Jesse Q Blog

Starting Out

Things to Consider Before Starting to Cam

One of the most common concerns amongst new performers is the issue of privacy. There are two very important elements to this; the back end (the platforms themselves), and the front end (your content and webcam streams).

Privacy on Cam Sites ‘Behind the Scenes’

In order to join a platform the website needs to have your full name, address and ID to fulfill legal requirements, so do due diligence/research before signing up to new platforms. The quickest way to do this is to perform a site operator search in google.

So, for example, you come across a site called NEWCAMSITE.COM. In google you would type site:newcamsite.com in your browser. If you do the same for an established site such as Chaturbate or Streamate you can quickly see what search results should look like.

Tread carefully with any website that has no web presence other than their own domain name. If you encounter such a site, research it on a cam performer forum such as AmberCutieForum or WeCamGirls. On both forums you can search the prospective site by name, or post a question if in doubt; each are incredibly supportive environments

Of particular importance to cam performers in regions that are blocked for payment on some sites (for example Streamate will not send payments to Russian or Colombian performers directly), you can research webcam studios through the above forums, as some studios are better than others when it comes to payout percentage and protection of privacy. If your region prevents you from being paid by a cam site directly, do your research before signing up with any studio, as many have a contract clause that locks you into working with them. I can’t stress how important it is to choose a non-predatory studio if you’re forced to use one. 

Privacy On Camsite Platforms

If you are a cam performer or sell content, your webcam streams and videos will be pirated. It’s just a fact. Free Chat token style sites are a higher risk, as you’re performing for an audience that doesn’t even have to be logged into the site to view you, but even your streams on Premium Chat cam sites can be recorded by the client.

Some cam sites such as Streamate and LiveJasmin even provide videos of your past performances to affiliates to use in promotion. Personally I have a problem with this, but it’s something one signs up for if choosing to use those platforms. Many sites also have chat room embeds for use on affiliate sites that enable people to view your cam from completely different URLs, which personally I consider to be completely legitimate use, as the viewer of the chat room embeds of your live stream are designed for click throughs to your profile/cam room when you’re online.

When it comes to video sales, expect to have those stolen as well. Always make sure to watermark your content with your cam name, where doing so is permitted. In creating videos, it’s always wise to create first one unwatermarked copy, then edit additional copies with the watermarks permitted by the platform. For example, on some content sites I’m only permitted to use my cam name, so I watermark with Quinn69. On sites that permit website URLS, I watermark with Quinn69.com which is my personal website.

Watermarked content will still be pirated, but you can approach this reality in one of two ways. Ignore the theft and consider it free promotion, or send DMCAs to the website owner and to google. There has been a burst of DMCA services offering services to cam performers and content creators, but research these sites carefully. Often these companies use AI bots to scan the internet, thus flagging your own content as well as affiliate sites that operate ethically, using nothing more than an embed from a cam site in their promotion.

The DMCA companies that operate in this manner send DMCAs for everything their bots pick up, thus making it appear that they’re ridding the net of all of your pirated material. In one recent example, a cam performer who has an OnlyFans account employed a DMCA service that ended up sending DMCAs to her own Clips4Sale studio.

In terms of actual pirated material, the reality is many unethical site owners host in jurisdictions that do not comply with the DMCA, and false positives still appear in your dashboard as removals even though they have not been removed. It’s a waste of your money and a huge hassle for legit affiliates. If you encounter pirated content, one company that does have a good reputation is TakeDownPiracy, however I have not personally used their services.

While this does not apply to pirated material, you can minimize your risk of someone from your area finding you on cam through geo-blocking, which most sites offer. Not foolproof as anyone can use a VPN to change their IP address, but using geo-block does reduce that specific risk. Also make sure you have no geographically-specific material in view of your video or webcam stream, such as a t-shirt emblazoned with the name of your school, or a coffee cup from a local restaurant. 

Never give your real name or exact location to a client, no matter how much he spends. Many sites don’t allow offsite contact, but on those that do, always keep in mind that you’re dealing with strangers on the internet. No client should ever know your real name or address.

