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blackmoonlightexpress · 1 year

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About the mixed response in China & why I think TTEOTM will prevail in the end 💪

Saw the "Badly Received in China?" post earlier and thought to share a longer take on the situation in China, why are there so many antis, and my own predictions on its future.

First, a clarification, TTEOTM has been an massive hit in China. The data speaks for itself in every way you can measure commercial success: viewership, platform membership, app downloads, social media heat index, advertisements, merchandise sales, unintended tourism GDP contribution. The drama has shattered records and outperformed all the recent xianxias, which you'd never dare to expect for a drama with no dingliu (顶流) that airs exclusively in the dead April slot on a platform that's 3rd (sometimes 4th) amongst online streamers. (Some day I'll create a master post just on the stats.)

The only area it falls short on is critical response. It's not just the low Douban rating (opened at 6.x and now dropped to 5.6). The three Bs - Douban, Weibo, and Bilibili (which you can think of as China's IMDB, Twitter, and Youtube) were full of attacks against the show. This included trending topics on how the actors looked (LYX too thin, BL looking old/big/overshadowed by CDL, CDL 照骗 not looking as good as in photo) as well as allegations of plagiarism and drama behind the scenes between cast & crew members. A lot of people watched video edits that twisted the facts and had a poor impression of the drama and even left 1/2-star reviews on Douban without ever watching an episode. (This type of brainwashing is more effective than you'd think. I've been reading a lot of negative posts about the Little Mermaid movie and almost caught myself writing something negative about it without ever watching.)

As all of this unfolded, I kept asking myself, why all the smearing? Who is behind it? And why TTEOTM in particular?

A lot of what appears to be normal user activity is driven by water armies, marketing accounts, and "black" hot search ranking, all paid. This is all backed up by photo evidence captured by netizens. It comes down to commercial interests of rival platforms, productions, actors. This actually happens to every drama that is threatening in some way (almost a proof of success), but TTEOTM attracted more anti $$$. Why? For one, it's seen as the secret weapon that could elevate Youku's status as a 3rd/4th player to a close 2nd to rival and even at times overshadow Tencent. It's no coincidence that, Bilibili, which is owned by Tencent and has way more daily active users than Youku, has promoted hate videos and limited the traffic of fan videos - at some point not even recognizing the drama's Chinese title in search results. (Bilibili used to be a haven for LYX fans and a platform LYX has partnered with extensively. This flipped 180 degrees since he no longer has any unaired dramas with Tencent.)

TTEOTM is also a target for rival productions. It's got big name stars with solid acting reputation, one of the hottest IPs, and high anticipation from all the promotional materials - they've been super loud in letting everyone know that they have better costumes, special effects etc Meanwhile, there's a massive pipeline of unaired xianxia dramas that stick to the old formula and will likely feel dated after people have watched TTEOTM. People even started questioning how some productions with bigger rumored budgets ended up with cheaper-looking promotional materials, costumes, CGI (read: embezzling). So if you've invested in xianxia 101, you'd really want to discredit TTEOTM and stop people from watching it.

But there's also rival fandom jealousy, which is almost worse. Someone asked which fandom is behind it, I would say everyone. There are only so many "resources" to go around in the "entertainment winter" and it's a zero sum game. LYX and BL are both already big stars but still not at the top yet. They are big enough to threaten the dinglius, but not big enough to be accepted as having "made it" by other rising stars. E.g. Yang Mi, Yang Zi, Xiao Zhan receive a lot of hate too, but it's less realistic as a prospect to bring them down. In contrast, the smearing of Bai Lu actually kind of worked. (And I'm really talking about the fans. The actors probably leave it to their agencies/companies.)

Other fandoms are especially bitter in this case because TTEOTM really upset the status quo and commonly accepted truths in a way that kind of discredits everyone else. A lot of the below have been used by fans of dinglius as excuses for when a drama doesn't perform:

Youku is a rubbish platform and Youku exclusive web dramas will never have high viewership

It’s impossible for an actor to break out twice within the same genre

An actor can only develop a big dedicated fan base with CP marketing

Breakout hits are always unanticipated dramas that come out of nowhere

Autumn/Spring is a dead slot. Hits can only come out of the summer and winter holidays.

IMHO A lot of the intense hatred comes from long held beliefs being proven wrong. LYX has always been thought of someone who’s borderline A list and B list, yet the opening viewership of TTEOTM is like double that of dramas led by bigger stars. It would have been less threatening if it started low and slowly gained traction because the drama proved to be good. But the initial hype speaks to the market power of a LYX xianxia, so a lot of people wanted to see it fail and looked for faults everywhere.

