You have most probably heard about OnlyFans and maybe other cam sites too. They got increasingly more popular over the last few years, especially with people stuck in lockdown. But how does one get to set up being a performer?

You can think of this profession as similar to being a Twitch streamer, but instead of gameplay you’ll stream yourself doing sexy things with or without a sex toy. Becoming successful as a webcam performer might sound easy at first, but competition is getting harder year by year and it’s no longer enough to just use any kind of webcam and get naked.

Things you’ll need to begin

You can get started at a relatively low investment. You’ll need a strong enough laptop or PC and a decent webcam (Logitech c922 or equivalent is a minimum).

You’ll also need good lights, something with a bit more lumens than just a ring light, but you can get a medium size softbox with some strong enough lights for roughly $100.

When you’re ready to upgrade

People who are ahead invest a lot in equipment, wardrobe, sex toys and learn a lot to put on better and better shows. Before you upgrade your camera make sure you have very good lights.

Good lights with a decent camera produce a much better image than the most expensive DSLR camera can with bad lighting. Before upgrading to a more expensive camera setup make sure to invest in a very good microphone.

Since you’ll be talking during your shows, a crisp and clear audio can make your stream quality infinitely better! Lots of models forget to upgrade in this area so mastering your audio can get you ahead rather easily.

When you’re ready to upgrade your camera you can go for a full-frame DSLR camera with one or two nice lenses. You’ll probably also need an HDMI capture card for your PC, so only go for this upgrade when you’ve been working for a while, and you feel like you can yourself doing this long term.

Some considerations

Make sure to choose a location in your house where your neighbors can’t see (or hear!) you. And also make sure to put away personal items such as photos of family or friends, things with your name on them like documents. If you don’t have a lot of space available, use a corner in your home where you can decorate nicely and make it very cozy.

As it’s important not to reveal personal information during your shows, it’s just as important not to reveal what you do to guests coming over to your home. If you don’t want them to know, make sure your content/camming room can be locked. If you do your shows in your living room, make sure everything can be put away easily.

The type of shows you put on and the sites that would fit you can depend on your personality, what you enjoy and to some degree your gender too.

Freemium vs. Premium

Freemium sites are also known as token sites. On these sites usually everybody can see the show you put on and they can tip you. You can set up goals. For example you get naked when you reach the first 100 tokens, start using a specific toy at a 1000 tokens and so on.

You can have specific gifts or perks at specific token amounts, such as write the member’s name somewhere if they tip 333 tokens. Keeping the momentum going and putting on a very entertaining show is key here. If you feel like this comes easy to you, freemium sites might be the best choice for you.

Income starts to increase a bit slower on these sites as you need to build up an audience, but it’s also more scalable. If you’re really successful, it’s possible to earn more on these sites than doing 1-on-1 private shows. Tip toys are very good tools for boosting the amount of tips.

On premium sites most of the interaction happens in 1-on-1 private shows or closed group shows where only the members paying get to see and take part in the action.

These shows are much more intimate and personal. You can use the above mentioned tip enabled toys in the same way on most premium sites too. Members really like to experience this kind of interactivity during 1-on-1 private shows too!

Tip enabled toys

These toys vibrate at different strengths and for different amounts of time for different amounts of tokens tipped. You can set your own settings and the rest happens automatically.

These toys make the show a truly interactive two-way experience for the members as they get to have a level of control and send you vibrations. The easiest toys to use are insertables, as they leave both your hands free and you can still move freely while having them inside you.

For vagina owners the custom dildo could be a perfect choice. For penis owners with a little bit of creativity you can strap the custom vibrator to your cock using a wider rubber band. For anal stimulation the custom dildo is a very good choice!

For vaginal or anal stimulation you can use the Pearl2 interactive vibrating dildo and let them vibrate it as you’re moving it in and out driving you closer and closer to climax.

Some difficulties you should plan for

Based on your gender there might be some difficulties that you need to prepare for. For penis owner models cum as a resource management is required. Especially on premium sites where members will expect an orgasm at the end of most private shows.

You’ll need to decide your limits and communicate them clearly and effectively. For example you’ll only finish a show with an orgasm if it’s been longer than a certain amount of time. You need to know your body and know how many times you can orgasm a day and plan your shows accordingly.

Using fake cum and faking a decent cum shot is not impossible, but much harder than faking an orgasm as a vagina owner. On freemium sites this is easier as you can plan out and build your shows to get you to your earning goal by the time you reach an orgasm.

Make sure to prepare well if you’re planning to use anal sex toys. The Lumen is a perfect beginner size so even if you don’t have any experience you’ll be able to use it easily. It’s also very comfortable to wear for longer periods of time so you won’t need to pause your show to adjust or remove it.

Performing live on cam can be a very rewarding experience and can even boost your confidence. You can also learn a lot about your sexuality, different fetishes, move out of your comfort zone a bit and have lots of fun.

Make sure to listen to your body and get enough rest. While mostly fun, this line of work can also be mentally straining. Make sure to have a sex worker friendly therapist, mental health professional or support group who you can talk to during difficult times.

And finally, if you’re looking to enhance your camming setup or diversify your toy collection, you might also explore wholesale sex toys suppliers to get high-quality products at better prices.