PeerTube REALLY needs a Native Monetization System

PeerTube
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***TL;DR:*** PeerTube **really** needs a built-in way for creators to earn money—subscriptions, tips, or micro-donations—so it can compete with YouTube and keep creators in the Fediverse.

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I’ve been thinking about one of the biggest hurdles for creators on PeerTube: monetization. Right now, all we have are links to Patreon, BuyMeACoffee, Librepay, etc., but there’s no built-in way to earn directly on the platform.

I’ve seen this come up a lot in online communities (such as the YouTube subreddit). People bring up PeerTube as an alternative, but it usually gets dismissed because there’s no way to make money while staying on the Fediverse. That’s a huge barrier for anyone thinking about switching seriously.

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I think it would be amazing if PeerTube had:

Optional channel subscriptions / memberships

Tips or micro-donations built directly into videos

Support for federated payment solutions, crypto, Lightning Network, etc

Creator dashboards to track income and engagement

Instance-level options so each server can choose what works for them

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This could make PeerTube a real alternative for professional creators, not just hobbyists, while keeping the decentralized, privacy-focused ethos intact.

What does everyone here think?

Could this work in the fediverse, or am I dreaming too big?

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maybe this article will help Sponsor pools: a new funding model for open source software

its is actually made for open source projects but maybe the solution can be adapted for peertube;

In here the solution is that

  1. Every month, you donate some amount into a « wallet »

  2. Your funds are then distributed to the projects in your « sponsor pool ». Your sponsor pool is just the set of creators you want to support.

  3. Adding new creators to your pool should require one click — as easy as subscribing.

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I’ve seen this model before. It’s interesting, but dilution is very easy. I really like the idea though.

Unless the NGI TALER project is prolonged, there’s only one opportunity left to implement GNU Taler payment system as a plugin for Peertube using the NGI TALER Fund (from 5000 to 50000 €, with a sweet spot around 25000 €). Adding the sponsor pool functionality to use Taler would be a great way to get this funded by European cascading funding. Do not miss the opportunity!

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This is a dream I hope to see become reality. But the reality is that it is a tough problem to solve. Everyone who tried to implement a payment system on the internet faced 2 issues:

  1. Different countries have different rules around sending or accepting money.
  2. Different countries adopted different money handling systems, which might be the only way someone can send or receive money. Plugging all these unique solutions to each other is difficult.

For a creator who is on a regional instance, and is expecting people to be form same country, there is no issue. If you are in Canada, put your Interac email, or if you are in Kenya, put your M-Pesa phone number in “Support“ message of the video. But if you are expecting viewership and membership from all around the world, good luck. Doing a financial asset wiring system that works across borders is a difficult project.

Here are few potential issues:

  1. As the platform provider, you would require the bank info (and ID) of both the sender (viewer) and receiver (creator). Many countries require that information being kept for few years. Keeping such sensitive data secure for a long time is difficult.
  2. Wrong implementation can turn your instance into money laundering scheme.
  3. Instance admin and the programmer of such system may be seen as picking up the lawyer, and the accountant responsibilities.
  4. There are many regulations about money when it is “travelling” within a country. There are even more rules when it is moving across borders. Also these rules are changing constantly.
  5. Many people would find that creators asking for money, and displaying how much they earn publicly to be against the spirit of Fediverse. There is nothing wrong with earning money, and supporting your own family. But we now come to expect people to be sharing on Fediverse for sake of sharing. I believe most people on Fediverse would find money, and pay-walling to be a bad omen for a project. PeerTube is trying to make video hosting and streaming easier, not more difficult.

Is this an actual problem, or a red herring?

We have Patreon, Open Collective, Kofi, Liberapay, PayPal, and more methods to support creators financially. Liberapay, and Open Collective are great projects with good intentions, but lacking awareness, thus creators cannot find much support through them. Rather than inventing another standard that will compete with them, we would have better luck encourage their use. I believe that any other feature, such as current monthly support for a creator can be added via a plugin.

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I included a link to an article about it in the post, but what about Peertube potentially using Crowdbucks?

The backend is still under heavy development, but Peertube could potentially keep an eye on it, and then, once it finally matures, Peertube could potentially integrate with the API?

There is also The Lightning Network :

Also, Web Monetization: What is Web Monetization? - Three futures: Exploring the future of web monetization

https://link.fossdle.org/post/1876?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://theretailexec.com/tools/best-payment-processing-software-open-source/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Also ,GNU Taler, which, unlike most other decentralized payment systems, GNU Taler does not use a blockchain.

A blind signature is used to protect the privacy of users as it prevents the exchange from knowing which coin it signed for which customer.