Moreover, because TTEOTM had an explosive opening, it did not have enough time for word of mouth to develop before people started bashing it. If you look at Douban ratings, shows that fewer people watched tend to have better reviews because only fans bother to rate it. Starry Love and Back from the Brink, both harshly dismissed as flops by the industry, both have >7.0 on Douban. Meanwhile, people love to hate on a show that is receiving a lot of hype - suddenly they are held to completely different standards even if the budget is similar. Why are people more accepting of the rise of Dylan Wang and Esther Yu in LBFAD? In the end because the expectations were pretty low. They were able to build up a fan base while no one was watching.

Finally, TTEOTM does have lots of production problems, some of their own doing and others not their fault. Either way this left the drama less defensible in the face of scrutiny or tucao (吐槽) culture. The production is very ambitious and took risks, but did not deliver everywhere. It's got parts that look like a blockbuster film and parts that look like a B grade TV show. I personally did not like some of the editing, lighting, cinematography, color grading, special effects, makeup. AND this is precisely the type of production details Chinese viewers LOVE to fixate on. Meanwhile, compared to western viewers, they are more forgiving about things like mediocre acting, dubbing, slow pacing, repetitive tropes or storylines, uninteresting characters. (I think this has something to do with cultural differences around rewarding perfect execution over innovation/risk-taking, sum of the parts over parts that carry the sum.)

And then, there are creative choices that are daring and controversial. These are not problems per se - for every viewer that hates it, someone loves it because it's different. But this perhaps explain why its score has dropped further, even in non-Chinese platforms like MDL, even amongst fans of the show. For example... (spoilers ahead)

Opting for a bad/open ending, knowing that it'll upset some fans, but sticking to it because they feel that it protects the overall integrity of the story (no deus ex machina). Of course, most viewers prefer a happy ending. It would have been easy to just give people what they want. The screenwriter doesn't even have to come up with a new ending for god's sake! However, almost every xianxia that has come before has resurrected the lead character after the big climax. Viewers have been making fun of the cop out: What's the significance of life and death if everyone just reincarnates?

Packing lots of details in a fast-paced, highly complicated, non-linear plot, trusting viewers to be engaged enough to use their brain, rewatch, and discuss outside the show (a bit like Christopher Nolan films). The downside of this is that it's hard to edit out a scene. There's also high risk of viewers getting confused and complaining that the plot makes no sense. Even though most things do if you go several layers down, some rightly point out that they just want to be entertained and the drama should stand on its own.

Making this a male lead centric (大男主) drama, which is rare in the xianxia genre that more recently has targeted young women exclusively. The story shifts from focusing on LSS's mission to TTJ overcoming his fate, perhaps at the expense of the romance (a criticism I see a lot from viewers looking for a pure love story). However, for context, viewers in China (including CCTV itself) have been complaining that the xianxia genre has lost the "xia” (heroism). It's gone from Chinese Paladin, which is about ordinary people overcoming odds to become heroes, to stories that are just about pretty people, who happen to be gods, falling in love since the success of Eternal Love and Journey of the Flower. TTEOTM brings the focus back to "zero to hero" character development, so this is also a change that many welcome.

Allocating a crazy portion of budget and screentime to superhero fight sequences. I agree with all the critics who say these scenes don't add much to the story, the B roll looks better without CGI, and they could have kept other scenes instead. BUT guess which scenes I find myself rewatching and showing off to friends the most? Episodes 14, 15, 32. Because it is thrilling and glorious. Plus after enduring so many Marvel films over the years, I'm pleased to see a version that's genuinely Chinese (not some pan-Asian BS), rooted in our philosophy and martial arts tradition, featuring Chinese faces that have real kungfu training.

Going over the top on aesthetics - colorful costumes, hair accessories, and heavy makeup. A violent reaction against the simple pastel aesthetics that have dominated xianxias over the years. Of course, lots of people hated on the eyeliner and found the extravagant visuals distracting.

However, even with all its flaws, I'm glad it aired and did not wait for perfection. (A lot of May dramas did not go live last minute due to "technical problems" i.e. government censorship. These days, airing = success.) In addition, I predict that over time people will come to appreciate TTEOTM more. Here's why:

1) A lot of dramas now widely lauded as classics started out with poor ratings. Over time, the noise will die down and make way for what really matters - compelling acting and story. Empresses in the Palace (2011) opened with a Douban rating of 2.7 out of 10 (yes, this bad). Viewers didn't like the casting choice. They thought the actors looked bad. There were also issues with the costumes. Over time, its rating increased to 9.4. It's now a show rewatched so loyally that data analysts use its viewership to track market size. Similarly, a lot of the issues people have with TTEOTM are superficial. The things that matter most like acting are good, and even if you dislike the story and editing choices, it did manage to keep 70M people watching and engaged till the end, incl. people who don't watch a lot of TV or like this genre.

