How to Be a Successful Camgirl: Turning Camming into a Full-time Job

February 4, 2020/ thepleasureseeker

In these trying economic times, more and more attractive women (and men) are turning to camming in order to pay their bills and splash some extra cash. But how much do webcam models make exactly?

Well, it turns out that many Chaturbate girls earn more than $3,000 per month on average if they’re persistent, and bear in mind that most of them are only working around 3-4 hours a day in total. 

Of course, you need people skills and some business savvy in order to be a successful webcam model, with the top earners taking home $100,000+ per year in some cases. Full-time webcam modeling means that you have to get used to the idea of living like a freelancer – sometimes you’ll have a profitable month, other times you might have a slow month. Shit happens, so be prepared!

Anyway, here we’re going to give you some tips, guidance, and information about how to make money on webcam. Enjoy!

What is a Camgirl?

Cam models (girls, guys, or couples) perform on webcam for viewers who pay them money, usually in the form of tips. Depending on where they’re camming, a cam model may be watched by several anonymous people, a small group of regular users, or they may host a private one-on-one show. The best camgirl sites allow a mixture of different show types.

Webcam models are usually performing erotic or sexual acts for the pleasure of their viewers, whether they’re undressing, masturbating, using sex toys, flirting, talking dirty, acting out fetishes/roleplays, or having live sex with a partner. However, some viewers will simply want to chat with their camgirl, perhaps being aroused by them telling erotic stories or dominating them/being dominated.

Most webcam performers on sites like Chaturbate have “goals” that are reached as their viewers tip them. For example, they might say:

  • Pussy stroke through panties at 50 tokens
  • Panties off at 100 tokens
  • Rub clit at 150 tokens
  • Finger myself at 250 tokens
  • Use dildo at 350 tokens
  • Use bigger dildo at 500 tokens

But what are these strange “tokens” I’m talking about? Can they be deposited in your bank? Well, that segues nicely into the next section.

16 tips for becoming a successful cam girl

Here’s where we have to dive into business basics 101 and teach you how to “increase your brand recognition” and “build your brand identity” by using “synergy” and “thinking outside of the box”. Okay, we’re not going to get THAT business-ey, but there are some things you need to consider if you’re looking for long-term success as a live cam girl.  I've also included some tips for giving awesome performances that will leave your audience gagging for more

#1 - Pick a catchy and simple username

Just like a business or a rock band, you need a catchy and simple username which rolls off the tongue, makes sense for you, and is easy to remember. A quick glance through the best camgirls on Chaturbate brings up some really simple and catchy usernames, including “AnnaHaven”, “RealHousewifeXXX”, “Cum Babes” and “Sexual Essence”. Cammers with long and hard-to-type names like “Sexy45GirlMichelle93Sex69” are making life hard for themselves. 

#2 - Do a show every day and at regular times

A lot of men, especially single men, are going to masturbate daily, or at least several times per week. As a result, you want to make sure that you’re performing at regular times, hopefully every day of the week if possible. When you’re working 3-4 hours per day, working every day is suddenly not so daunting.

Also, consider where your target audience is based and at what times they’re most likely to be online. For example, if you’re in the UK but most of your audience is American, you should consider broadcasting in the evening time over there, when many of your fans will be home from work and ready to get their freak on.

#3 - Show some love to your regulars

Many cammers have leaderboards and special sections on their bios where they thank their regulars and show their top tippers some love for all of their donations. Even if you start to grow popular, you should always show some love to your regulars – they can end your career just as quickly as they helped to start it. Never forget your roots and longtime supporters!

#4 - Carve out a niche

Carve out your niche and fill it. There are thousands of generic cam shows where run-of-the-mill girls and guys stroke themselves on camera while texting on their phone and looking pretty uninvolved with what’s going on around them. It’s boring and it’s been done, so why not find a niche which sets you apart from the competition and appeals to users with certain kinks and fetishes? Here are some examples.

#5 - Outside shows

First things first, outside shows need to be in private spaces (like gardens) where unwilling members of the public cannot suddenly stumble across your show. Broadcasting from public places is strictly against the rules of all major camgirl sites. However, if you can access a space like this, then outside shows are a great way to thrill your users who have an exhibitionist side. It’s also just a nice change of scenery!

