Visibility in the shadows: Tips in mainstream versus alternative streaming on Chaturbate

Webcam sex platforms represent an important sector of the creator economy. Yet, there is a great scarcity of research on revenue flows and performer income. To address this, we collected and analyzed a dataset comprising 2 weeks of tips received by performers on Chaturbate, a prominent camming platform. Our findings reveal that income is highly unevenly distributed, with only a small group of mostly female performers collecting earnings resembling a living wage. Countering the commonly held notion that algorithmic front-page visibility is the main indicator of performer “success,” we demonstrate that “alternative visibility” modes are sustainable and performers find their niche audiences. However, they often precariously rely on a few generous tippers, that is, “whales.” We conclude that while various pathways to financial success exist, performers remain reliant on platform affordances and audiences they have little control over.