2) Moreover, when people look back or rewatch, they tend to focus on just the highlights, and TTEOTM is full of memorable scenes. There are also so many standout memes/gags (出圈梗) that will live in our cultural fabric forever. Fans on Douban were surveyed on who they would have chosen as the director instead and still overwhelming "rehired" Kuk Kok Leung. Biases aside, I think people realize that you could have a better executed drama overall - higher production value, greater consistency, more attention to detail, BUT you might also lose a lot of the things we loved. I don't know if another director would have allowed TTJ go full creepy/evil/weak in the first few episodes or filmed all the steamy love scenes without a modesty backlight. TTEOTM feels so different because it breaks ALL the rules (see above) that I'm not sure if dramas in the future will try to replicate. If they do, TTEOTM would have started a trend. If they don't, TTEOTM will remain the only option.

3) Only dramas that inspire passion will stand the test of time. There are plenty of dramas that score well but don't inspire passion - they will fade away over time. The TTEOTM fan community is intense - there's so much discussion and engagement everywhere. Its Douban group is the #3 most active ever (measured by # of comments). Its MDL page has 68K comments, highest of all aired CDrama. Its Douyin topic has close to 29B views, highest of all costume drama. (Interesting to note that TTEOTM has an excellent reputation on Douyin, the platform with the most active users and least amount of toxic fan activity.) Fans have spent >25M RMB on merchandise, an unprecedented amount - 3M RMB on a character that appears for <10 mins (OG Devil God). It's got to have done something right because this is way more buying power than the fans of LYX and BL combined. And in my N=1, I've not been this excited about a franchise since Game of Thrones and then Harry Potter.

Bottom line, you might have liked it, liked it with regrets, hated it... but if you're spending the time to read this post, all the way till the end, you've become a luna-tic (or 烬神病人)!

#till the end of the moon #black moonlight holds the be script #luo yunxi #bai lu #tantai jin #ye xiwu #chang yue jin ming #chinese drama #cdrama

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twopoppies · 5 days

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https://www.tumblr.com/twopoppies/762188095662735360/wow-looks-like-irving-just-made-himself-a-boat

i don’t understand any of this stuff, but i thought harry was the owner of his music? with erskine and all that. is it the distribution rights that were sold? sorry, i’m dumb when it comes to this

These questions are in reference to this anon I got last night:

As far as I understand (and please someone correct me if I’m wrong or left something out), GMR is a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, SEASAC, or BMI.

What is a PRO?

The way people and businesses play, purchase, listen to, and consume music has changed drastically in recent times. Revenues related to purchases of physical media and downloads are fading. Now, the attention is turning more than ever towards other sources of royalty revenues, such as performance rights. PROs play a major role collecting these rights and they monitor the compliance of businesses playing music in public.

PROs are in charge of administering the rights of songwriters and publishers. These duties include the collection and distribution of royalties on their behalf. It would be practically impossible for these creators to pick up their royalties one by one. There are too many instances, from digital platforms to physical venues, in which where their rights are being used. This network of agencies work to make sure that people pay all the royalties. In order to do this, they have close contact with different music platforms and checking physical locations, to collect and distribute them on the creators behalf.

From what I understand, Azoff’s stated intention in forming this group was to make sure artists were paid their fare share of royalties, given that the rules hadn’t been updated to take into account the current ways people consume music.

From GMR’s website:

Basically, any business that uses music (or portions of music) in a public way must pay to license that music from GMR (or any of the other three PROs).

Who needs to buy a license?

So, if you have a restaurant that plays music in the background, if you use music when people are out on hold when they call your business, if you have a store that plays music while people shop… you have to have a license so that the artists/songwriters are paid each time their work is used.

More details here x

Are there any exceptions? Yes.

The only exception is for broadcast radio and tv in businesses under 2000 square feet (3750 square feet for restaurants). Note: this rule applies only to “over-the-air” broadcasts, not internet streams or any other source of music. You’ll also be playing any DJ banter, unfiltered lyrics, and commercials for your competitors. Plus, there may be additional fees based on your type of establishment. For example, if you own a restaurant or bar that features live music, if there is a fee for entering your establishment, or if there is a physical activity coordinated with the music (such as public skating or dancing).

What is UMPG?

UMPG is an enormous music publishing company that offers a variety of different services. These range from administration services to creative services and much more.

They offer their services to companies including Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, Disney Europe (and other territories), Viacom, Amazon, HBO, DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation, Legendary Pictures, Mar Vista Entertainment, NBC and Sesame Workshop, among many others.

