There are a handful of content sharing platforms that allow creators to make money online. Patreon and OnlyFans are very trendy options . I am also thinking of mym the competitor of OnlyFans . But OnlyFans is by far the most controversial. Indeed, it allows creators to upload any type of content; including porn, and locking it behind a paywall.
OnlyFans has been around since 2016 and is widely used by sex workers; although celebrities like Cardi B and Bella Thorne have also recently started using it to make money. Some TikTok content creators are also directing their followers to OnlyFans. A space where they promise exclusive content in exchange for money.
In May 2020, CEO Tim Stokely revealed that social network OnlyFans had registered around 200,000 new users every 24 hours. Also, he indicated that 6,000 to 8,000 new creators join them every day.
Subscriptions also increased by 50% last April. Maybe because Beyonce mentioned OnlyFans in a new song. Or, because more people used it during the pandemic to make money from porn.
Whatever the reason, here’s what you need to know about OnlyFans.
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a London-based content sharing platform. Creators can use it to offer videos, photos, and even one-on-one chat opportunities for a set price.
She is very popular in the adult entertainment industry. In early 2019, The New York Times even published an article claiming that OnlyFans had changed sex work forever. Dubbing it at the same time “the paywall of porn”. But OnlyFans is used by all kinds of creators.
OnlyFans was founded by Timothy Stokely and is a website that does not have an official app. It currently has around 30 million users and 450,000 creators.
Who uses OnlyFans?
Models, musicians, actors, fitness experts, and influencers all use OnlyFans to generate income. They can receive money directly from fans as a monthly fee; or through tips and the pay-per-view feature.
So Blac Chyna, for example, charges her fans $50 a month to access her OnlyFans page. Also, rapper Rubi Rose made $100,000 on OnlyFans in two days by posting photos from his Instagram.
Actress Bella Thorne also claimed to have earned over $2 million on OnlyFans in one week. Here is a small selection of personalities on OnlyFans:
- Cardi B – Musician
- Tana Mongeau – Influencer
- Bella Thorne – Actress
- Farrah Abraham – Reality TV Star
- Blac Chyna – Reality TV Star
- Dorinda Medley – Reality TV Star
How to Join OnlyFans
Go to the OnlyFans website to create an account. You can create an account from scratch. Also you can sign up with your Twitter or Google account. Then, once your account is created, you will be taken to your account settings page.
From this page, you can change your username, email address, and other preferences. The left sidebar lets you access your profile, security, and notification settings.
Go to Profile to change the name you want to display, set a subscription price, and more.
How does OnlyFans work?
There are five main pages: Home, Notifications, Create, Chats, and Menu.
Home
Home is where you can see your feed. A feed of content shared by those you follow; including your close friends. You’ll also find suggestions for other people to follow OnlyFans. At the top of the homepage, a search bar allows you to search for other creators and users to follow.
Notifications
You can view your notifications from the notifications page. These include past interactions, likes, followers, and more.
To create
Ready to share content? Go to the Create page to compose a new post and share it with your fans. You can even add media or launch a poll.
Cats
If you have contacts, like someone you follow or even a fan, you can go to the Chats page to start sending them direct messages.
Menu
The menu is displayed on the right. You can see the name you chose to display, your username, and the number of fans. You can also access your profile from there; as well as bookmarks, lists, settings, maps, banking information and activate a dark mode. You can also log out from this menu.
How to make money with OnlyFans monthly subscriptions?
To start making money with OnlyFans, you need to add your payment information. Next, you need to verify your account and set the price for your subscription. After doing all of this, you will be free to start creating messages and locking them behind your paywall.
Add payment information and verify your account
Once you are logged into OnlyFans, go to the menu and select Add Bank. You must be 18 years old and you will need to verify your account.
OnlyFans will ask you for your personal data, such as your name, address, date of birth and ID; passport or driver’s license, for example. It will also ask you if you intend to post porn. US creators will also need to complete their W-9 form.
Set OnlyFans subscription price
To set the price of your subscription, go to the menu, select Profile, click on the Edit profile button and find Subscription price. There you can set an amount per month. You must add your bank account or payment information before you can set your price or accept tips.
How to make money from pay-per-view messages on OnlyFans
There are other tools you can use to earn money with OnlyFan. Including pay-per-view messages or pay-per-view channels. This is content that you share, via message, with your fans. However, they have to pay to see it!
You can send PPVs to individual accounts by going to your messages, composing a message on the account, attaching your media, and clicking on the price tag in the bottom right to set your price.
To send PPVs to all your fans at once, go to the messaging page and select New Message and All Followers. Add your message, attach your media and click the price tag icon to set your price. Click send, and the message will be sent to all your subscribers.
How to become a fan/subscriber of OnlyFans creators
OK, let’s say you don’t want to be a creator and instead want to be a fan on OnlyFans. Create your OnlyFans account, then go to the homepage and start looking for someone to follow. Once you find them, you can click the star icon on their profile to add them to your favorites or save them to a list.
You will also see the subscription levels on their profile. Actress Bella Thorne, for example, charges $20 a month.
However, it also offers bundled subscriptions. Currently, she has 46 posts blocked behind a paywall. You can see when she’s online because her profile says “available now.”
Her profile also links to her Amazon wishlist, where you can buy items for her; although this list is separate from OnlyFans and does not guarantee access to its content.
Does that make any sense ?
Here’s an example of what it’s like to be a fan and follow a creator on OnlyFans. As I explained to you above, you can also stream shows later or tip a creator; if you don’t want to subscribe every month.
Note: If you want to follow a creator, add a map first (Menu > Add Map). When you subscribe to other users, OnlyFans will charge your card.