Choosing a Name/Brand

Speaking of names, an important decision to make once you decide to start camming is your cam name. Think about this carefully, as your name will be your ‘brand’, an indication to potential clients as to what your camming style will be. Of course at the beginning that style will be in it’s infancy and may alter over time, so select a name that fits the elements of your personality that you’ll infuse into your camming. You can also create a fake ‘real name’ along with your cam name, doing so fosters a sense of intimacy with your customers that they enjoy.

Keep the same name/handle across every site, platform or social media you join, so that customers can easily find you should you decide to leave one stie and move to another. For sites that offer them, also consider creating an affiliate account. That way, if a client from one site finds your twitter/x and sees your affiliate link for your streams/profile somewhere else and he joins through your link, you’ll receive not just the money he spends on you but also a percentage of th money he spends on others.

Note: this affiliate percentage does NOT come out of the cam performers pocket, it’s the site itself that pays your affiliate percentage out of their cut. Never use your affiliate links for a platform on that platform, as doing so is considered theft and you’ll end up getting suspended, but for potential clients off site the use of affiliate links is completely acceptable.

Equipment

Just starting out, you really don’t need to make a huge investment in equipment, you simply need proper lighting and a webcam. If possible don’t use the webcam inbuilt on your laptop, as doing so hinders your ability to angle the lens and usually offers a lower quality stream output. I’m a huge fan of my trusty Logitech C922, but if I were purchasing a new webcam today I’d probably buy a Logitech Brio or an Insta360. When properly cared for a webcam will last you years.

Try to create a 3-point lighting arrangement in your camming space, ideally with a ring light in front and slightly dimmer light sources on each side of you. Place one of these lights slightly behind you, and the other farther back on the other side. Adjust the placement while your webcam is on, so you can set each to best flatter your face and body.

Try to avoid using overhead/ceiling lights, as these cast very unflattering shadows. A ring light, while not absolutely necessary, if by far the most flattering source of light for your front camera, and unlike a spotlight will not give you a headache while streaming. There’s a reason everyone uses ring lights, they truly make a massive difference in how you appear on webcam. 

If you choose, you can also purchase sex toys (if you don’t have some already), but they aren’t absolutely necessary. If anything, you can buy a simple dildo or vibrator, or wait and see what types of toys are most requested by your regular clients and then get one of those.

Many clients enjoy tipping performers through their lush or lovense toys, but again, neither are necessary. If a client requests that you purchase a specific type of toy, ask him to tip you the cost of it.

If you do buy toys for insertion, make sure to clean them well after every shift, and purchase some lube to reduce irritation and friction during long cam sessions.

In terms of outfits, you can start out in a simple bra/top and panties or raid your own lingerie drawer, there’s no need to purchase a bunch of outfits right away. Especially when starting out, the point is to make money, not spend it. 

Choosing Your Cam Site(s)

There are a LOT of cam sites to choose from out there, so in this section I’ll explore the six general types. I write ‘general’ as most sites have some overlap between styles, allowing for multiple ways to monetize/offer services. The six types are Free Chat/Token sites, Premium Chat sites, Independent (Indy) sites, Phone Sex sites, Content (Video) sites and Subscription sites.

Before deciding to join a site, check it out from the client perspective. On live chat sites, visit several rooms and get a sense of how the site operates. For example, if you visit Streamate you’ll notice that all the performers from your region will appear at the top of the front page. That can be a plus as a performer (many clients wish to frequent performers who are in their nation/speak their language), but it’s not an ideal feature if you choose to geo-block your region. 

Important Note: Before joining any platform acquaint yourself with the site rules. Each site will have different rules regarding watermarks and offsite contact, as well as types of content/streams permitted. One general rule amongst all sites is that anything not permitted by the credit card companies (Visa and Mastercard) is banned. This holds even for acts that are legal, so read the rules to prevent yourself from getting suspended or banned by accidentally breaking them.

An excellent guide created by a cam performer can be found here: https://www.ambercutie.com/forums/threads/advice-for-cam-site-comparison-website.54785/. It’s definitely worth checking out to learn more about the restrictions on different platforms.

Free Chat Sites

On free chat/token sites such as MyFreeCams, Chaturbate, BongaCams and StripChat, the majority of the ‘action’ occurs in free chat in exchange for tokens/tips. Each also offers you the ability to perform private, one on one or group shows, but the general focus is free chat performance. 

