If you’ve spent any time in the indie porn world, you’ve probably heard of ManyVids. The site hosts nearly 3 million users purchasing clips, photos, and services from over 70,000 performers. It’s not just one of the most popular platforms among independent performers; it’s also one of the most reliable for sales. And it’s one of the few mainstream adult industry services actually run by a sex worker. Co-founder and CEO Bella French is an adult performer and has her own storefront on the site.
While ManyVids’ user experience is far more approachable than, say, Pornhub, the site can still be confusing to navigate if you’re new to the ethical porn world. For everything you need to know about ManyVids on the user and performer sides, read on.
What is ManyVids?
ManyVids is a Montreal-based adult video, cam, and e-commerce website. Like its competitors Clips4Sale and APClips.com, ManyVids lets users browse through performers’ pages, check out their previews, and purchase videos and photosets. Performers can also sell a wide assortment of items, including (but certainly not limited to) panties, photosets, prints, stockings, toys, bill payments, goodies, treats, and tips. Most users come to ManyVids for performers’ clip content, which range from one-minute shorts to hour-long flicks.
Founded in 2014, ManyVids blossomed in popularity over the past five years thanks to its sleek interface and the company’s strong relationship with the independent adult world. Streamlined and easy to use, the site feels friendly to viewers and performers alike. And while ManyVids isn’t free from criticism, French’s company centers sex workers much more frequently than most adult sites. Unlike Pornhub, for example, ManyVids refrains from hosting pirated content. It also actively moderates questionable content, listens to feedback, and assures all videos feature performers of age.
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ManyVids benefits and features
MV Live
There are several additional features and sites baked into ManyVids beyond its video storefront. One of the most popular iterations includes MV Live, a cam service currently in beta. It’s similar to camming platforms like Chaturbate or MyFreeCams but less cluttered. Viewers tip with tokens in exchange for certain show goals, from dancing to undressing to flashing breasts and more. Broadcasting is incredibly easy and built into ManyVids itself. Performers simply have to press the “MV Live Setup” and enable microphone and speaker access to get started. Users can request private shows, use Lovesense toys with performers, or donate to reach a specific goal.
MV Tube
Like MV Live, MV Tube is essentially a free content service for watching porn ethically. This section offers a wide range of free porn videos released by performers for users’ complimentary viewing. Many of these videos cater to a specific fetish, advertise users’ channels, or otherwise tease the viewer into stopping by and learning more. Watching MV Tube clips also gives performers a small revenue payout; one of this reporter’s MV Tube videos, for example, earned 67 views and led to a four-cent payout. Unlike Pornhub, YouPorn, and other “tube” sites that traditionally contain pirated material, ManyVids has a zero-tolerance policy on stolen content.
MV Fetish
MV Fetish is a subsection of the ManyVids story that mostly focuses on kink and fetish material. This ranges from pregnancy fetishism to small penis humiliation. Generally speaking, the site’s most popular content focuses on female domination material. Popular categories include financial domination, cum eating instructions, “mesmerize” (essentially mind control and hypnosis), cuckolding, and jerk off instructions.
How does ManyVids work?
There are two ways to use ManyVids: as a viewer or as a performer. ManyVids calls these “MV Members” and “MV Stars,” respectively.
MV Members
On the viewer side of things, you can choose to purchase videos a la carte, subscribe to a specific performer’s video catalog, or upgrade to a premium membership. You start by creating an account with a valid email address. All purchases are made through ManyVids’ token system, which is the company’s onsite currency system. You can either load your wallet ahead of time or simply throw a video or item into your cart and check out when you’re done. From there, you can pay with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or Diners Club International. Alternatively, you can also use Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and XRP, among dozens of other cryptocurrencies. Check out ManyVids’ FAQ for more information.
MV Stars
If you’re a performer (or an “MV Star”), things look a little different on the site’s back end. First, you’ll need to verify your identity and send in your tax information, if applicable. For the former, a driver’s license will do. Verification may take some time; for this reporter, the whole process took about 40 minutes. Once you’re approved, you’ll see a series of options from the drop-down menu. To upload videos, head on over to the “My Content” tab and hit “Upload Vids.” You can also create store items and add a series of services. These range from crowdfunding to paid texting. Bear in mind that ManyVids has several starting requirements before you can offer services.
ManyVids’ payment structure may be unfamiliar to sex workers who traditionally rely on services like CashApp or Patreon. First, ManyVids takes a sizable percentage of your cut. Models get to keep 60% of their video, contest, membership, and store item funds. Meanwhile, ManyVids lets performers keep 90% of their MV Crush sales and 80% of their MV Crush Pay To Open and Custom Video sales. If you’re new to the adult world, ManyVids’ steep cut may be a bit of a shock. For the record, it’s controversial with seasoned performers, too. The site argues that its 40% share goes to “upkeeep and maintenance,” “research and development,” and a “prominent marketing operation,” among many other services.
As for when you get paid, ManyVids relies on a bi-monthly pay period of every 1st and 16th. In order to receive a payout via direct deposit or a U.S. check, you need to earn at least $100. Bear in mind that this is $100 worth in your share of the payout and does not include ManyVids’ share. This means you’ll need to earn approximately $167 per pay period in order to receive a $100 deposit, assuming your sales come solely from video clips. For more questions, visit ManyVids’ FAQ.
Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.