Universal Music Publishing Group’s Film & TV Department creates opportunities for and licenses their catalog of songs to film, television, advertising, computer games, and stage production. This is often referred to as ‘synchronization’.

UMPG focuses on traditional music publishing, licensing songs for use in film, TV, commercials, and more, and handling royalties for its songwriters. GMR focuses on managing public performance rights for a select group of high-profile artists. It offers more personalized and tailored services but is invitation-only, making it more selective and exclusive than UMPG.

Harry seems to have his music listed with both companies, as they handle different aspects of royalties.

TL;DR As far as I can tell (and I'm far from an expert), this all boils down to:

Erskine Records is primarily concerned with the release and distribution of Harry's music, partnering with Sony for wider reach. This covers the production, distribution, and promotion aspects of his music.

UMPG (Universal Music Publishing Group) manages his publishing rights. They handle songwriting royalties, licensing his music for use in films, TV, commercials, and other media, and collecting royalties when his songs are performed, played on the radio, or streamed online.

GMR (Global Music Rights) deals with performance rights. They ensure that when Styles' music is publicly performed (e.g., at concerts, in public spaces, etc., as explained above), the proper royalties are collected and distributed to him.

Additionally, we don't know how much of the GMR catalog has been sold. Nor do we know what the private equity firm plans to do with what it's bought. From the bit of research I've done, it seems that there is a move toward selling catalogs to private equity firms. For those firms, owning these rights is about more than passive income—it's about actively enhancing the value of the music through aggressive licensing, smarter technology, and even repackaging or reselling portions of the catalog for a higher return.

More info on that here and here

That's the best I can offer for now.

#long post #irving azoff #global music rights #erskine records #harry's career #music business #music industry #gmr #gmr sells catalog

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theambitiouswoman · 2 years

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Ways to make money online (a lot of these don’t even require upfront costs)

Dropshipping

E-commerce brand

NFTs

Crypto staking

Swing trading

Blogging

Affiliate marketing

Becoming a big brand affiliate

Click bank

Print on demand using Etsy

Print on demand using Pinterest

Print on demand Shopify- advertising TikTok

UGC

Content creating agency

Ads creation agency

UGC agency

Website agency

Creating websites and selling them on flippa

Creating music lyric videos on YT

Customer service

Online business service platforms

Amazon

Paid surveys

Reselling books on amazon

Online courses

Coaching and mentoring

Virtual assistant

Google Adsense

Social media manager

Become a cyber friend

Foot porn lol

Facebook marketplace

Testing games

Poshmark

Udemy

Matched bets

Ebay

Flipping social media accounts

Selling shout outs

Arbritage

Flipping domains

Sports betting

#make money with affiliate marketing #make money on facebook #make money from home #make money online #start a business

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the-final-sif · 2 years

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Honestly, I think this past week with Elon Musk just kinda goes to show how much better Tumblr's longer, slower game is.

Like, take revenue sources. Hosting is expensive and those bills do need to get paid to have a functional website. So how do you go about earning money as a website in an ethical manner without locking out users that can't pay?

It's true that tumblr struggles a lot with advertisers, it has for a long time. Ads are the number one way that most websites earn money from their users, so that's a big problem.

So what did tumblr do? Tumblr made a really smart pivot when it realized that it's userbase wasn't a good market for ads. It looked to establish a more direct payment model and look to it's users as consumers rather than products.

The ad-free for 5$ a month is honestly a sound model. Sure, you can always use ad-block, but you can also chose to offer payment to the site directly if you have the ability to do so. Allowing users to blaze posts is also a really good choice because it removes the part of advertisements that is the real problem (the ad targeting and privacy invasion). Allowing users to operate patron like blogs or tip bloggers is also a great secondary revenue source that works well for both the site and the bloggers.

Tumblr "gifts" are one of the best ideas they've had. 3$ to send your friend some crabs for 24 hours? Hell yeah. It's tiny little bonuses that you absolutely don't need, but you can use to provide a little bit of joy to someone else for a small price. By and large, these features are all reasonably priced, and allow tumblr to get revenue without locking their users out of important features or selling user data. This is honestly one of the ways that I can see the internet moving forward in a much healthier direction.

Compare the reaction to tumblr's "ad-free for 5$" model to the reaction to Elon Musk's "checkmark for 8$" model. While your mileage may vary, my experience with the ad-free offer was a generally positive reaction from the userbase. Some people were neutral or dismissive, but there certainly wasn't outrage.

Meanwhile, Elon's dumbass idea has drawn massive outrage, and had to be delayed because it was a legitimate threat to US elections. Because Elon isn't selling an ad free optional experience, he's selling the ability to participate on the platform, impersonate other people, and effectively cutting off a huge amount of the userbase. That's a big part of why there's been so much outrage and such a mass exodus.

