A clip store is a pay-per-view content library, fans pay once to access individual videos, photo sets, or audio files rather than (or in addition to) paying a monthly subscription. It is one of the most effective ways to monetise your existing content library and create additional revenue on top of subscription income.
This guide covers what a clip store is, how to price your content, which platforms support it, and how to set up your own clip store on your own website.
What Is a Clip Store?
A clip store (also called a PPV store or content vault) is a pay-per-view catalogue of your content. Each piece of content has an individual price, a fan pays once to access that specific video, photo set, or audio clip.
Unlike a subscription model (where the fan pays a recurring fee for ongoing access), a clip store is:
- One-time payment per item: no recurring commitment required
- Accessible to non-subscribers: fans who are not on your monthly plan can still buy individual pieces
- Additive to subscription revenue: clip store sales and subscription income stack
The audience for a clip store is different from subscription fans:
- Fans who want a specific type of content but do not want ongoing access to everything
- Fans who are not ready to commit to a monthly subscription
- Former subscribers who want one-off access after cancelling
A well-run clip store can generate 20–40% of a creator’s total revenue from fans who would never have subscribed.
What Content Goes in a Clip Store
Individual videos
Single-scene, standalone videos priced per clip. Typical: 5–30 minute videos at £5–25 each depending on length, content type, and exclusivity.
Photo sets
10–30 image photo sets at £5–15 each. Often selling better in bundles of 3–5 sets.
Audio content
Personalised or themed audio clips. Particularly popular for certain creator niches. Typically £3–10 per clip.
Bundles
3–5 clips sold together at a discount to the individual clip prices. Bundles increase average order value and encourage fans to explore more content.
Repackaged content
Clips already published to subscribers can live in your clip store for non-subscribers to purchase. You are not creating additional content. You are monetising what you have already made.
Clip Store Pricing Strategy
Price individual clips based on length and category:
| Content Type | Length | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Tease / preview | 2–5 min | £3–8 |
| Standard explicit | 5–15 min | £8–18 |
| Long-form / premium | 15–30 min | £15–30 |
| Custom/exclusive | Any | Negotiate per order |
What affects price:
- Length: more minutes = higher price, but not linearly. A 20-minute video is not worth 4× a 5-minute video
- Exclusivity: is this clip available anywhere else? Exclusive pricing commands 30–50% premium
- Category: certain content types have established market pricing in your niche; price-checking competitors gives useful reference points
- Production quality: high production value (professional lighting, good audio, multiple angles or scenes) can support premium pricing
Psychological pricing tips:
- £9.99 outsells £10 even in adult content (round numbers feel expensive)
- Bundle discounts (3 for £25 vs £10 each) increase average order value by 50–100%
- A "most popular" tag on a mid-range clip anchors buyers toward that price point
Clip Store Platforms: Where to Sell
Platform Clip Stores (ManyVids, Clips4Sale, etc.)
Established third-party clip stores that handle hosting and payment processing.
ManyVids: Adult content allowed. Commission 20–40% depending on tier. Has a large existing buyer audience.
Clips4Sale: One of the oldest clip store platforms. Commission ~40% on sales. Very large catalogue.
Fansly: Has a PPV feature alongside subscriptions. 20% commission.
OnlyFans: PPV messages and locked content, each item locked behind an individual payment. 20% commission.
Advantage: Built-in audience, no setup required.
Disadvantage: 20–40% commission on every sale; you do not own the buyer relationship; content can be flagged, restricted, or platform terms can change.
Your Own Website Clip Store
A clip store on your own domain, content hosted on your server or a CDN, payments through CCBill, access control handled by your membership plugin.
Commission: ~14% (CCBill processing only, no platform cut)
Your domain: yes
Your buyer data: yes
Risk of termination: your hosting, not a platform’s policy team
The revenue comparison at £1,000/month in clip sales:
| Option | You keep |
|---|---|
| OnlyFans PPV (20%) | £800 |
| Clips4Sale (40%) | £600 |
| Own site via CCBill (14%) | ~£860 |
The own-site advantage is clearest against Clips4Sale’s 40% rate. Against OnlyFans, the difference is £60/month at this level, but the ownership and data advantages exist regardless of the monthly saving.
Setting Up a Clip Store on Your Own Website
The Components
Content hosting: Your video files need to be stored somewhere. Options:
- Your web server (simple but expensive for large video libraries)
- A CDN/video hosting service like Bunny.net or Cloudflare Stream (cost-effective, fast delivery)
- Amazon S3 + CloudFront (flexible, scalable, more setup required)
Access control: After purchase, the buyer needs to access the content without it being freely available to everyone. A membership plugin (like MemberPress or Paid Memberships Pro) can handle this, a purchase grants access to a specific post or page.
Payment: CCBill’s one-time product payments (as distinct from their subscription billing) are used for clip store purchases. You create a product in CCBill Admin and link the checkout from your clip store.
Content delivery: After payment, the buyer should be redirected to their content access page. CCBill postbacks (webhook notifications) trigger the membership plugin to grant access.
Horizon Vault and PPV
Horizon Vault, the subscription and content module being developed for the Automate Horizon platform, includes a native clip store and PPV system. When Vault launches, every Automate Horizon website will have:
- A built-in content library organised by category and tier
- Per-item pricing alongside subscription tiers
- CCBill-powered one-time purchase checkout
- Automatic access control (paid → unlocked)
- Fan purchase history and analytics
Creators onboarded to the Automate Horizon platform now will have Vault pre-configured when it launches, no migration or rebuild required.
→ Get early access to Horizon Vault
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have both a subscription and a clip store?
Yes. This is the standard model for many successful adult creators. Subscribers get ongoing access to your regular content library; the clip store lets non-subscribers buy individual premium items. Some creators also put exclusive or premium clips in their clip store that are not included in the standard subscription.
How do I protect my clip store content from piracy?
Complete piracy prevention is impossible, but you can reduce it: do not serve unprotected direct video file links; use a CDN that requires authentication to serve files; add visible watermarks (your name/handle) to your videos. Report DMCA violations to hosting platforms when you find pirated copies.
What file format should I sell clips in?
MP4 is the universal standard, supported on every device. H.264 encoding at 1080p is the sweet spot for quality vs file size for most content. Avoid unnecessarily large files; 1GB+ per clip creates slow download experiences.
Should I offer free preview clips?
Yes, a 30–60 second SFW or soft preview embedded on each clip’s product page significantly increases conversion versus a static thumbnail. Buyers want to know what they are buying before they pay.
How many clips do I need to launch a clip store?
Even 5–10 clips is enough to launch. A small focused catalogue converts better than an overwhelming catalogue where nothing stands out. Add to it regularly, clip stores benefit from freshness signals (new arrivals) and growing libraries increase average visit duration and return visits.
→ Membership tiers for adult creators
→ How to price custom adult content
→ Horizon Studio: the command centre for your website
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