With the backdrop of a changing music industry, being a DJ, producer, radio host or streamer has become so much more than the physical aspect of performing or presenting. It’s become a multi-disciplinary career path, and taking this on requires so many adjacent skills relating to business, self-promotion, community building, and of course, generating a steady income.
To be sure that we can support our creators with these challenges, Mixcloud is continuously building tools that can assist the community on this journey.
So we launched Creator Subscriptions, a direct fan-to-creator subscription model that gives listeners access to exclusive content for a small fee. Fast forward to today, we launched an alternative, simpler way for creators to make money on Mixcloud — tips! These one-off payments allow listeners to show extra appreciation to their favorite creators on the platform without committing to a monthly subscription.
But these revenue tools are only the start. It’s our mission to prioritize and continue building monetization options that help creators grow creatively. All while supporting them in building a loyal fanbase.
In this article, we’ll walk you through these two features and the best practices to make money on Mixcloud.
Tips
What are Tips?
We introduced Tips as an alternative way to money from your Mixcloud content. This means fans can make a one-off payment during your live stream or directly from your profile. It’s important to consistently direct your listeners to this feature. For example, publish a Post about it, include it in your live stream description and shout about it in real-time during your stream.
How does it work?
We’ve partnered with Stripe, our payment processor, and through their API we’ve created a marketplace on Mixcloud. Enabling the tipping feature on your account means that you can send and receive payments. You can decide where you want the tipping button to show up. For example, on your profile live streams, or both. For a step-by-step guide on how to get set up with Tips, visit our FAQ.
Tips are peer-to-peer payments. 80% of the tip goes to the creator and 20% is split between transaction fees and Mixcloud. In an effort to be transparent with our community, below is a diagram of the payout structure broken down.
Creator Subscriptions
What are Creator Subscriptions?
Creator Subscriptions are based on a revenue model that invites fans to subscribe to exclusive content on a monthly, rolling basis in exchange for a small fee. For the creator, Creator Subscriptions enable you to build an inner circle of fans who directly support you. For the fans, they can rely on receiving a regular drop of content exclusively tailored to them.
How does it work?
To set up your account, you’ll need to decide on a few things: the currency and the subscription price. The minimum amount for fans to subscribe is 2.99 (EUR, USD, or GBP). But you can choose to set a higher minimum price for listeners to subscribe. Note, a sales tax will be added depending on location.
Unlike Tips, Creator Subscriptions are based on a unique revenue share model. This model enables everyone involved in making the shows (including copyright owners) to receive a portion of the subscription revenue. This is possible because Mixcloud is licensed with all major music labels and major publishers. That way, revenue flows in all the right directions.
Below is a breakdown of how the money flows from fan to creator.
Finally, watch this space!
No matter where you’re at in your creative journey we hope these tools encourage you to grow in your craft. And remember, this is just the beginning. Mixcloud is driven by a core principle: to provide creators with the right tools to tackle the ever-changing creator economy and monetization tools are a key part of that mission.