Top 5 Ways Cam Sites Have Completely Dominated the Porn Industry During the Pandemic

With the majority of the people on lockdown, adult cam sites experienced a massive viewership spike. Studies show that the cam sites experienced more than a 30% increase in traffic. Growth accelerated as lockdown expanded in intensity and scale.

Experts saw the traffic bump as another byproduct of boredom, and it was easy to write off as artificially induced. But adult cam sites changed the porn industry during the pandemic. It led to traditional porn sites such as PornHub offering free and discounted premium memberships.

Want to know how adult cam sites dominated the porn industry?

In this post, we discuss ways cam sites completely dominated the porn industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

#1. Bespoke and Reactive Experiences

Since the birth of the internet, the porn industry has exploded online. Before that, porn was a $50 billion newspaper, DVD, and hard copy magazine industry. The internet blew away the traditional porn business model.

Traditional porn (magazines and DVDs) was pricey which outsized profits. The business was best for the first videotapes followed by DVDs which made it cheap to shoot and distribute porn films. Back in the 1990s, producers churned out hundreds of films each month to rent or buy.

By early 2000, there were over 3,000 subscription-based porn sites. But, the industry was hit by the first truth – content needs to be free. As such, sites started to give away teasers and thumbnail galleries. Sadly, the experience was the same – a staged scene.

With adult cam sites, people have bespoke experiences. Adult cam sites such as MyFreeCams allow models to stream live sex shows from their bedrooms. The models can be fully clothed or nude. They play the role of a virtual girlfriend or porn star.

Since camming is live, it keeps growing. Viewers can request performers for bespoke experiences in exchange for tips. For example, a viewer can request a couple’s show where two or more performers feature in the show. Others can request sexual acts they fantasize about.

#2. Models Create Intimate Connection With Viewers

The amount of porn available online is staggering. Every day, over 37 pornographic videos are usually created in the US. As such, porn paysites and clips generate twice as much revenue as camming. 

But today, that ratio changed. In 2018, the camming industry generated over $2 billion in annual revenue worldwide.

Camming is usually likened to an online strip show. Performers put a show for viewers in the chat room. They set tipping goals, and more people tip as the show features more acts. Unlike porn, camming allows performers to chat with viewers.

They build relationships with viewers, which enhances their experience. Since camming focuses on live sex and nudity, models build large followings. This is what makes viewers continue paying even for a quick pornographic fix.

Many cammers spend more time chatting as they do performing sex acts. It’s why high-earning cammers can do non-nude shows and still make thousands of dollars. In an hour, a performer can make around $100 to $500. 

#3. Be Your Manager

In the porn industry, performers are usually contracted and paid on a shoot-by-shoot basis. For a sex scene that involves penetration, a performer can make $500 to $1000. However, the number of shoots fluctuates a lot.

In a month, a performer can only get booked up to six times. But in other months, they might not get booked at all. As a consequence, performers go several months without a shoot which affects their revenue stream.

In addition to revenue security, performers have many expenses not covered by the companies hiring them. They include transportation and accommodation costs, STI testing, wardrobe, and more. Factoring all these expenses, performers in the porn industry are not making a lot of money, unlike cammers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, adult cam sites have proven more resilient to lockdowns. For many viewers, camming is a unique opportunity where they interact with their favorite models regularly. And if you want to see them in action, you can check out the list of some of the best cam sites Village Voice has curated.

Performers become their managers. They don’t have to pay agents to help them book shoots. All they need is a desktop/laptop, webcam, and a room. Since work is consistent, they can cover all their expenses. 

#4. Don’t Have to Worry About HIV Scares

With camming, working is not only more consistent. But it’s also safer. With porn, performers have to worry about HIV scares. In porn, penetration is common in all acts. Producers may request male performers to use condoms, but in most cases, they don’t.

In 2011, a porn actor tested positive for HIV. This prompted a temporary shut down of the billion-dollar porn industry in Los Angeles. The HIV scare came less than one month after the launch of a sexual health database. The purpose of the database was to prevent the spread of STDs among porn actors through mandatory testing.

To get work, porn actors had to get tested every 30 days and present a clean bill of health. Several critics said that routine testing does not prevent STDs.

In camming, performers focus on solo shows. Yes, viewers may request couple shows or sex between two or more performers, but this is occasional. This is because private shows cost the most while shared performance has lower fees. In adult cam sites, there are fewer HIV scares in camming compared to the porn industry.

#5. No Mistreatment of Women

Sexual violence and exploitation are both acceptable and unacceptable in our society today. In 2017, the #MeToo movement committed to breaking down this culture that has historically exploited women. If you’ve ever browsed any porn site, it won’t take you several minutes before sexual abuse and violence appear.

You will find video after video of women being physically assaulted, treated roughly, or even raped. In a 2010 study, researchers analyzed 304 popular porn films. What they discovered was that 88% of them contained physical violence while 44% included verbal abuse. The women in these films were shown to enjoy the abuse.

In a 2020 study, researchers analyzed 7,430 porn videos from Xvideos and Pornhub. They found 44.3% of the videos from Pornhub and 33.9% from Xvideos featured physical aggression scenes. In the samples from both sites, 97% of all physical aggression acts were women. 

With adult cam sites, physical abuse of women is not common as the performers focus on solo shows. This does not mean that camming is not tough to work. On some occasions, people tip just to say nasty things to the performer. But compared to porn sites, mistreatment of women is minimal on adult cam sites.

Final Thoughts

Adult cam sites have empowered women to become their managers and entrepreneurs. These women work out of the safety of their homes. As such, they have control over their working conditions. Sadly, the emotional labor of camming is draining. Stress and burnout are common in a model’s life. Performers must be aware of their limits and practice self-care.