trends

Creating in Europe: How Stars Are Monetizing Their Brands Internationally

Creating in Europe: How Stars Are Monetizing Their Brands Internationally

From purely amateur indie talent who have never set foot on a traditional studio set to veteran performers giving fans an especially intimate experience, content creators of every stripe are laser-focused on what sells the best for their unique fan base. As in the States, European talent experiment with new visual styles, explore fresh genres and hone their favorite sexual acts for maximum authenticity.

The adult entertainment landscape may be algorithm-driven on tube sites or at the macroscopic studio level, where analytics-attuned suits bent on capturing lightning in the same bottle multiple times risk producing self-fulfilling trend prophecies — but when it comes to creators, content gets far more unique and personal. Through the multihued lens of each creator’s particular prism, there emerge a few undeniable, glimmering rays of truth.

Increasingly, viewers are being drawn to the voyeur-style authenticity of scenario-based “accidental watcher” situations.

Increasingly, viewers are being drawn to the voyeur-style authenticity of scenario-based “accidental watcher” situations, the intimacy-boosting aspect of solo content where eye contact and POV dildo sex reign supreme, and story-driven content, whether documentary-style or purely escapist fiction.

For straight male viewers, solo and all-girl content has the natural allure of enabling them to imagine themselves as the only man in the life of their favorite female star, while boy/girl and group sex content still sells like hotcakes for those seeking the unadulterated excitement of more “classic” porn.

Fetishes and kinks, of course, may be more niche in their scope, but with audiences who adore them paying such a premium as to eclipse more mainstream options, many creators have found great success in getting extra nasty on camera in very specific ways.

To gain a clearer view of what sells for European content creators — not only in their native lands but internationally — XBIZ reached out to some of the continent's hottest stars and newcomers. In this special report, they tell us about the scenes and clips that have helped them make a splash this past year, in their pond and overseas.

Going Solo for Extra Intimacy

When reigning XBIZ Cam Model of the Year Quincy is not streaming live as an NSFW gamer on ePlay, she sells plenty of content on premium social platforms and on ePlay itself. But one scene in particular stands out among the rest: her fake “Masturbating on Twitch” scene.

“I used to stream on Twitch more regularly and only had adult content available on OnlyFans, plus other paid adult sites,” she shares. “So for a long time, streaming viewers didn’t get to see me performing NSFW content unless they went elsewhere.”

Before her Twitch era, she was highly active on MyFreeCams. Once she was on Twitch, fans would express their wishes for NSFW live excitement in her chat, promising mega donations if she violated Twitch’s terms of service to give them a quick flash. Of course, she never did, since that would have resulted in a ban and she did not want to risk that for short-term gain.

“But it got me thinking,” she says. “There is something that turns many people on about doing something naughty when not allowed to. That’s why bikini and hot tub streams do very well on Twitch. Even if they’re allowed, it’s the sense of the forbidden. To capitalize on this, I created an accidental voyeur masturbation video where I used a Twitch overlay so it looked like I was live on Twitch, and edited it to make it look very realistic.

In the video, Quincy acts as if she is playing video games live on Twitch. Then she ends the stream but “forgets” to turn off her camera, and ends up masturbating in her gaming chair, seemingly in private.

“Everyone goes nuts in ‘chat,’ but I am unaware until the end of the clip and then I end the stream all shocked and worried,” she explains. “Fans went nuts in real life as well for this scene; they loved it! I really loved this video because I acted just how I would if I was streaming live and doing what I love: gaming. It was on brand for what I do. Now I stream on ePlay, where I can be creative, game and do all the naughty stuff I want. The fans love it.”

Candy Alexa also finds success with solo content on her fan platform, especially when it involves an outdoor shoot.

“I find solo content to be more personal for fans, instead of content with others,” she says. “There’s more eye contact, which gives more of an intimate feeling for the fan. Shooting it outdoors also looks more natural because of sunlight. That being said, outdoor scenes can be risky — though I know a lot of people like this kind of risk, as it adds more excitement.”

Of course, when it comes to solo content, there is a huge amount of variety, and new genres keep popping up. Carly Rae Summers surprised herself when she masturbated to content made by others — and inadvertently ignited a “porn reaction” trend on Pornhub.