#6 - Use a Partner

Whether they’re your life partner or an open-minded friend, bringing a partner in regularly is a great way to stand out and get more views than solo performers. Bringing in a partner opens up the possibility of multiple sex acts for different tip amounts, such as oral, kissing, pegging, vaginal intercourse, rimming, anal sex, etc. The possibilities are endless.

#7 - Wi-Fi toys

Personally, Wi-Fi toys are a real turn-on for myself and many other webcam viewers. This is because tippers are able to cause intense sexual pleasure for a performer from afar, and something about that interactivity really takes camming to a whole new level. Natasha Grey, a popular camgirl, recommends Wi-Fi toys which light up as they vibrate, as this makes it obvious when you’re feeling the vibes and shows that you’re not faking it.

The Lovense range integrates with cam sites like Chaturbate so you can give your audience control over your sexual pleasure while simultaneously getting tipped. This direct connection between performer and audience is undeniably sexy.

#8 - Dirty talk

Dirty talk alone can be enough to make people cum. If you’re good enough at talking dirty to your audience, you might not need to do much with your body at all. Talking dirty is an art form and practice makes perfect, so consider doing your research and get some good go-to lines that you can drop into your session to get your viewers hot under the collar.

#9 - Bring out the big sex toys

For some people, bigger is better, and the idea of building up to a big sex toy can be very arousing for some people. For instance, you might start with a 5-inch dildo, work your way up to a 7-inch dildo, and then climax with a 10-inch dildo if people tip you well enough. Pulling out bigger and bigger sex toys as your tips increase is a surefire way to get the tips rolling in.

#10 - Have kinks and fetishes

Look up the most common kinks and fetishes and consider working them into your webcam shows. For example, among people with sexual fetishes, a whopping 47% proclaim to have a foot fetish, with many Chaturbate girls and boys using the tag #feet to attract foot fetishists and cater to their needs if requested and tipped. Other common tags include #glasses, #smoke, and #hairypussy. The world is your oyster.

#11 - Smile

It sounds so obvious, but a smile can be incredibly sexy and make people like you more! You’re supposed to be flirting, feeling sexy, and having fun – sulking and scowling is not going to make you seem more appealing unless you’re going for some aloof James Dean vibe. If you’ve got resting bitch face, you’re going to have to look like you’re enjoying yourself.

#12 - Be loud (if possible!)

If possible, you should host your webcam shows in a place where you are able to be loud, preferably during a time when you can be loud too. If you’ve got neighbors and you broadcast at 3 am, you’re going to be naturally conscious of your noise level. However, if you can broadcast at 3 pm in the afternoon when all your neighbors are at work, then you’re free to be noisy.

#13 - Be yourself

If you’re a little bit nerdy, be a little bit nerdy. If you’ve got a stupid laugh, make sure that you laugh all the bloody time. In an oversaturated market, people are attracted to people who are unique and authentic. Your personal qualities that make you unique will make you seem very attractive to some people and they will begin to like you as a person as well as a performer, coming back for you – not just your body.

#14 - Good lighting

Invest in a softbox lighting kit from Amazon and get a basic 3-point lighting setup going. Make sure that you use softboxes, photography umbrellas, or another form of light diffusion, as this is the most flattering way to light yourself. Warmer color temperatures also tend to be more flattering, so bear that in mind.

Big_Quote: When you’re totally nude and have no clothes to hide your imperfections, you want the lighting to be as flattering as humanly possible.

#15 - Bring a friend

If you have an open-minded friend or partner, then introducing a second person to your cam could be a great way to set yourself apart and get more views. Discuss what you’re willing to do with each other beforehand, setting goals based on what sexual activities you’re willing to share for the viewing public’s pleasure.

#16 - Get off your phone!

Too many adult cam sites are ruined by models who are obsessed with their cell phones. Okay, your camming sessions can drag on for a few hours sometimes, and if there’s not much happening in your chatroom then you might want to occasionally check your emails or something, but staring at your phone every 2 seconds is not sexy – it’s off-putting and it makes it look like you’re bored, which is not a turn-on. 