Since Automattic took over, they've been slowly working to make genuinely good changes that both maintain what makes tumblr work, while improving existing issues with the site and opening up better options in the future. While I certainly have criticism of them, it's a hell of a better path to go down then whatever the hell's been going on at Twitter and Facebook's dumb choices.

We'll see how all of this plays out, but I've got a feeling that tumblr's dedication to maintaining functionality & working on repairing it's relationship to it's userbase will play out better in the long term. Who knows though.

#sif speaks #tumblr culture #twitter migration #long post #just thinking thoughts

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political-land · 2 months

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Amazon Paid Almost $1 Billion for Twitch in 2014. It’s Still Losing Money

In 2014, Amazon made a significant splash by purchasing Twitch for nearly $1 billion. The acquisition aimed to strengthen Amazon's foothold in the booming live-streaming and gaming industry. Despite Twitch's immense popularity, a decade later, the platform is still grappling with financial losses.

A Strategic Investment

Amazon's decision to acquire Twitch was driven by the platform's rapid growth and its potential to dominate the live-streaming market. Launched in 2011, Twitch quickly became the leading destination for gamers to broadcast their gameplay and engage with fans. The acquisition was seen as a way for Amazon to diversify and tap into the expanding digital entertainment sector.

Popularity Without Profit

Twitch's user base has continued to grow, attracting over 30 million daily visitors. The platform hosts a variety of content, including gaming, music, art, and talk shows, making it a cultural phenomenon. Major events like TwitchCon draw large audiences, both online and offline, showcasing the platform's broad appeal.

However, despite its popularity, Twitch has struggled to turn a profit. The costs of maintaining and expanding the platform are substantial, with significant investments in infrastructure and payments to top streamers. Competition from other platforms like YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming further complicates Twitch's financial situation.

Financial Challenges

One of Twitch's main financial challenges is the immense data requirements to support its vast number of streams. The platform relies on powerful servers to handle millions of live broadcasts simultaneously. Additionally, Amazon's continued investments in Twitch, including exclusive content deals and streamer incentives, put additional pressure on the platform's budget.

Although Twitch generates revenue through advertisements, subscriptions, and bits (Twitch's virtual currency), these earnings have not been sufficient to cover the high operational costs. Amazon remains committed to Twitch, hoping to eventually achieve profitability through new strategies and revenue models.

Future Prospects

Despite these financial hurdles, Amazon is dedicated to Twitch's success. The company is exploring various approaches to enhance Twitch's profitability, such as deeper integration with Amazon Prime and exclusive partnerships. These initiatives aim to secure Twitch's market position and improve its financial health.

Show Your Twitch Spirit!

While Twitch works towards a profitable future, you can show your support by getting some awesome Twitch merchandise. Check out the Twitch Core Logo Tee and proudly wear your passion for Twitch. It's a fun way to back the community and look stylish too! #ad

Conclusion

Amazon's acquisition of Twitch was a visionary move that has kept the platform at the forefront of live-streaming. Despite ongoing financial challenges, Twitch remains a beloved platform with a dedicated user base. With Amazon's continued support and innovative strategies, there's hope that Twitch will eventually achieve profitability while continuing to offer top-notch entertainment and community engagement.

#Twitch #amazon #livestream #streamers #trendin

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shoutoutcommerce · 6 months

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Harnessing the Power of Digital Marketing in E-commerce: Strategies That Convert

In the fast-evolving world of e-commerce, leveraging effective digital marketing strategies is not just an option—it's a necessity. At The Big Shoutout, we've mastered the art of turning browsing into buying, driving both traffic and conversions. This post explores cutting-edge strategies that can transform your e-commerce business.

The Importance of SEO in E-commerce: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the backbone of digital visibility. For e-commerce businesses, SEO not only helps you appear first in search results but also ensures you are visible to the right audience. Our approach involves a thorough keyword analysis tailored to your niche, enhancing site structure for better crawlability, and creating content that engages and converts.

Leveraging Social Media for Brand Engagement: Social media platforms are invaluable for e-commerce brands looking to engage directly with their customer base. At The Big Shoutout, we specialize in creating targeted social media campaigns that resonate with your demographic, encourage sharing, and drive sales. We'll dive into successful case studies where we've transformed likes and shares into tangible sales growth.

Email Marketing: The Direct Line to Sales: Often underestimated, email marketing holds a significant ROI potential for e-commerce. Whether it's through personalized offers, cart abandonment strategies, or new product launches, our targeted email campaigns build a direct connection with your customers and keep them returning.

Paid Advertising: Maximizing ROI: Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can be a game-changer if executed correctly. We focus on optimizing ad spend to achieve the highest return, targeting users who are most likely to convert, and analyzing data to refine our strategies continually.