“I pioneered and produced a very popular ‘porn reaction’ series on Pornhub, where I masturbate to porn,” she shares. “My reaction to James Deen performing with Sara Luvv far surpassed any of my expectations when I started watching porn on camera, and really opened the market to a new style of content ordinarily seen on YouTube. It still amazes me that it got 31 million views in a year.

“When Porn Force approached me to react to their content, I had no idea how the public would respond,” she explains. “But the genre is just getting stronger and stronger. My studio/talent collaboration pool has now grown to encompass Ersties, James Deen Productions, Nubiles and most recently Girlsway.”

Summers particularly appreciates the authenticity and freedom to be her unfiltered self while watching porn, as well as having creative control, from putting together the videos to flexing her editing prowess for her reactions and reviews.

“My aforementioned Sara Luvv review is a testimony to the fact that nudity isn’t always required for successful content,” Summers notes. “With an incredibly hard orgasm and a lot of descriptive talk, this video has currently racked up the highest views out of all 19 of my videos currently online. It was trending on the front page of Pornhub for two months and the views surpassed any boy/girl video I’ve ever starred in, which is utterly wild to think about.”

Summers says that back when she was more actively performing, she never would have imagined her career evolving into a voyeuristic one with a grander audience.

“I love reacting to porn and the positive responses I’ve been flooded with,” she concludes.

As for Brea Rose, her solo POV-style video of a naughty stepmom has sold very well — perhaps not surprising, given the popularity of taboo and the intimacy viewers enjoy when immersing themselves as the main character.

“This video was such a success for me as I incorporated aspects which I know my fans love and produced a video I thoroughly enjoyed creating,” Rose says. “Personally, I find my content sells better the more time I have invested into the project by creating a detailed script, shooting multiple scenes — within the small amount of apartment space I have to work with — and creating a number of different looks for my character.”

Within just a few months of being released, Rose notes, the video quickly became her fifth biggest seller out of six years of producing content.

Coming Together With Boy/Girl and Group Sex

While solo content is very much the bread and butter of indie creators, simulating closeness for fans who fantasize about a model being theirs for the taking, the more traditional fare of boy/girl and group sex is still highly sought-after.

“Porno” Dan Leal, the U.S. transplant turned EU hotshot, went big for his most successful video.

“My ambitious project of 2023 was when we traveled from Hungary to Florida for a 19-episode online series with an epic storyline,” he says. “Our adventure started in Hungary where Dean Van Damme surprised me at Budapest airport with a picture of a long-lost magical ring known as the ‘All-Mighty Ring.’ Dean persuades me to go with him to Florida where, dressed as pirates, we find this buried treasure.”

Dean then uses the magical talisman to convince Khloe Kapri to leave her sugar daddy, Teddy aka Tadpole. Meanwhile, Leal tries using the All-Mighty Ring to pick up Gigi Dior and Jade Kimiko, only to lose control of himself and become obsessed with the ring, Gollum-style.

“Our quest takes many twists and turns as we get joined by a bevy of starlets including JC Wilds, Sofie Reyez, Vivianne DeSilva, Willow Ryder, Avalon Mira, Riley Star, Laya Rae, Venus Vixen and Renee Rose,” he explains. “The madcap finale features Khloe Kapri and Chloe Temple.”

Leal muses that the fun-filled and frequently hilarious hijinks throughout the series truly capture the essence of his 23-year career in the industry.

Meanwhile, XBIZ Europa award-winner Catherine Knight points out that her most successful content of the year was a sizzling boy/girl scene with Jimmy Bud, shot on the exotic Canary island of Lanzarote.

“We have super-similar work styles, we’re both extremely passionate about what we do and we have great chemistry and communication, so the scene naturally reflected all of that,” she says. “It’s fun, sexy, elegant, passionate, rough and it’s a scene in Spanish, which I really want to integrate more into my content.”

As it turns out, Knight was not the only performer to find success against the lush backdrop of Lanzarote; Lola Rose filmed a group sex scene there that sold madly.

“Last year, I and seven other performers planned a content trip to Lanzarote, where we booked a massive villa with a pool and invited three videographers to help us create high-quality content,” recounts Rose. “My most successful video was from this trip. It’s simply called ‘Lanzarote Orgy.’”

