Could Vimeo-style Tip Jars Work for YouTube Partners?

View Comments

• Is it they don't have the confidence or don't have the need? The job of the company directors IS to make as much money as possible for the stockholders. If they've got the demand and can make the formula work for them... kudos, that means they're doing it right.

• It's ridiculous to me that they would charge $10/month, then take 15% on top of that. It's definitely a lack of confidence like you said. If they knew it would work they'd just do the 15% and leave it. Instead they make sure they get money out of the people who opt to use the service.

• +DeShaun Craddock If people will pay it and are satifsfied using it, why not? It's a win-win for the video producers and them.. if the video consumers are willing to  pay it. Personally, I'd rather pay than watch ads. 

• My thought is that Vimeo is trying to get those who sign up for the service to push it for them.  By charging a 10 dollar fee they urge users to push for donations and spread the word about the service without having to pay for advertising the program or rely on passively putting it on their site and hoping people donate.  

• I've tried donations, donations for a non-profit and flattr on a popular blog of mine and nothing worked, so unfortunately ads seem to be the only option to keep it free and open (paid subscriptions would be the other option). I like the tip jar idea but don't think it works. 

• I think that Vimeo is one of the few spaces where a tip jar may actually work.  It is a site geared towards "for artists by artists" who understand the expense, time, and monetary value of creativity whereas YouTube is more about lighting a fart on fire while pointing your butt at a kitten while riding an ATV into a brick wall.

• Because I feel that it cannibalizes the system. Are you likely to tip someone on top of paying for ad-free viewing, +Tom Rolfson? Also, if you are, do you think a lot of people would do the same?

• Thank god to ad blockers... i haven't seen any ad on youtube in long time.

• That's the catch, isn't it +Harald Walker? Vimeo is happy to make money off everyone who uses it, whether it works for those customers or not.. If they had more skin in the game, a vested interest in forming social media features for example to identify and promote the most tip-worthy content, the feature would be far more attractive. Instead, they want to sit back and make money off of everyone, even people it's definitely not working for.

  I applaud Vimeo for trying new business models, but without any way to ease into the program (a free month or quarter trail perhaps) Vimeo doesn't yet seem fully aligned with the interests of their content creators. Surely the feature would be more successful if everyone at Vimeo came to work each day with ideas and enthusiasm for making the model work for the content creators (and Vimeo's cut), rather than sitting back and taking cash for even the unprofitable trials.

• agree, there is a socially acceptable misconception that these popular free-to-use type services are somehow charities or government services that are not required to turn a profit.  Vimeo is not just trying to make a profit, they have to or they will go out of business due to lack of funds to pay for all the hosting/bandwidth/employees/etc.