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Would you prefer monthly instead of per video? (Patreon)

Published:
2016-03-10 00:54:37
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hmmm... I've got a bit of a dilemma and I'm pondering how to resolve it.

This week I unpacked the archived footage for the next Arma bullshittery, did some basic editing for Fishing Planet & Farming Simulator. And for a full horror episode of Outlast. And I quickly spotted a problem. The length of many of the videos I have to work on is drastically different. 

Normally I'd just go "no problem" and put the short footage back into storage and wait until I recorded more with the clan 'some day' to reach that average 10 minutes (after all, I'd only have time to release one video a month before I was full-time anyway). 

Now though, since there's lots of time to edit, and some games might not see a 'some day' from ZF again,  it would make more sense to release these shorter bits between larger bi-weekly works. For example, if I'm spending 2 weeks working on an 18 minute Outlast video, a brief 5 minute giggle of me and Cyanide playing Fishing Planet could be put in the weekend in between.

The problem is: you'd be pledging the same amount for a really long or a really short Youtube video. And that doesn't sit well with me. Some of you are very generous in your donations. Nicolas for example is donating $100 per episode. And LazyBoy is giving $75. I'd frankly be mortified to ask that for something as short as 2 minute video. And then Youtube commentors would be quick to assert I'm selling out and deliberately chopping up content for the Patreon $$$

A single flat monthly thing seems more...sensible to me. I'd still focus on making as many videos as possible in a monthly period (aiming for 10 minutes). But won't feel so bad about releasing shorter videos in the downtime between really big ones.

Please tell me your thoughts below. 

But there's a poll here too - http://strawpoll.me/7040328

Files

Comments

SovietWomble

Sorry for the essay there. I need to pop to bed so will respond to comments tomorrow morning :)

Sebastian Hilden madsen

I would definitly pay per month, since i can donate a bit more than just 3 dollars. If you would make it monthly i would gladly donate 10 dollars, maybe even more. :)

Valentin Diaz

I would definitely be up for a flat monthly payment

Anders Haglund

Can't you just release the shorter videos straight to youtube without going through patreon?

Oké Acton (ockyy)

I'd like to do monthly, as at the moment I'm pledging a smaller amount than I'd like to as I don't know how much content to expect. A monthly pledge would allow me to maximise my pledge :)

Bensemus

Like others have said if you move to monthly I can afford to donate more. I'm currently only donating $3 so I'm not greatly effected.

SovietWomble

Additionally, Patreon describes the two different ways with the following: "In general, creators who post regularly choose the monthly model. Creators who post less often - once a month, once every few months - choose per content to avoid charging patrons when there is little to no activity ". So that does sound like I fit the first option.

WillemDefault

Sounds good to me, if it means more regular content then I'm all for a monthly pledge. I really like the idea of those smaller videos in between waits for longer ones. EDIT: And obviously a monthly pledge would mean I'd be able to donate more! EDIT 2: And that poster image is amazing. Will you be doing posters as merchandise soon? I'd definitely buy a poster of the image above!

Ryan Schubert

Go with monthly. I'd be concerned if you felt it necessary to pad-out episodes with weaker content instead of making a cut that has good parts from multipile videos.

indoorwater

I find monthly payments to be the better option. It gives me a better idea of what I will be paying per month.

Dena

I was cool with the per video back when you weren't doing this full time, cos there'd only be a few of them per month max anyway, but now they're more often i think monthly would be better. I have a max pledge amount on mine for that reason :)

K. Lenae

I'm fine either way, I have my per video pledge limit set up just anyways so not much will change.

Paul Desmond

I think monthly as some people would feel more comfortable donating more per month than per video. I know I would.

Domille's Wondrous Works

Yes, Womble, I think monthly is a good idea! It makes things much simpler and as some mentioned here, a lot of people will up their pledge if they know how much they would pay out at the end. And it would give you more freedom to post whatever you want without the pressure.