Conclusion: Digital marketing in the e-commerce space is about combining creativity with analytics. At The Big Shoutout, we bring these elements together to help your business thrive in a competitive market. Want to see how we can boost your digital presence? Visit us at The Big Shoutout - About Us to start transforming your e-commerce strategy today.

#digital marketing #ig story #black entrepreneurship #black community #online marketing #social media marketing #insta #marketing #DigitalMarketing #Ecommerce #MarketingStrategies #OnlineBusiness #SEO #SocialMediaMarketing #ContentMarketing #EcommerceTips #BusinessGrowth #MarketingTrends

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cyle · 1 year

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I'm curious and I've gotta ask: do you know anything about the old MMORPG "Star Wars Galaxies"?

tl;dr it turned into a cautionary tale about chasing new users at the expense of alienating existing users, and among MMO gamers over a certain age, it's infamous

however, it's the exception, not the rule: the majority of the MMO market's history seems to show that a game and/or service -can- survive major changes, -if- those changes are gradual and continual, mixed with changes desired by the existing userbase, and not fully committing the product to a niche already filled by another company's product

that said, Tumblr doesn't have a lot of time to be gradual with its efforts to adapt, considering Automattic has already been nursing it at a loss since 2019...

but on the bright side, the current chaos among social media platforms offers some opportunities and wiggle room that never really opened up in the constantly overcrowded MMO market. like, some Tumblr users seem to think imitating Twitter in any way is a bad business plan, and they cite the fact Twitter is failing. but Twitter isn't failing because of its sidebar design, it's failing because of Elon Musk. imitating certain aspects of it is just free real estate at this point

funny you should mention SWG, i know it quite intimately. the official SWG forum was the first message board i ever joined, and i was highly active in that community for many years. up until very recently, i was still hosting a message board that was started as an SWG fan board. the people i know from that are some of the people i've known longest through the internet, and in my life actually, so it's close to my heart.

to unpack your thoughts here though, i think SWG is an interesting case study that actually supports our strategy, but really it doesn't quite fit because it's fundamentally a different model. MMOs are primarily subscription based (they were when SWG was out) or now freemium, and tumblr and most social media is funded by advertising. the underlying monetization mechanics are totally different, leading to totally different priorities.

if people on the internet were willing to pay to fully fund a social media network, either through a freemium model or a subscription, removing itself from VC funding and advertising, then the comparison between MMOs and social media platforms would make a little more sense. then it'd be much more easy for us, inside of tumblr, to prioritize existing paid customers, when those customers are a significant (or the primary) revenue stream. that would be pretty amazing!!!

and from my perspective, the "current chaos among social media platforms" is much smaller than it seems. i think the media just enjoys writing about this stuff, and overblowing it, and platforms like meta and tiktok are doing silly things mostly to grab that free attention. while certainly more people than ever are willing to try out other platforms, the raw numbers of how they retain / "stick" when they do make that move seem to be abysmal so far.

if anything, right now on the internet, the stage is perfectly set for something radically new to come along and completely blow away the incumbents, including meta and tiktok. i think web3 has already failed (thankfully), and AI is a tool (not a platform), and VR is too expensive and inaccessible, so something else is gonna pop up and become big. it's been a long while since a truly amazingly innovative product came along to shake the foundations of the internet. we're overdue.

