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Earlier this yr, we launched our first-ever Creator Census: a survey that requested you — creators incomes an revenue on Patreon — to inform us extra about yourselves. We’re consistently studying about our group via ongoing analysis, suggestions types, focus teams, and extra, however the Creator Census gave us the possibility to listen to from all of you without delay and get a broader view of your desires, wants, and aspirations in a single place.
Thanks to each certainly one of you who took the time to finish the Census. Hundreds of you shared who you’re, the way you run your artistic companies, your excessive factors and your ache factors, and what you wish to see subsequent, each on and off Patreon. We spent the previous couple of months studying every bit of suggestions and poring over each bit of information. Your enter has helped sharpen our focus and inform which areas we’ll discover subsequent.
Right here’s a take a look at what we realized in regards to the vibrant and different creator group that makes up Patreon.
A notice on outcomes you’ll see right here: To precisely replicate the inhabitants of creators on Patreon, we’ve weighted the respondent information you’ll see beneath (until in any other case famous). Particularly, we discovered that visible artists have been greater than 4 occasions extra possible as different kinds of creators to fill out the census. For questions the place the outcomes differed considerably by creator medium, we present the unweighted information.
I. Who you’re
Over 13,000 incomes creators weighed in from 113 nations, in 18 languages. That’s our largest single pattern but of the 250,000+ creators energetic on Patreon.
What you make
As creators on Patreon, you categorical yourselves in a variety of mediums, from music to visible arts and every part in between. Video is the most well-liked main medium on Patreon (utilized by over a 3rd of creators), adopted by writing and podcasts.
What subjects are you interested by?
It’s clear that your pursuits are as broad and different as your mediums of expression. Your work touches on every part from recipes to true crime to finance to popular culture.
II. The way you run your artistic enterprise
Creativity isn’t one-size-fits-all, and we received an inside take a look at all of the distinctive methods you’ve structured your companies, together with the place and the way Patreon suits in.
The place are you in your artistic journey?
56% of you think about yourselves nearer to being a seasoned skilled, whereas 44% mentioned you’re nearer to simply beginning out.
Who do you’re employed with?
80% of you’re employed alone, 11% of you’re a part of a workforce, and eight% work solo, however companion with a workforce of non-creators. Podcasters are most probably to work in groups (39%), whereas visible artists are most probably to work as a workforce of 1 (94%).
Discovering your followers
Unsurprisingly, the platforms the place you first discovered and grew your viewers range based mostly on medium.
So, the place does Patreon slot in?
How necessary is Patreon to your revenue?
You informed us that, on common, you make over 40% of your revenue on Patreon. Different prime revenue sources embrace jobs associated to your artistic pursuits, commissions, and subscriptions on different platforms. (Numbers rounded as much as the closest entire proportion.)
What does your Patreon membership appear like?
The most well-liked advantages you present your Patreon members (other than the flexibility to help your work basically) are unique content material and early entry to content material. For a lot of of you, patron interplay via fan requests/voting, shoutouts, and/or group areas for patrons is a key element of your memberships.
Constructing a group: what’s in a reputation?
1 / 4 of you will have a customized title on your communities, one thing aside from “patron” or “member.” Some distinctive monikers embrace: “Lanterns,” “Resistance officers,” “Sleepyheads,” “Inklings,” “Slay Squad,” “Podsiders,” “Sofa potatoes,” and “Amigos.” A 3rd of podcasters have customized names for his or her communities, which is greater than some other sort of creator.
Even when bearing in mind variations in month-to-month revenue, we discovered that creators with customized names for his or her patrons see, on common, 4-8% larger month-to-month retention from their present patrons. Whereas this information isn’t causal — naming your patrons received’t essentially trigger them to remain round longer — it’s a sign that fostering a way of group amongst your patrons will help create a deeper a way of belonging.
Discuss in regards to the cool stuff you’re doing.
79% of you promote your Patreon not less than as soon as a month, whereas 43% put it on the market not less than as soon as per week, primarily on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube (in each movies and the video description textual content).
We additionally discovered that promotion frequency is correlated with earnings. Frequent promoters usually tend to have larger earnings than creators who promote sometimes. On common in contrast with creators who promote solely as soon as a month (and controlling for earnings), creators who promote every day earn 75% extra and creators who promote as soon as per week earn 31% extra.
III. Zooming in: excessive factors & ache factors
We requested about your on a regular basis expertise on Patreon, and also you gave us suggestions on quite a lot of key areas, together with ease of use and the way we talk product and coverage updates.
Alternatives for enchancment
Total, you informed us that Patreon meets your wants, supplies correct account info, and has clear insurance policies and pointers. Particularly, you mentioned you wish to see extra from us in three essential areas. Listed here are some steps we’re taking to enhance in every of them.
- Extra transparency round choice making
- What we heard: You need extra context across the choices we make, from coverage to product.
- What we’re doing about it:
- Product priorities and new options: We began by sharing our 2022 product priorities, with context for the way we got here to every choice. We’re additionally experimenting with new methods you may join with our Product Staff to know the reasoning behind our method, reminiscent of dwell Q&A periods round particular launches.
- Tips and insurance policies: Along with quarterly livestreams to collect suggestions on upcoming coverage proposals, the Coverage Staff will probably be releasing a Transparency Report later this yr that gives information and context round how we tackle unlawful, dangerous, or in any other case violative content material.