Maestro

Well, it really doesn't make that much of a difference if you're paying a monthly flat fee or if you're paying per video with a checked maximum amount per month. If you don't give a fuck and are willing to support a quality content creator regardless of whether you are paying for three short videos and getting another three long videos extra, or if you're paying the same amount for three long videos and getting three short videos extra.. So yeah, doesn't matter to me personally, but I guess the general consensus is that a fixed amount per month would be preferable, because people seem to need to be able to plan their life down to tiniest of details. Whatever you decide, you are probably going to be able to make a living of it. .. /rambling.. do what keeps the masses happy ;)

Jacob Colvin

Hey Womble, this is kind of important so please read this: People do NOT have to pay for every episode. When you pledge, you are asked the max amount you are willing to spend per month. So, by doing per-video, you are essentially doing monthly for those who want that, and you also let some people donate a bit more. For instance, I highly doubt your high donors allow an unlimited amount of money to leave their accounts. Per video is much better, in my opinion, for this reason.

Ryan Schubert

A concern that didn't occur to me prior is how would a monthly model affect your ability to do this full time. If you do go monthly, would you still make enough to stay at that threshold?

Angunnguaq

If you tell you supporters to set their monthly limit, I'm fine with either. I would up my pledge if you set it to monthly, and I'd adjust my monthly pledge limt if you go by video. Either way, as long as you notify us of which you settle, on it's all good to me :)

Romeo

Personally, I would want a single lengthy video per month as it would be both fair to you (since you don't have to stress yourself out with lots of videos to edit in a month) and to the patrons. Best of luck and have fun. :D

War_lord

Yeah, I think monthly is the best way to go, considering that the number of videos made per month, and the length of those videos, is something that's inherently unpredictable, and most adults like having predicable finances for sensible reasons, so people would pledge more and stay pledged longer if it was a monthly amount. Plus you'd be able to release shorter filler videos without feeling like you're screwing anyone, and you can take more time editing your longer videos since you're not directly dependent on pushing out content for your pay.

Pikxl

As others have noted, there is a max amount you can specify to donate for Patreon. I do like the idea of one or two really long videos and a couple shorter ones sprinkled in-between. And in that case, monthly does sound like a better fit for this new release schedule you are proposing. Vote Womble 2016

Kevin Guanziroli

I think it's pretty clear people would prefer monthly, per video was better before but not anymore. I also vote for monthly because it will help you more plan your budget. In any case we love you and love to support you Womble :)

Matej Padežanin

So, i agree with WillemDefault. I'm subbed on Twitch, but if i could choose, i'd subb here, since you get more out of it. Money, that is. And i can't really do "per episode" since publishing is random, and my financial situation is a bit complicated, so i can't leave any cash on my bank account, which means the pledge doesn't go through and i seem like a bit of a cheater. So, making a monthly flat here would be great, and i too would then be able to give a bit bigger pledge, since i could plan ahead for it. P.s.: that WOULD mean not subbing on Twitch anymore, can't do both, unfortunately. :(

xTrekStorex

since you can always set a maximum amount to pledge per month (for example 3 times/3 videos) it is actually not that different from a monthly pledge. the only difference is that if there is no video or less than that amount in one month, you dont pledge the full amount. in that way it seems more fair. I dont really care if I pledge you those 6€ for 3 videos or 6€/month - I appreciate your content and thats all that matters. Also you keep releasing stuff at your own pace so there is no need to keep you driven just to reach the maximum amount of pledges per month - that would also hurt content quality imo. Everyone should just plan out their financials and set their maximum number of pledges to what they would like to spend per month so ultimately it doesnt make a difference in the total amount. ;)

LazyboyLP

The monthly pledges would be very good for me because I can calculate better what I have left and I could give a good amount And I would have no problem with it. I think most people (including me) would pledge more money on monthly bases because of the calculations I mentioned. You know better what you are having if you have a good overview. And since most bills and other things are payed monthly that would make it a lot easier. That's my opinion on that. LazyboyLP

