Ways creators earn from video
- Platform ad share: a percentage of the advertising shown on their videos
- Memberships and subscriptions: recurring payments for extra or early content
- One-time sales: a film, a course or a live event sold individually
- Tips and donations during live streams
- Sponsorship and brand deals arranged directly
- Their own branded app or website, where they set the price and keep the customer
Platform revenue vs owned revenue
On a social platform the creator gets reach but not control. The platform sets the ad rate, decides who sees each video and holds the relationship with the viewer.
On an owned service the creator sets the price, keeps the subscriber list and decides what is promoted. The work of bringing viewers there is theirs, which is why most creators use social platforms for discovery and an owned service for income.
When a creator should launch their own service
It makes sense once there is a core audience that asks for more than the free videos: longer episodes, a back catalog, courses or live sessions. A few thousand paying members at a modest monthly price can exceed what advertising pays on a much larger free audience.
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