Prolific modular creator and artist Cinematic Laboratory has made the decision to launch a membership program on their eponymous YouTube channel.
If you’ve watched Cinematic Laboratory over the years, the quality and volume of the backlog is self-evident. From module explorations to case builds to patch techniques to composition theory, you’d be hard pressed to find another Eurorack-focused creator with the combination of technical skill and visual storytelling.
Now that a complete studio remodel has finished, it’s time to focus on making the channel sustainable. That doesn’t mean going organic. It means monetization and a way to give paying supporters in-channel benefits.
Ok, that’s enough background, here’s the membership facts:
- There is one membership level Lab Coat that costs $4.99/m (~$60/year)
- You get custom loyalty badges & chat emoticons
- You get full access to the Cinematic Laboratory video backlog
- More interaction on chat (e.g., attempts to answer questions from supporters)
- Exclusive videos not featured on the regular channel (e.g., behind the scenes, outtakes, patch notes, etc.)
Considering the channel has been ad free, sponsor free, and paid promotion free for at least 3+ years this seems like a solid cost-to-value transaction.
The biggest thing for non-supporters to understand is the Cinematic Laboratory backlog will slowly go private over the upcoming months/years.
This isn’t the first, and won’t be the last, YouTube channel to incorporate memberships as a revenue source. Excellent creators like Modular World, Omri Cohen, and more use this program to offer value to their community while still being compensated for all the time and effort it takes to produce their videos and/or livestreams.
What do you think? Happy to support Cinematic Laboratory’s efforts to be a sustainable channel, or would you prefer to see them monetize in a different way?