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coldalbion · 1 year

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Like Covid, climate change will force more artists away from traditional opportunities for community and inspiration. The pandemic turned drag Twitch streamer DEERE into a full-timer; as a makeup artist, her gigs vanished. So she focused on her passions: drag, horror games, and streaming. Early in the pandemic, comedian Jenny Yang created and hosted Comedy Crossing, a twice-monthly standup show streamed over Zoom from inside the game Animal Crossing. Throughout 2020, it raised more than $40,000 for Black Lives Matter. “I’m in this industry and have dedicated my life to it because I want to be part of a conversation,” she says. “To me the collective conversation is what makes life meaningful.” BOARLORD is an indie game developer who “pivoted to porn” (and Patreon) during the pandemic after working in tech, where she discovered “the naked hatred they all have for cultural production.” It was there she found her place. “I am not trying to capture the largest audience. I’m being hyper-specific, sometimes to my detriment," she says of her work. Or, to put it another way, DEERE, Yang, and BOARLORD all found their own ways of seizing the means of production, of audience-building. It's the same thing Black Girl Nerds CEO Jamie Broadnax discovered live-tweeting Scandal years earlier. “I didn’t know I was building a community,” Broadnax says. “I was tired of waiting for a seat at the table, so I built my own table.” The appeal of becoming one’s own studio head is obvious. “Take TikTok,” says Clifton. “You have teens with a more polished presence online than most companies, who have become TikTok experts seemingly overnight, and their work just keeps getting more and more professional-grade.” But in a world where everyone is a brand, no one can be a star. And influencers have discovered what porn performers already knew: Platforms are fickle. Content guidelines, corporate ownership, and payment structures can change overnight, without explanation. Much like humans have permanently altered and unsettled the natural world, online ecosystems for fans and creators have experienced rolling shocks in response to technology. Just as users find another den, it’s burned down. The story of the internet is the story of America itself: a seemingly limitless landscape transformed into a shopping mall populated by the same handful of brands, products, and voices. MacDonald tells me that what’s important about pornography isn’t what it can tell us about entertainment but what it can tell us about how platforms will treat people in the future. “Porn workers are the canaries in the coal mine. They are the first ones to be censored, demonetized, deprioritized in recommender systems, shadow-banned,” MacDonald says. And their vulnerability will soon be everyone’s. “Porn workers are at the bleeding edge of showing that if we don’t address this unilaterally and quickly, next it will be queer video gamers, and after that it will be certain political opinions, and that is alarming. That should concern everyone.” To understand how the American media landscape fractured, one must first understand the brands that forged it. According to Faris Yakob, cofounder of creative consultancy Genius Steals and author of Paid Attention, advertisers created the neutral “view from nowhere” voice in media. In the 19th and 20th centuries, national brands looking to grow customers wouldn’t partner with biased publications. But everything changed when ad tech arrived. “People started tagging their digital media buys so it wouldn’t appear next to topics like homosexuality, or Covid, to avoid getting into clusters,” Yakob says. “But that means that the news isn’t being funded. If you can pick and choose what topics to fund in news, you can distort what is being reported on, to some degree.”

This a fantastic article that touches on so much

#sag aftra #writers strike #queer #media

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fanonsupremecy · 1 month

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When you're watching Dragon Tales but the pirating site crashed not even 5 mins into the first episode and now you wanna cry-

Dragon Tales, Tutenstien, Kenny The Shark and Growing Up Creepie were my core memories and its so sad I can only watch them on pirating sites- 🥺

how can people be mad about pirating sites when sometimes it's the only place you can watch something...

like maybe if yall cared more about cinematic masterpieces I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

like even the new monster high series wasn't on any of the platforms that it was advertised to be on... like what do you mean a brand new show could only be found on a pirating site...

Like MATTEL I will throttle you if you continue testing me (also give me season 2. I need more of clawdlaura.)

Edit for update: It's on prime but you have to really search and it's 20 usd per season. And apparently there is a season 2 but there's only 7 eps. Mattel I swear- quit testing me istg. (This is why people fucking pirate i swear and corporations can do this because it's their monopoly. Pun not intended but isn't it funny that the corporation with the biggest monopoly has a game about it. I've NEVER paid 20 for ONE season of a show EVEN when I was buying DVDs of them!)

#i honestly dont know #how do i even tag this #aspens rants #dragon tales #kenny the shark #tutenstein #growing up creepie #pirating #pirating sites #why do i even have to #honestly skill issue on their part #dont blame me just cuz youre dumb #monster high g3 #monster high #clawd wolf #draculaura #clawdlaura #is that even their shipname

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net-craft · 3 months

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App Monetization: A Guide for App Developers in Scottsdale, AZ

The mobile app market is booming, with millions of apps available across various categories. But creating a fantastic app is only half the battle. For app developers in Scottsdale AZ, like those at Net-Craft.com, a crucial question remains: how will your app generate revenue?

This article explores various app monetization strategies, helping you choose the best approach for your app and target audience.

Understanding Your App and Audience

Before diving into monetization models, it's vital to understand your app and its target audience. Here are some key factors to consider:

App Category and Functionality: Is your app a game, a productivity tool, a social media platform, or something else entirely? Its category and functionalities will influence user behavior and suitable monetization options.

Target Audience: Who are you building your app for? Understanding their demographics, spending habits, and preferred app interaction styles is crucial for choosing an effective monetization strategy.

User Acquisition Costs: How much will it cost to acquire new users for your app? Factor in these costs when determining your monetization strategy to ensure long-term profitability.

Popular App Monetization Strategies

Once you have a firm grasp of your app and audience, let's explore some of the most popular app monetization strategies:

Freemium Model: This widely used model offers a basic version of your app for free, with premium features or functionalities available through in-app purchases (IAPs) or subscriptions. This allows users to try your app before committing, while generating revenue from those who find value in the premium features.

Paid App Model: This model requires users to pay a one-time fee to download and use your app. This strategy can be suitable for high-quality, niche apps offering a complete experience without needing additional purchases. However, it can limit your user base compared to the freemium model.