It was the most complicated organizational effort she had ever experienced for a collaborative project, bringing performers from all over the world, plus multiple camera operators, to a location where none of them had shot before. But as soon as the cameras started rolling, Rose notes, everything felt natural, passionate and genuine, which is why she believes fans loved the end product so much.

“It ran smoothly with no interruptions — apart from when the Airbnb owner popped by to check on the house halfway through, and we had to hide!” she remembers. “But despite that, the result was a beautifully shot outdoor orgy with amazing natural lighting, which showcased each performer’s individual talents and unique style. It was also a great way to cross-promote each other on our pages and a great finale to the content trip!”

One of Ema Karter’s best scenes this year was her collaboration with Jason Luv, whom she met at an awards show. After taking a photo with him, she felt compelled to be on camera with him in a spicier fashion. Given his popularity, she was excited for how much the dual impact of their shared traffic could help promote her work.

“What we shot that day sold very well on my OnlyFans account and many members wanted to see more of him in the near future — which will actually happen, but that is a surprise!” she teases. “I had recently started doing boy/girl scenes with big names like Danny D, Johnny Sins and Keiran Lee, which helped convince him we could do great content together.

“Filming with him was a great experience because he can be funny and sexual in the same moment,” Karter shares. “Shifting between the two can create a very romantic, erotic tension during the act itself — not to mention that he knows how to bring pleasure to a woman. Having all these ingredients is a very important aspect for a scene because it creates something real that a member can relate to, and encourages you to watch what happens next rather than just skipping to the end where we cum.”

Luv’s prowess, Karter emphasizes, was a big contributing factor in upping the chemistry on camera. Her comfort level and excitement at working with such a prolific performer even inspired her to try new positions.

“In any given month, I can film many scenes for my OnlyFans account — and I love doing this,” she says. “But working with someone who knows the ins and outs of his job and realizes when he can push things forward while respecting limits is crucial.”

Sometimes, of course, performers find their greatest success when backed and buffered by a studio. This was the case for reigning XBIZ Clip Artist of the Year Eva Elfie, when she shot Vixen Media Group’s “Escapade,” which became one of the most successful scenes she released in the past year. Elfie praises the title for its “stunning Italian locations, creativity and passion intertwining to create an unforgettable experience.”

“This project was more than just picture perfect,” she enthuses. “It was a masterpiece crafted to embody sensuality, excitement and an intriguing storyline. Every aspect of the production, from the meticulously designed sets to the casting, contributed to the high quality that my fans have come to expect and adore.”

Elfie also gave fans a special treat: an insider perspective to help them connect with the filming process of “Escapade.”

“I took them behind the scenes through an exclusive vlog, revealing the intricate details and unseen footage of the filming process,” she explains.

Elfie encourages her followers to seek out her YouTube channel, where the content is available with subtitles in multiple languages and has already garnered 400,000 views.

Leaving Lanzarote and Italy behind, we next visit Africa, the setting for what XBIZ Europa winner Zaawaadi says is her bestselling scene: “African Dream,” starring herself and Mugur, directed by Ally Brightwell and produced by her eponymous production outfit.

“People have often told me they dream of visiting Africa,” she notes. “Many European men and women fantasize about having sex with an African woman. So I like to give them the sense of taking a vacation, basking in the simplicity of an uncomplicated life in an exotic land and enjoying the warmth of my dark skin. I just want to fulfill my fans’ beautiful thoughts and try to bring an exotic moment to life.”

In “African Dream,” she believes, she managed to accomplish just that, creating a scene that captures her as she truly is.

“It’s easy to enjoy sex with me when I’m comfortable,” she says. “I’m then very quickly open to everything, because I like to take and give in return. Location-wise we were looking for a place that could come as close as possible to African culture. The furniture is made of natural wood, so it really looks beautiful. We also added our own decorations like a kerosene lamp, a pillar, a carpet with African animal patterns and other decorations of African origin. We tried to give the place an African vibe as much as possible. We used African-styled outfits, African jewelry like earrings, necklaces and more.”

Not every successful scene involves exotic locales, however, as another XBIZ Europa award-winner, Scarlett Jones, can attest after working on a project with Blake Blossom and Dan Damage.

