Porn models have infinitely more power in today’s landscape than they have ever had. Bold statement? Nope, no lies detected.
The Old Days
The question is, WHY do porn models have more power now than just 3-5 years ago? The answer is platforms. One of the earliest sites that allowed anyone (who is of age and had legal rights to do so) to upload for profit was Clip4Sale. Though not adopted by what many would call a ‘traditional porn star’ at first, many indie models found exceptional amounts of success on the platform. Models like Tara Tainton and Ceara Lynch found their footing without the needs of agents, publicists, and what some would call ‘mainstream porn’ attention upon them. Founder Neil frequently cites that big companies would often scoff at the idea of selling clips independently. The joke proved to be anyone who doubted the pivot the industry would be taking.
Over time, more platforms cropped up. We watched as Manyvids, I Want Clips, FanCentro (and Model Centro, respectively), and many more emerged. First populated by indie clip creators, webcam models began to foray into creating stand-alone content as well. Soon we saw sites begin to exhibit at conventions, recruiting more models, and then… mainstream porn stars began to use them.
The BIG SHIFT
So why did platforms become so popular? It became the first time fans began to get unfettered access to porn models. Sure there are webcam sites like Chaturbate/LiveJasmin/etc., but you have to be when they are, and you are competing with how many other fans? Platforms allowed models to speak directly with fans. Consumers of porn could reach out to the creators to get content customized to their desires, express their joy, and build rapport in ways they have never been able to.
THEN CAME ONLY FANS! Not a novel idea at all as celebrities have long since had fan clubs, but PORN hadn’t had fan clubs on such a level that Onlyfans gave access. We then saw the rise of Just4Fans (more of a Patreon feel). Some argued ‘fan sites’ encouraged a race to the bottom, but it made the content more accessible and stabilized income for many models. Membership sites are still brilliant for models, but the prices tend to be far higher than most fan pages. More subscribers but lower rates made it easier to get more consumers in and then send upsells (pay to view) messages to those fans.
So, what fallout have we seen from the new age of porn model liberation? After speaking to a few different studios that prefer not to be named, we have seen many models refusing to do shoots/being more selective. Many models turn down brand deals if they aren’t worth more than spending that time on their pages. Smaller studios struggle to get more well-known talent to come to their sets as the fees go up; basic economics.
We have also seen more services begin to crop up around models. Services from fan page management, graphic design specifically for models, social media page management, and courses are cropping up all over the place. Software as a Service is also becoming more prevalent, much like it has become in non-adult online industries. The tools available to studios and adult web admins are now being re-tailored and packaged for models.
Our staff members fully believe that this trend is just beginning. As more models grow to understand how much power they wield over their futures, we expect to see more porn models proctoring their own toy deals, doing more elaborate scenes themselves, developing merchandise, and finding ways to take themselves more mainstream. It will be up to the rest of the industry to adapt in order to survive as the next big shift is upon us.
