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 fashion 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 in the number of independent models managing their businesses on successful cam platforms spiked in mid-March, when the Free Speech Coalition, 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.
Registered payment facilitators in the space help direct funds on behalf of merchants to their artists. In light of this, there has been a critical need for a strong payout solution in this market.
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 site traffic climb 32%, while FanCentro reported a 40% increase in models signing up and OnlyFans reported seeing 7,000 to 8,000 new creators joining every day.
As we celebrate America’s independence this month, we think it is fitting to honor those content creators who have also gained their independence. So 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
As performers take control of their destiny by turning from conventional adult productions to camming and fan site platforms, they gain creative control over their name and likeness, as well as the potential to be paid more. The platforms they utilize, driven by self-produced content, 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. Given how payout range can vary depending on the platform and type of service sold on each site, payment providers are being pushed to become very efficient from a cost perspective. A successful platform thus 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 merchants to their artists. In light of this, there has been a critical need for a strong payout solution in this market. To that end, we have worked diligently alongside our own acquirers to speed up settlements to merchants, while investing heavily into a payout platform that will make it easier to direct payments on behalf of merchants to their platform artists; this feature has proven successful and popular among several clients using it.
Keeping It Legal
Taking creative control is a huge plus for independent performers, but doing so comes with legal risks. These new entrepreneurs face a variety of challenges like forming an entity, negotiating contracts, navigating 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 also 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 Independents
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 by 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 also highlights the risks performers may face, while providing personal care tips as well as tools to help decide if they need an agent and what their on-set expectations should be. 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 dues-paying members of the FSC, talent and crew are eligible for NexGen benefits: access to healthcare services including mental health, 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. In the meantime, happy Independence Day!
Cathy Beardsley is president and CEO of Segpay, a global leader in merchant services offering a wide range of custom financial solutions including payment facilitator, direct merchant accounts and secure gateway services. Under her direction, Segpay has become one of four companies approved by Visa to operate as a high-risk internet payment services provider. Segpay offers secure turnkey solutions to accept online payments, with a guarantee that funds are always safe and protected with its proprietary Fraud Mitigation System and customer service and support. For any questions or help, contact sales@segpay.com or compliance@segpay.com.
