Digital Feudalism - Motion Array
This is the story of how Motion Array becomes a "Digital Feudal Lord" and profits at the expense of content creators.
From the date of its creation until the end of 2021, the income of authors on Motion Array was divided 50/50 between the trading platform and the authors.
Starting January 1, 2022, Motion Array will introduce a progressive rating system for royalty payments
New royalties model The new model is built in a way that champions great content, rewards excellent performance and ultimately gives you the compensation you deserve. It's simple - the more subscribers download your assets, the more royalties you get.
https://reddit.com/link/1hsgwvp/video/eujid1ko5bbe1/player
The 2022 royalty model looked like this:
This system has destroyed the income of authors. Below I will provide statistics for half a year in 2021 and half a year in 2024.
Analysis of Changes 2021–2024
2021 (Before the Introduction of Ratings):
- Total Downloads: 42,883
- Total Revenue: $44,576
- Average Revenue per Download: $1.038
2024 (Two Years After the Introduction of Ratings):
- Total Downloads: 49,333
- Total Revenue: $29,567
- Average Revenue per Download: $0.601
Difference:
- Downloads: Increased by 6,450 (+15%)
- Revenue: Decreased by $15,009 (-34%)
- Average Revenue per Download: Decreased by $0.437 (-42%)
Key Insights:
- Despite the growth in total downloads, authors' revenue has significantly decreased.
- The average revenue per download has nearly halved, indicating a sharp deterioration in authors' earning conditions.
Conclusion:
The Motion Array rating system has transformed the platform into a "digital feudal state," where authors' efforts yield significantly lower profits. This shift is driven by the redistribution of earnings through the rating system, limiting most authors' ability to generate income.
As of January 1, Motion Array is updating its royalty system and making it even more aggressive than it was before.
How will I earn royalties as a Motion Array Artist?
Ratings have been cut, the number of required downloads has been increased significantly.
I will only provide a comparison of royalties in 2022 and 2025 for After Effects templates
- Level Structure and Royalty Percentage 2022:
- Levels are detailed with smaller jumps in download ranges.
- Royalties start at 20% and go up to 50%.
- Higher initial rate (20% instead of 15% in 2025).
2025:
- Levels recalculated with broader download ranges, especially in the lower tiers.
- Royalty percentage starts at 15%, with a maximum rate of 45%.
- Lower royalty percentage at the initial levels (15%-20%) makes earning on smaller sales volumes more challenging.
- Difficulty of Reaching Levels 2022:
- To achieve 45% royalties, 251 downloads are required (up to 2900).
- For the maximum rate of 50%, 2901+ downloads are needed.
2025:
- 1601 downloads are needed to reach 45% royalties.
- The difficulty for the 30% royalty level in 2025 is higher: 301+ downloads are required (compared to just 101 downloads for 35% in 2022).
- Key Differences
- In 2022, the starting rate is higher (20%), and transitions between levels are smoother.
- In 2025, more downloads are required to reach higher levels, and the maximum royalty percentage is lower (45%).
Where is it harder to earn?
Earning is harder in 2025 for several reasons:
- Lower starting royalties: 15% instead of 20%.
- More downloads required to advance to the next level.
- Maximum royalty percentage reduced (45% instead of 50%).
All Motion Array authors with whom I spoke lost at least 30% of their earnings in 2022, there are those for whom the figures were 50-60%.
In 2025, with the new royalty system, authors will lose even more.
Authors of Motion Array, authors of other digital platforms, what do you think about this?