Lyzair

Even though you can also insert a monthly limit in the money/video-option, I would prefer the monthly-option. Cause as somebody already said you can calculate better and you can just upload any video length and don't be bothered by that. ^^ By the way: Who has drawn that picture? It's awesome :D

Elenneth

This is very professional and ethical from you, good job Stewart. I also, like someone else, set a maximum amount of 3$ per month, which to this has to be added the twitch subscription (I would love to give you more because you deserve it, but because I'm not working fully atm, this is sadly going to be difficult to achieve for the time being). This being said, for me it would be the same, and I wouldn't mind spend the same amount of money for months with shorter videos sometimes. But if I can have the choice, I tend to prefer the monthly flat solution, so I could manage better my finances and maybe even increase my pledge, so you can throw more panties-parties in your 5 feet long flat. Much love from Italy. Cheers p.s. Did you draw that portrait of yours up there? Naah, I'm just fucking with you, you can be THAT good in doing something, am I right?

Kevin Guanziroli

This must be soo heartwarming for you Soviet to hear all theses people saying they wish to give you more. It is an amazing achievement, you are probably very proud. (And deserve it fully believe it or not)

Tomelollol

If I could I would definitely raise my pledge, but money is sadly an issue for me right now. Monthly is something I personally prefer but that is only because of my current situation, otherwise I wouldn't have a problem with pledging for every video.

TheUnihorse

This is very thoughtful and kind of you Womble, it really shows that you do care about your supporters and see them more as people, not a number beside the subscribe button. Even though I don't donate very much (because of my finances atm) it really doesn't affect me, but since I've been giving you money based on videos so far, and that number is constantly changing, I'd feel much more safe and "confident" in increasing my donation to you since I know that a payment only will occur once a month. So in short, yes I would prefer a monthly instead of a per-video payment model. Thanks again for being so considerate of your audience, very much appreciated from all of us!

Irockasingranite

First of all, thank you asking your supporters on things like this, I think everyone can tell you're really trying to do the right thing, and that's awesome. Now, here is what I think. Philosophically, I'd prefer the setting to stay on a per video basis. Not that I think you'd get lazy and not produce anything (if anything the issue seems to be you producing "too much" content), but I just really like how that system rewards creators very directly for their work. There is an option to set a monthly maximum to your pledges, which I'm using because I don't have much money to spare and I need tight control over what I spend. BUT, with the amount of videos you're producing lately, this means I'm effectively ALREADY doing a monthly pledge, because you'll always hit my monthly limit. I've seen the poll results so far, and it's likely you're going to switch to a monthly system. I'll set my monthly pledge to what used to be my monthly limit and nothing will change for me, and I think this will be the case for lots of people. Then there's the people that pledged really high amounts per episode, who probably don't have a monthly limit set. And I think you're right, it would be questionable to make shorter videos under those circumstances. So, in principle, while I like the IDEA of a per episode pledge (with a monthly limit) more, in practice a monthly pledge might be the more ethical way in this case. Because I'm sure we all want to see the short videos just as much as the long ones, and noone wants you to feel guilty for making them.

Chris van der Watt

Thanks for taking the time to speak to us, we appreciate your work and the openness that you operate with. Personally I like monthly pledge since it's an easy way to cap a pledge (can't have you balling around Brighton) but it does put you at a disadvantage if you're turning out more videos one month than the next etc. Either way, hope we can all work something out whereby you get the best in terms of support and our Womble & Friends obsession is satisfied.

Rallymen007

Maybe pack all the smaller videos into a 10 minute video. And edit it to feel like the short sitcoms on TV, with a title card between each section and sort of 1 second intermissions between scenes. Something like "the life of the zf" featuring all the little bits that can't go into a proper video.