“Blake has always been an inspirational industry giant, and I was honored she agreed to work with me,” Jones enthuses. “My fans had been requesting I work with her since I entered the industry in late 2020, and when they found out we’d filmed two scenes — one lesbian and one boy/girl/girl threesome — I had almost 100 messages from fans sharing their anticipation.”

After Blake hired videographer Keep and brought in her partner and fellow performer, Dan Damage, their onscreen magic unfolded to Jones’ immense gratification.

“This collaboration was particularly memorable and popular as we produced something visually striking and erotic,” she explains. “We had great chemistry, making the scenes as intense and sensual as possible.”

Getting Kinky With Fetish and BDSM

Delving into content more specialized than intimate solos or standard crowd-pleasing boy/girl excitement, one of the more lucrative content trends involves serving up fetish, kink and BDSM.

One of the most noteworthy creators in this domain is Sabien DeMonia. The most life-changing scene she produced this year, she reveals, was her directorial debut for Kink.com, titled “Mistress After Hours.”

“There’s a multitude of reasons this scene has stood out for me above the rest,” DeMonia explains. “Not only was it my debut for Kink.com, but it was also my first scene as a European female director for them. I was given full artistic freedom over my Kink directing debut, which not only allowed me to direct the entire thing while being suspended in shibari during this four-on-one scene, but also really helped me grow as a director to see what I’m capable of.”

She notes that the scene was one of Kink.com’s best-performing test shoots ever, earning an XBIZ Europas nomination for Best Gonzo Sex Scene and taking home the trophy for fan favorite gonzo scene of the year at the AltPorn Awards.

“The success of this scene and the confidence it gave me in my directorial skills has opened the door for collaboration with Adult Time and the opportunity for me to start my own VR content production,” DeMonia enthuses.

Another colorful performer is Lana Rose, a role-play specialist and lover of comedy who has dressed up herself and others as everything from old ladies to lost aliens, Little Red Riding Hood characters and “Whory” Potter and the “Griffinwhores.”

“My two favorite things are sex and humor, so how can you go wrong?” she declares. “I think it’s important to keep life fun and exciting. Laughter can cure everything!”

What has really sold best for her, however, is puffer jacket videos. Yes, puffer jackets. It is a thing.

“I had never heard of the puffer jacket fetish until I started this job,” Rose recalls. “At first I was confused, and then I researched and learned about it as I was getting so many requests to do it. Now, I love the way they feel and sound. Sometimes I’ll hump them, rub them against my body, have sex wearing them for boy/girl, girl/girl and all sorts. Some people like me to layer them and see how many I can put on at once. It’s a very unique style but I love it. Not many people cater to this type of fetish but those fans of mine get so excited if they know I’m filming that day; they will nonstop ask when the video is out until it’s released.”

Given her enthusiasm for delivering puffer jacket content, Rose’s open-mindedness when it comes to fetishes should come as no surprise.

“I’m very fetish-friendly,” she affirms. “I don’t judge fetishes even if they’re ‘weird,’ because what is normal anyways? Nobody should be shamed for the things they like. My passion is to make people happy and feel good. If I can give them something to make them feel good and welcomed and comfortable at the same time, then I’ve found my life’s purpose. I enjoy what I do.”

Elsewhere in Europe, reigning XBIZ Europas Premium Social Media Star of the Year Lana Wolf has created a docuseries centered on her real-life experiences. It takes place at the Scottish creator’s church-turned-residence, Wolf Manor.

“This year I have been working on a new OnlyFans account and brand called Wolf Manor, focused on my escapades as a lifestyle dominatrix with my personal slaves,” she shares. “The Channel 5 documentary-style TV show ‘Adults Only’ filmed an episode based on it called ‘Hurts So Good,’ which appeared on mainstream national television. In the episode, I set up the new OnlyFans account and start a series called ‘Lana Wolf’s A to Z of Domination.’”

Once the program aired in April of this year, Wolf released the first episode of her “A to Z” series, titled “Ass and Armpits.” Between the huge influx of traffic from the TV show, and the hype around the new OnlyFans account and series, it became her most successful video of the year.

“The scene was shot in my infamous red, white and blue dungeon with football memorabilia and plastic penis decorations protruding from the walls,” she says. “It was the first scene I shot in the new Wolf Manor dungeon that I had renovated just in time for filming the TV show, which was very exciting. You can tell I was enjoying the scene by my manic and evil laugh! It has been inspiring to me showcasing more of my dominant side this year and has unlocked a whole new world of creative ideas.”

