April 30: The Monetization of the Creator Economy

A look at 6 digital media platforms that allow creators to publish their work and directly connect with and be paid by their supporters.

Sources: Gumroad, Patreon, Teachable, Stubstack, Buy Me a Coffee, & Reach.Live
Published: February & April 2021

The Monetization of the Creator Economy

Digital media content is being democratized by popular apps that allow content creators to take charge of the personalization and publication of their work while directly connecting with and being paid by their supporters. 

Platform: Gumroad
Description: Allows creators to sell both physical & digital products directly to consumers
Founding: Founded in 2011 by Sahil Lavingia, the first designer at Pinterest, to make online selling as easy as social sharing

Platform: Patreon
Description: Fans pay creators monthly subscription to exclusive content
Founding: Founded in 2013 by YouTube musician Jack Conte to solve to the discrepancy between Youtube views & payout

Platform: Teachable
Description: Creators can host online courses and coaching services to share their craft and expertise
Founding: Founded in 2013 Ankur Nagpal who wanted to create a customizable & profitable course platform

Platform: Substack
Description: Subscription newsletter publishing platform for direct relationship between writers & readers
Founding: Founded in 2017 by Kik co-founder Chris Best, Jairaj Sethi, & Hamish McKenzie; Inspired by Stratechery

Platform: Buy Me a Coffee
Description: Fans can make a payment (buy a coffee) & leave a message for creators
Founding: Founded in 2018 by Jijo Sunny & Joseph Sunny, creators wanting a better living from their creative gigs

Platform: Reach.Live
Description: A virtual event platform that allows speakers to host & manage online experiences
Founding: Founded in 2019 by engineer & designer Akarsh Sanghi to connect communities through live streaming 

Bonus: Curious to learn more about the fast-growing creator economy? Read Mapping the Creator Economy.

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