Page 33 - AVN February 2017

TECH NEWS
BOUTIQUE APPROACH
MyFetishLive specializes in ‘unique and esoteric fetishes’
‘THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A DEMAND
FOR THAT LIVE INTERACTION, THAT PERSONAL CONNECTION. IN FACT, I ONLY SEE THE DEMAND FOR LIVE
CONTENT INCREASING IN
THE FUTURE.’
— MICHAEL GOLDSMITH
MYFETISHLIVE LAUNCHED on October 23, 2015, as a new, completely
independent cam site for the fetish community. Many who see a new
site in a major vertical being launched without the support of deep-
pocketed, well-known investors are prone to roll their eyes. What
makes MyFetishLive willing to step forward and confident it will
succeed where others have failed? We sat down with site producer
Michael Goldsmith to find out.
Some skeptics believe that the webcam market isn’t as wide as it
once was, with many major brands now well established in the minds
of consumers. That begs the question, what sets MyFetishLive apart
from the other cam sites that have come before it? “There are many
cam sites that try to be everything to everyone,” according to Michael
Goldsmith, producer of MyFetishLive.com. “The big-box sites focus
on breadth, while at MyFetishLive, we focus on depth, having rejected
the standard business model and focused on becoming a boutique,
niche cam site. Our models are highly trained and many are hand
picked for their specific talents and interests. In short, we specialize in
and cater to unique and esoteric fetishes that are oftentimes ignored,
underrepresented and, in some cases, even prohibited on other
cam sites. We foster and perpetuate a home for both fetish models
and customers who are marginalized on other sites. That’s why at
MyFetishLive we have a community of models and members alike.
We’re a family and we put the fun back into dysfunctional.”
Even in its earliest stages of development, MyFetishLive has been
able to gain the trust of fetish cam models by focusing on their needs
and providing what they each need to succeed. “At MyFetishLive we
feel that it is important to ensure that our models feel valued and
supported,” explained Goldsmith. “We strive to give our models
as many tools as possible to ensure their success on our site. We
offer a comprehensive model coaching and kink education program
for our models free of charge that empowers our models with
everything they need from knowledge about basic lighting and camera
techniques to the newest hottest fetishes that they want to learn
about in preparation for customers asking for something they were
not previously familiar with before. We are in talks with a number of
companies to create strategic partnerships that will give our models
access to the equipment they need below retail cost, and we are in the
process of developing a healthcare stipend program for our models, to
incentivize working hard and staying healthy.”
In the coming months, Goldsmith sees plenty of reason for
optimism. “It has often been said that the adult industry is recession
proof. This is a statement that I agree with to a large degree. Certainly
the advent of tube sites has altered the face of the business and
there is far less money and far more competition in the industry
than there used to be. I also feel that for the vast majority of the
industry, how money is made is rapidly changing as well. The money
in porn isn’t made by making porn anymore. The money in porn is
in advertising porn, buying and selling cheap traffic, and shuffling
people around the internet screaming buy! buy! buy! at them. The
content itself is becoming decreasingly
consequential as time goes on, which is a
very chilling thought because it devalues the
art form at a fundamental level. The cause
of most of this has been tube sites giving
away pirated content for free. However, this
is also why I’m not particularly worried for
my company, specifically. Tube sites thrive
on sharing recorded content. You can’t
pirate live content. There will always be a
demand for that live interaction, that personal
connection. In fact, I only see the demand for
live content increasing in the future. People
crave interactivity and real-time feedback.
As companies like Kiiroo and technologies
like VR come into vogue, this real-time
interactivity will only increase in demand.”
Toward that goal of maximizing the
immersive nature of the MyFetishLive
experience, the site recently integrated
Lovense tip-activated toys into its offerings
for customers. “As a pilot program, it has
gone incredibly well, and we plan to roll out
integrations with Kiiroo products in the near
future, as we venture into the realm of VR.
We strongly believe that interactivity is the
key to continued growth and maintaining a
competitive edge.”
Along with that optimism comes a full
understanding that starting a new brand in
2016 isn’t as easy as it once was during the
Wild West days of adult online. “New site
owners are in for a bumpy ride. It’s incredibly
challenging to get started in this industry.
There is no shortage of competition that
you will be immediately compared to and it
doesn’t matter that your site has only been
live for six weeks. Why don’t you have 5,000
models online at any given time? If you’re
running a white label for another platform,
that issue doesn’t quite matter as much. But
it does offer some insight for new indie site
owners who do not rely on existing platforms.
I would also like to let a prospective site
owner know that it is an incredible amount
of work, and no matter how well you prepare,
something will sneak up and surprise you.”
As to webcam performers Goldsmith
is even more bullish on the future of cam
content monetization. “For new cam models,
my advice is very different. Find a site that
really fits you. Do your due diligence. Create
a member account on the site first and learn
the site culture. What is it like for models
and members on that platform? Get an idea
for how the software works from a model’s
perspective. Is the site restrictive in their rules
or do you have the freedom to do the shows
you want? Be sure that you are compensated
fairly for the site you work on. Invest in good
lighting equipment. It doesn’t have to be
expensive gear, but make sure that the quality
of your feed is as good as possible. Always
go into your show with a game plan. Your
members will laugh at the concept, and the
room will go in the direction it chooses, but
it’s still good to have a direction to go in—and
finally, remember a ‘call to action.’ Give your
members something to do, and you’ll make
money.”
Running a lean operation and pushing
forward with the kind of elbow grease that
has always been the main ingredient of
independent operations, Goldsmith is already
talking about expanding. “To date, I am the
only full-time employee of MyFetishLive,
though we are planning on expanding in
the near future. We are currently based
in Lebanon, N.J., with the cam site at
MyFetishLive.com and our affiliate program
at MyFetishMoney.com for interested traffic
partners.”
Companies, affiliates and performers
interested in seeing what is now
independently available in the live fetish niche
should take a look at this interesting new
product to get in on the ground floor.
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT | By Stewart Tongue
2.17 | AVN.com | 33