstein Legal specialize in adult law and are working to develop a program focused on helping independent models set up and receive legal advice at a lower rate. Silverstein recently created the adult.law website designed to help performers navigate complex legalities. It covers everything from personal record keeping to banking safety.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Independence
In the past few years, the FSC has increased support for the broader model community and developed the Industry Newcomer Support Program, INSPIRE. INSPIRE is an all-inclusive guide to help performers navigate the adult industry offering tips, advice, and information gathered from veteran performers. The site walks a potential new performer through the important things they need to know when becoming their own boss.
INSPIRE highlights the risks performers may face, offers tools to help decide if you need an agent, provides on-set expectations, and shares personal care tips. FSC designed this as a way to help new performers learn how to develop and protect their brand, their identities, and their bodies as they enter the adult industry. As a dues-paying member of the FSC, talent and crew are eligible for NexGen benefits, which provides access to healthcare services including mental, dental, and telemedicine, as well as legal and ID protection services.
We salute those taking the big step of gaining their independence and creative control. Industry leaders are working hard to support you in your business journey. If you have other questions about getting started, we’re here to help. Reach out to us at [email protected].
And, in the meantime, Happy Independence Day!