Subscription Model: This model provides users with full access to your app's features for a recurring fee (monthly, annually). This can be a great option for apps that offer ongoing value, like productivity tools, fitness trackers, or content streaming services.

In-App Advertising: This strategy involves displaying targeted ads within your app. You can earn revenue based on impressions (number of times the ad is displayed), clicks, or even completed actions within the ad (e.g., downloading another app).

In-App Purchases: This model allows users to purchase virtual goods or services within your app, such as additional lives in a game, premium filters for a photo editing app, or expanded features in a productivity tool.

Choosing the Right Monetization Strategy for Your Scottsdale App

The best app monetization strategy depends on several factors specific to your app. Here are some key considerations:

Target Audience: Millennials and Gen Z may be more receptive to in-app purchases and subscriptions, while older demographics might prefer a paid app model.

App Complexity and Value Proposition: Complex, feature-rich apps with ongoing value may benefit from subscriptions, while simpler apps might be better suited for a freemium model with IAPs.

Market Competition: Analyze how similar apps in your category are monetized. Consider offering a competitive yet profitable model.

Additional Considerations for Scottsdale App Developers

Here are some additional tips for app developers in Scottsdale AZ, to keep in mind when choosing a monetization strategy:

User Experience is Key: Don't prioritize monetization over user experience. Intrusive ads or excessive in-app purchases can frustrate users and lead to churn.

A/B Testing: Test different monetization strategies and pricing models to see what resonates best with your audience.

Data Analytics: Leverage app analytics data to understand user behavior and optimize your monetization strategy for maximum profitability.

Partnering with Leading Mobile App Developers in Scottsdale

Net-Craft.com, a team of Scottsdale AZ App Development Experts, understands the importance of effective app monetization. We can help you choose the most suitable strategy for your app, design a seamless user experience, and integrate monetization features seamlessly.

We are passionate about helping Scottsdale app developers create successful apps that not only provide value to users but also generate sustainable revenue. Contact Net-Craft.com today to discuss your app and explore how we can turn your vision into a thriving mobile application.

Know more https://www.net-craft.com/blog/2024/06/21/app-developers-scottsdale-monetization/

#App Developers #arizona #scottsdale #AZ #Scottsdale App #Scottsdale App Developers

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jessiarts · 2 years

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I hate that corporations hoard many of the world's stories.

I hate that corporations make all this money from the stories they hoard, yet will work the artists they employ to create their movies and shows to the bone, forcing long hours and insufficient pay.

I also hate that those same corporations will see fit to come for everything a fan owns if that fan decides to produce fan content for sale or commission when whatever money that fan might have made will come to but a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what that corporation will rake-in during a month from their hoard of stories. What makes it more upsetting is that fan content is often better too, made from the heart of someone who loved the story and wanted to share, as opposed to cheap mass produced stuff thought up only for it's ability to make sales. And I hate that the workers who mass produce those products also aren't likely paid or treated fairly.

I also hate that these corporations can decide to just... wipe any story from the face of the earth for a tax break and the creators of those stories can't do anything about it, and I hate more that the rights to those stories don't return to them.

I hate that certain platforms, which allow smaller creators of content or stories to host said content for free on a monetized platform, only give those creators pennies on the dollar of every ad, when the platform literally could not exist without all the content all those creators make- and while the CEOs make millions. And I hate how said platforms force the creators to censor themselves to death, and often remove or demonetize their content for unclear reasons that they refuse to explain, all to be "Advertiser Friendly."

I hate that if content isn't consumed immediately, the content dies, that shows get cancelled for stuff like "completion rates." I hate how we're not allowed to just enjoy our stories at own own pace anymore if we want them to survive. I hate that we must consume more and more to "prove" the story's worthiness to producers or stakeholders or whoever, or risk losing it.

I hate how capitalism has woven into our storytelling, and I hate how capitalism has bled into fandom.

I hate how fandom has become less about community and sharing what we love- even years after a story has ended, and more about who can finish a series fast enough to produce enough content before they have to move onto the next thing everyone else is watching. And I hate how the fan content is thanklessly consumed and more is demanded as if the creators themselves are vending machines meant only to serve instead of members of the community with thoughts and feelings and their own love for the story.

And I hate how we all now call things like art, stories, music, etc: "content."

And I hate that capitalism has made it so that if you are a creator of any such media, you must participate in capitalism in order to share it to a wider audience, and I hate how capitalism has also made us believe that if our work doesn't reach a massive audience then we've failed or our creation was meaningless/not good.

And I wonder how many wonderful stories none of us will experience because the game of capitalism choked them out before we could hear them.

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