Printables has launched its Patreon-like subscription service for creators, and given it a plural name: Printables Clubs.
When we covered the service’s announcement back in May, we knew only the broad details. Creators would be able to set up to five tiers, each with defined benefits, then release subscriber-only content such as exclusive models. Subscribers would pay on a monthly basis. All of this holds true — but now we know the details.
Creators start “Clubs”, for example, to which “supporters” subscribe. Tiers can be priced between $3-$100, with supporters automatically billed at the beginning of each month. Those who join in the middle of a month can pay for the entire month, or a prorated fee plus the full amount for the following month – a solution of which Prusa is “particularly proud”, according to Printables Clubs’ launch blog post. Creating and running a Club is free, although users must be at least level 18 on Printables to do so. Established creators who are new to the platform can submit a portfolio to get around this.
Creators will be able to communicate with their supporters – who earn “loyalty badges” that level up the longer they remain subscribed to a specific creator – in myriad ways, such as welcome messages and polls. They can also access analytics related to club members and overall earnings, as well as offer both commercial and custom licensing.
Rather than PayPal, as Prusa initially suggested, supporters will pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay, with payments processed by Stripe. Prusa will still take a 10% cut that will “help cover the costs of servers, maintenance, and development”.
In celebration of Printables Clubs’ launch, Prusa is running a promo through the end of October. During this time, it will double creators’ earnings up to $10,000, so long as their Club has at least 50 supporters.
In addition to its announcement blog post, Prusa has released a lengthy help article for Printables Clubs creators and supporters that covers all the ins and outs. As for the service’s reception, there’s currently a small amount of back-and-forth about the idea of creators putting their work “behind barriers” in the aforementioned blog’s comments. It’s a fair point, although whether it could “ruin Printables”, as one comment worries, remains to be seen – and for now reads as hyperbole. Let us know what you think of the new service in the comments below.
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