There’s a common misconception that “the internet is for porn,” as the Avenue Q song memorably proclaims. Pornographic material was claimed to make up as much as 30% of the internet — in reality; it makes up less than a sixth of that.
However, the internet has altered the pornographic business in one way: it has made it more customized. With the advent of social media and sites like OnlyFans, where consumers pay a membership to a specific creator, these people have become celebrities, with millions of fans paying to view their material – and the businesses that support them taking a cut of the revenues.
What exactly is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a London-based content-sharing site. It was founded by Timothy Stokely and is solely available as a website with no official applications. Creators may use it to sell movies, pictures, and even one-on-one chats for a fee. In the adult film business, it is becoming a trend and has been pretty popular ever since. In early 2019, the New York Times published an article claiming that OnlyFans has permanently altered the sex industry, dubbing OnlyFans as “the paywall of porn.”
Tyler Posey, Bella Thorne and Aaron Carte joined Onlyfans
Why did OnlyFans want to outlaw pornography?
According to a statement given to the media, the UK-based business stated on August 19, 2021, that it is intended to prohibit the uploading of any material involving sexually explicit behavior, claiming a need to comply with “banking partners and payment suppliers.” “We must update our content standards to guarantee the platform’s long-term viability and planning to host an integrated society of artists and fans,” as the statement said.
Not to mention that, since OnlyFans has housed X-rated material, the service is only accessible on the web and not on mobile platforms such as iOS and Android. OnlyFans reportedly had trouble finding outside investors since it enables artists to upload sexual material. Maybe app retailers and prospective investors couldn’t get beyond the pornographic issue? If that’s the case, it’s no wonder that OnlyFans believed it is quite necessary to “clean up” their own yard to obtain financing.
Keep in mind that OnlyFans has previously tried out a non-porn policy. OFTV, a free streaming site that does not allow sexually explicit content. Instead, it showcases unique material from over 100 producers from genres including cooking, comedy, music, fitness and many more. On its platform, OFTV presently has over 800 films from diverse categories to deviate its image from exclusively adult contents.
But only after series of debacles, the platform reversed its planned ban policy and once again allowed sexually explicit contents.
As a result of this trend, Twitter has introduced “Super Follows.” Creators will be able to charge membership to see their tweets and posts as a result of this functionality. They also have access to a “Communities” feature, which functions similarly to Facebook groups.
Twitter made no mention of adult material in its statement, and it hasn’t said what restrictions the users would subject to if they utilize the new function. However, Twitter stands out among the leading social networks for its permissive attitude towards pornography. Users who use it to promote adult material are likely to welcome new methods to monetize it.
OnlyFans is the most conventional social network of the bunch, even though it’s only accessible through desktop. A creator’s picture and video feed resembles Instagram in façade but with one significant difference: users must subscribe to see the posted material from the creators. Most artists charge $5 to $10 per month for their memberships, although some provide discounts if you pay in bulks of 6 months to a year. Just like any other social media platform, a user may like and comment on posts once they gained access to them. They may also shoot direct messages to the author and leave tips (the minimum is $5) if they wish to express their appreciation.
About Stokely
Stokely operated Customs4U, a website for customized adult entertainment, before launching OnlyFans in London. The mysterious CEO, who has just lately made himself accessible for media as OnlyFans grows in popularity, says he wanted to create a digital platform with a payment button “so that all of these artists producing this great stuff for free could be compensated.” He defines his early days as “legitimizing your brand, establishing that user confidence and trust, and helping creators buy into your concept and grasp its earning potential”. It soon caught the attention of some celebrities because it allowed them to connect with their followers in “more” unique ways.
Bella Thorne
Even though membership fees and tips are often modest, they may rapidly add up. In August, when Bella Thorne joined the site and charged $20-per-month membership fee, she reportedly earned a whopping $2 million in less than a week.
Depending on the creator, earnings may vary considerably. According to a calculator on the OnlyFans website, a person with 500,000 social media followers might earn anywhere from $25,000 to $1.2 million per month from memberships alone, depending on the price charged. (All income received is subject to a 20% cut)
OnlyFans’ earning potential is especially significant for artists whose primary source of income has been disrupted by the pandemic.
Still Curious? Check out this Onlyfans Rich List to compare which content creator garnered the most earnings.
