Summary
Currently, PeerTube channel creators can add external links (Patreon, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, etc.) for financial support. However, there is no native in-platform option for viewers to directly support creators. I’d like to suggest adding a built-in “Join” (or “Support”) button for PeerTube channels that provides an easier, more streamlined way for viewers to contribute.
-–
Potential Benefits
Convenience for viewers: A simple, native button would allow casual viewers to support creators without leaving PeerTube.
Support for smaller creators: Could increase donations or memberships by reducing friction.
Platform competitiveness: Helps PeerTube feel more polished, comparable to YouTube’s “Join” feature.
-–
Potential Drawbacks
Complexity for admins: Could add extra moderation, hosting, and technical overhead for instance operators.
Legal/financial issues: Handling payments directly may introduce tax and compliance challenges across different countries.
Decentralization concerns: A centralized payment system might conflict with PeerTube’s federation ethos.
-–
Possible Approaches
Make the feature optional, so instance admins can enable/disable it depending on their policies.
Explore cryptocurrency donations (e.g., a Monero button that opens the creator’s wallet address). This avoids legal/tax handling since it’s a direct viewer-to-creator transaction without instance/admin involvement.
Consider support for Web Monetization (webmonetization.org) as a standards-based solution.
-–
Conclusion
Adding a built-in “Join”/support button could significantly improve creator monetization on PeerTube, while still respecting federation principles if implemented as an optional, flexible feature.