Slutty Sapphic Sex for All-Girl Lust

Straddling the midpoint between the “girlfriend experience” vibes of solo content and the collaborative magic of boy/girl fare, is girl/girl content, which appeals to a variety of appetites across the sexual spectrum.

Alissa Foxy enjoys working with other creators in what she describes as a very creative, friendly and healthy atmosphere that leads to high-quality videos. But while she reserves special shoutouts for Sybil and Chef among her favorite collaborators, she finds it hard to pick only one scene as her true success story.

“When it comes to picking only one,” she ponders, “I find myself choosing between my first dildo-riding scene — as I have not shot with toys or realistic dildos for studio productions and this type of content offered something sensual that could be shared directly with my fans — and my first strap-on scene with Tiffany Tatum, where I use it on her. These scenes both showcase my diverse approach to performing and creating content, as they’re basically different sides of the same coin… yet I’ll choose the strap-on scene with Tiffany as my final decision.”

Tatum, the reigning XBIZ Europas Female Performer of the Year, elevates the scene with her natural sizzle, not to mention the particular chemistry that Foxy felt with her.

“The outcome pleasantly surprised even me when I was editing and rewatching the scene before the release,” Foxy recalls. “When I’m in the process of performing, I can’t exactly imagine how it will look on camera, especially since I was so involved in concentrating on delivering pleasure to her! That is why I think the scene came out so honest and passionate. For me, the most important criteria for creating the content is to share the emotions and how I enjoy what I do in the frame. It is about being honest with myself and with my fans, which helps me to create strong, long-lasting connections with them.”

The power of the scene, Foxy underscores, lies in its authenticity, with the two palpably enjoying themselves rather than simply performing for the camera.

“As the scene develops and it becomes my turn to receive pleasure from Tiffany, because of the chemistry we had, I was able to dissolve more in the act by not keeping in mind that everything that happens is recorded,” she explains. “This mindset helps me discover new roles and try new things, a lot of which are yet to be recorded and shared with my dear fans.”

Foxy is not the only creator who credits Tatum as her muse. Veteran Euro star Amirah Adara also named Tatum as a special ingredient for success in her best video of the year.

“My most successful scene came out a few months ago for Nubile Films: my ‘Fantasy of the Month’ scene with the amazing Tiffany Tatum and the beautiful Zazie Skymm,” she says. “The idea came from beloved company Nubile Films, while the scene was produced and directed by my amazing husband Antonio Ross and myself. We all put several ideas into the scene to make it really special.”

Adara envisioned a scenario exploring the idea that everyone has a good side and a bad side — an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. In the scene, Tatum embodied her “sinner” side and Skymm her “saint” side; both try to win Adara over.

“We all know my personality, of course,” she laughs. “So in the end I choose the sinner side and we take Zazie with us to enjoy all our sinful passion together.”

Like Tatum, Skymm also ended up as a popular scene partner for another creator this year.

Nelly Kent sees her kinky chemistry with Skymm in their first-time on-camera exploration of golden showers as a big reason why fans tuned in.

“One of my best scenes has a unique style, because the performer I chose to be with was Zazie Skymm,” Kent shares. “It’s her first-ever pissing video and you get to see her pissing on me, which also happens to be the first time a girl has pissed on me in a video. And even though Zazie rarely does anal, usually doing it only with her boyfriend or fisting other girls, this video shows her fucking me in the ass and gaping me with a clear dildo, causing me to piss myself while licking Zazie’s pussy. It’s an incredible first-time premiere.”

Whether solo, collaborative or kinky, the most successful recent scenes have been those shot with enthusiasm — especially if there was some beautiful natural splendor nearby.

Serving up unvarnished sex with a touch of editing polish, fan engagement and authenticity is not just a recipe for success in Europe, of course, but internationally as well. After all, no matter the nation from which fans hail, adult content appeals to the natural human desire to connect with others, feel a sense of intimacy and vibe with an exciting onscreen performance.

One thing is clear: No matter the genres they experiment with, European creators do not chase trends just for the sake of algorithm-driven traffic or copycat formulas. The only trend they ride is being true to themselves, true to their fans and true with what they share in all their raw vulnerability.

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