Carel evers

what is everyone nice in te patreon comments not even once "womble is a fag", Soo ontopic : A montly pledge would be better in my opinion , the per video pledge was nice when you uploaded a video per month, but a lot of your patreons dont want to pay x amount of money per week i guess, if you upload weekly , well i would but then i would lower my pledge so its the same amount for per say 4 videos. btw the last csgo bullshitery was hilarious as always ;)

SirToby

I absolutely love how serious you are about something that's not much of a problem for you, but might be a problem for a few of your supporters. Never lose your humanity womble, it's part of what makes you amazing! Personally I don't think it matters which option you choose since we get to set a monthly max, that max is my pain limit right now and it's probably the same for everyone. A problem with the current option might be that if you work on a lot of videos at the same time you might not get the money you need that month, monthly should be easier for you to plan your life around. Which is why I personally prefer the monthly option. What option do YOU prefer personally?

Masha

I would defiantly prefer monthly just because it is easier for my finances so I know I have this much coming out around this date.

Amber Thompson

I would say that monthly may work better, you could trial it out. However many people will have set a monthly max anyway, so take that into account.

Jophiel Wiis

First off, take a listen to this podcast where Amanda Palmer talks about her transition to Patreon, and all the things she learned: <a href="http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:166863286/sounds.rss" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:166863286/sounds.rss</a> Seriously, check that out! Since I can cap how many donations I do per month, I'd say go for 'by video'. I'm only paying you for one thing per month, so this way I can actually choose for myself whether I do monthly or 'per thing'. Go for it man. Accept that some people have a lot of disposable income they are happy to throw at you.

James2024

Ok so I have an idea. You could follow the example of a YouTuber called Seananners. He uploads 3-7 minute heavily edited videos everyday. Its essentially the same stuff as you, he plays games with his friends and just chops the funniest bits together. My suggestion is you take inspiration from him and upload similar videos of that quality. But not daily, space it out to something you can work with. With this format in place you can say charge your patreons for every 4th video as that would add up the minutes that you want. So essentially you would release the content of one video in a staggered pace that would = less time for us to wait, same amount of money for minutes, and makes your life easier with episodes. Also I am sure if you explained in a single video (like your patreon one) it wouldnt be a sellout situation and the non patreon viewers would understand.

Adam Miranda

I would say monthly or allow for a cap per month. Also, thanks for being a stand up guy about this.

William Booth-Clibborn

Judging by the straw poll I think a monthly payment is probable a good idea. On the basis that you would release at least one video per month.

Maxime Jacquemain

I remembered setting a cap on how many I would give per month, and after checking, I did set a cap. It was asked when I supported you at the very beginning. Can't post a pic here, but in the "Active Pledges" of my account, it says that I support you with 2$ per Random Bullshittery, "Up to 5 times per month". Maybe its good to let people know that they can also set a cap to their donation!

Fatal Slobbery Troth

I would say put all the short stuff in a single video, some sort of "mixed bullshittery bag" so the footage isn't wasted and we get an acceptable sized video. Something like "Criken's fun house" his videos have the same format so it should work well.

Simen Lande

If you go single pledge monthly I'd gladly increase my patrionage. I'm sure most would.

Patrik Babják

I think it's easier and simplier for everyone if it's a monthly subscription. Even though we can set a monthly cap (so it's basically the same), maybe you get a better picture of how much you can expect. Plus, many people may have missed this cap setting. By the way, who is the Hungarian in ZF? Waffle? :D Keep on rocking, you are the best!

Neil Abson

Yes, lets me have a more set budget. Would be appreciated

Lawson

Fully agree with the rest of your patrons! Monthly pledge would make more sense and I'll definitely up my patronage to account for this. P.S. I would buy a womble t-shirt so dang fast. Imagine walking around with a small graphic of your profile and the words, "It's fine, it's fine, it's fine" or "Bullshittery incoming"

Tim

Monthly for sure.

Cathy Ashford

Go monthly bro, that way you don't have to worry if the length or quality is "enough" aaand we don't have to wait weeks for movie-length videos :P hope now you are patronised you are looking after yourself and are not too lonely!

Benjamin Johnson

I was actually worried about this and think a monthly donation would be awesome :D as others have said i would up my patreon amount to compensate :)