- Higher communication
- What we heard: You’d like extra simply discoverable updates about product enhancements, sources, and group occasions.
- What we’re doing about it:
- Making common updates extra accessible: To make sure our quarterly product roundups are extra extensively out there, we’ll now submit every replace to the weblog so that you can entry at any time. We’ll additionally be sure the “What’s New” feed in Creator Sources (on the backside left of your creator dashboard on Patreon.com) is stored updated. Lastly, we all know some foundational enhancements we make (like web site pace and playback expertise) aren’t at all times clearly noticeable. We’ll be higher about giving updates on under-the-hood (however necessary) adjustments like these.
- Updates on key product priorities: Look out for a mid-year replace on our 2022 product priorities.
- Right here’s how one can anticipate to listen to from us:
- E-mail: Ensure you’re signed up on Patreon.com to obtain product newsletters and notices of upcoming occasions and workshops.
- The weblog: We’ll use this area to share product roundups, introductions to new workforce members, and deep dives on particular product enhancements.
- Creator Group Discord: Whereas this area is primarily so that you can join with different creators, you’ll additionally hear from us in #patreon-announcements, #ask-patreon, and devoted Q&A channels round particular packages, information and bulletins (like quarterly coverage livestreams).
- Useful resource heart: Entry a feed of the newest product adjustments by way of Creator Sources on the backside left of your creator dashboard on Patreon.com.
- Listening to creator suggestions
- What we heard: You wish to know that we’re listening to your suggestions, and higher perceive the place/how we gather suggestions.
- What we’re doing about it: Over time, we’ve realized that not all creators are snug giving suggestions in the identical manner, which was a theme we noticed repeated within the Census. That’s a key motive why we ran the Census — to offer a brand new manner for all energetic creators to precise themselves. Right here’s an summary of all the opposite channels we at the moment use to listen to and study from creators. We’ll proceed strengthening these channels by frequently sharing what we’ve realized (like this report, the Creator Coverage Engagement Program, and the upcoming Transparency Report), and discovering new methods to attach.
IV. Wanting forward
As creators, you’re consistently reinventing and experimenting, and we’re alway trying to study what’s serving to you alongside your journey. We wished to know what new instruments, companies, and applied sciences are in your radar to higher help your future aspirations — whether or not or not it’s one thing we’d construct ourselves.
2022 product priorities
We appreciated the chance to get your suggestions on our 2022 priorities, asking you to rank them by worth to what you are promoting. Throughout the board, native video, improved posting, and content material group rose to the highest as most often ranked within the prime two spots, adopted by fixing billing confusion and an easier, cleaner design.
We’ve been increasing beta entry to native video and a brand new billing choice, and we’ve begun bettering the posting circulate (autosave drafts, extra responsive load occasions) and web site navigation. Keep tuned throughout all our communication channels for a complete replace on our 2022 priorities within the subsequent couple months.
Potential future options
We additionally wished to know the way you are feeling about numerous often requested potential options. Your enter will assist inform how we prioritize our roadmap transferring ahead. Among the hottest of those options embrace:
- One-time tipping
- Present memberships
- Personalized touchdown web page structure
- Information about the place new patrons come from
- Notifications when a patron upgrades, downgrades, or cancels
- Permitting creators to regulate entry to beforehand posted content material
A notice on web3:
We all know the affect of web3 on the creator economic system is a hotly debated difficulty. Whereas we stay centered on what you’ve informed us you care about most (which your Census responses have strengthened), we’re additionally doing our analysis to know how purposes of web3 would have an effect on creators, each positively and negatively.
From the Census, public dialog, and different suggestions channels, we all know there are a selection of views inside our creator group. Some creators, together with many who took this survey, are against Patreon constructing any web3 performance attributable to issues about potential fraudulent habits, environmental sustainability, and inaccessibility of the know-how in its current purposes. Different creators already supply web3 advantages off Patreon, and are excited in regards to the flexibility and worth they will supply members with new kinds of digital items. Within the Census, 68% of visible artists and 50% of writers have been against creators being able to just accept funds in cryptocurrency on Patreon, whereas 39% of picture, 34% of audio/music, and 31% of video creators indicated it will be a “essential” or “good to have” functionality. Throughout creator varieties, a few third say they “don’t care.”
As new purposes of web3 come up, we’ll proceed doing our due diligence in evaluating what alternatives and pitfalls they might maintain for creators, as we do with any rising know-how. We’re not within the enterprise of doing one thing new simply because it sounds cool. Now and sooner or later, our north star is deliberately constructing know-how that drives long-term worth for creators. For that motive, any time we think about constructing something new, it must:
- Give creators possession of their creations and fan bases
- Provide creators freedom and suppleness to work on their very own phrases
- Give creators alternatives to construct their companies
What do you most aspire to do as a creator within the subsequent couple of years?
With out query, your prime aspiration for the subsequent couple of years is to develop your viewers. 1 / 4 of you’re additionally eyeing new collaborations with creators and experimentation with new mediums.
Thanks!
Being a creator at this time is among the most troublesome jobs on the market, but it surely’s additionally one of the vital rewarding. Our aim with this Census was to higher perceive what you want and wish, so we will present the absolute best platform so that you can do what you do finest. To all of you who participated in our Census: thanks. We’re so excited to make use of what we’ve realized right here to hone our priorities within the coming months, and past. Keep tuned!
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