Premium Chat Sites

On premium chat sites such as Streamate, Xlovecam, XCam and LiveJasmin, the majority of your income will be made via private shows. ‘Below the belt’ nudity is not permitted in free chat. 

Independent (Indy) Sites

With independent sites such as LiveCamModelShows, SkyPrivate, AdultWork and IndieCamFans there is no free chat. Clients view your profile, contact you via your messenger service of choice and join you for a private cam show via Discord, Telegram, Snapchat or Whatsapp. These sites are lower traffic than premium and free chat sites, but the benefits are a much higher payout and clients can contact you for sessions without you even being logged into the site. If you’re available when they message you, simply direct them to your site profile for payment. On each site you can offer phone sex, texting and videos as well as cam shows.

Of the three, LiveCamModelShows has the highest payout and chargebacks are covered. The payout is $20 USD minimum and this site offers the broadest range of payment options including Direct deposit to most nations/currencies, Paypal, YourSafe and Crypto. This site also has an extremely active Discord channel for performers (no clients allowed)

Disclosure: I’m biased towards LiveCamModelShows 🙂 as I created/built it in 2014 and operated it happily for many years before it became too large for me to handle. I then sold it to an industry veteran who has maintained the model-centric ethos of the site. 

When using independent sites you have to practice establishing and maintaining boundaries with your clients. That holds true for all platforms, but especially when it comes to indy sites as you will have clients who think text chatting should be free. You have to feel comfortable steering messaging with both potential and current clients to paying you for your time.

Also, you will encounter those who will ask to pay you via paypal or cashapp. Don’t do it, as these services do not authorize adult transactions and it’s incredibly easy for the ‘client’ to chargeback a payment sent to you and also have your paypal etc account shut down. Be firm with these individuals in insisting on credit card payment through an indy site. 

Phone Sex Sites

Phone-sex oriented sites such as Niteflirt and Arousr have expanded to cam sessions and content sales as well, but the cam and phone sessions are paid for by having your phone connected through the platform. While some clients will prepay for a block of time for a phone or cam session (which is how I use Niteflirt myself), many customers prefer to call you directly, which can be inconvenient. TalkToMe is exclusively a phone sex site, however it also has TalkToMeCams which is a premium chat style add-on. 

Content/Clips Sites

Selling videos is a great way to make additional money, or even make the central focus of your time in adult. I know many performers who started out on the cam sites and went on to build successful businesses for themselves through content creation.

To film content, you can use your phone, an actual video camera, or your webcam. I use my webcam, it has great resolution and sound quality, and I find fiddling around with a phone annoying. It’s all a matter of personal preference, the important thing is the end result. There are many free and paid programs through which to record videos such as Movie Maker, Quick Time (mac), OBS Studio and Camstasia. For video editing/watermarking you can do so within the recording software itself, or use an editing software such as iMovie (mac) Davinci Resolve or Adobe Premier.

As stated previously, always keep one unwatermarked copy of your edited clip, so that you can sell the same video on a variety of sites that may have different rules about watermarking. 

While there are quite a few content-focused sites, the top three in terms of traffic are Clips4Sale, ManyVids and IWantClips. Clips4Sale is heavily fetish-oriented (straight vanilla content does not tend to sell well there), IWantClips is oriented towards FemDom content, and ManyVids is a mix of both. I would suggest trying them all if you decide to make content creation an ongoing part of your business. 

When publishing a clip on a site, first create a text note with your video description and keywords, which you can copy every time you upload that clip to a platform.

If you choose to create clips with another person, you MUST retain a copy of their photo ID, a picture of them holding their ID, and a contract that grants you permission (copyright ownership) to use the content.

Subscription Sites

Everyone has heard of OnlyFans 🙂 Other sites where you can create subscriptions for your content and upsell texting, custom videos, etc are Fansly and LoyalFans. Each operate in pretty much the same way, but the benefits of these two are that your profiles are visible on the site without a client needing to search for you directly, and they are oriented towards adult-only content. 

In Sum

I hope this information will be useful to you in reading and I wish you all the best in your venture into this business. Always remember to stay strong, maintain your boundaries, protect yourself and your money, and never do anything you don’t want to do. Good luck out there and happy camming 🙂