#17 - Study the Competition

It may seem obvious, but you can learn a lot by watching the shows of other cam girls.  Take mental notes on any techniques they use to get more tokens or any other ways they are spicing things up for their audience.

All the ways you can make money as a camgirl

There are many different ways to supplement your income as a webcam model, some of which are not so obvious. 

If you’re resourceful, engaging, and have some basic business savvy, you could generate multiple streams of income as a webcam performer.

Earn tips from live shows

Most models using sites like Chaturbate earn tips from live shows which are broadcast to a wide audience of Chaturbate users and anonymous guests. The users tip them with “tokens” which are representative of real-world fiat money. According to a recent r/askreddit thread, 1 Chaturbate token = 5 cents USD for a performer. The users pay more than this when they buy the tokens, as Chaturbate takes a rather cheeky 50% cut of the money.

5 cents per token sounds a little lackluster, but bear in mind that most performers are being tipped in the tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of tokens at a time. For instance, if you get 1,000 tokens over the course of an hour, that equates to $50.00 USD. Not bad for an hour’s work. As you get more popular and accrue diehard fans, you’ll find that the tips will get more and more generous with time.

In a video by Buzzfeed, some camgirls admitted to making $1,000+ dollars in a single session.

Private shows

Once you’ve got a dedicated following with a few diehard fans, you might be asked to do private one-on-one shows for users. The user might not show their face on webcam – they might just type to you alone. Some other users might join you on webcam for the session and talk to you directly… it depends on what they (and you) are comfortable with.

If someone hires you for a private show, chances are that they’ve got cash to splash. Oftentimes they’re a wealthy business executive who’s single, horny, or looking for an exciting sexual experience which can’t really be classed as “cheating” on their partner. There are always exceptions, but most people who can afford private shows will be on the wealthy side.

Once you’re more famous…

After you’ve gained webcam model fame and the masses are lusting for you, there are several additional ways to rake in the dough.

Selling premium Snapchat

The term “Premium Snapchat” is strange because there is no app called “Premium Snapchat”. This is basically a euphemism which means “if you send me cash, then I will allow you to follow my Snapchat account where I post nude photos and videos”. Some performers charge users a lifetime recurring fee to follow their account, while some also take custom requests from their followers which they charge for individually.

Snapchat used to have a system in the US called “Snapcash” which made this process easier, but after the Snapcash system was axed in 2018, Premium Snapchat models use services like PayPal to charge their fans instead. It requires some extra administration work, but recurring monthly “subscriptions” guarantee a steady stream of income every month, which is very appealing. 

Sell extra videos and nudes on Manyvids

If you’ve got fans who might like to purchase nudes and videos of you to enjoy when you’re not online, then pornographic e-commerce sites like Manyvids are a great place to go. On Manyvids, camgirls and camboys can sell unique videos and images to their followers while still retaining the copyright to all of their material.
They can also offer paid memberships and other subscription-like services to additional adult content. “OnlyFans” is a similar website which is often used by pornstars and camgirls to sell nudes and naughty videos to their paying fans.

Manyvids is a Canadian company owned by Bella French, a female CEO and advocate of sex workers’ rights. Her vision to disrupt the adult industry, end slut-shaming, and embrace LGBTQ+ rights is admirable in an industry which can be very toxic toward women and minorities.

Sell used panties

For some people, the smell of people’s used underwear is very attractive. The underwear doesn’t have to be dirty (unless perhaps requested) but the general body odor and idea that someone attractive has worn these panties is very fetishized for some people. Selling used panties through sites like [Panty Deal] (https://pantydeal.com/) or even just PayPal is one of the easiest ways to make money by doing very little. Just remember to factor in the cost of the panties against what you’re selling them for, and make sure that you don’t run out of panties any time soon!

Some fans may have specific requests regarding what you do in your panties. For example, some may request that you go to the gym, go shopping, or even do a cam show in your panties before selling them. People’s fetishes can be incredibly varied, so there’s no telling what people might ask for. Either way, just make sure that you’re comfortable.

Get creative!

There are so many things you could sell that your followers might be interested in buying. For example, you could sell autographs on your breasts at meet and greets for fans who want to get up close and personal without being too hands-on. You could even class things up by selling your nudes as glossy prints in chic picture frames, giving your fans a physical memento to display in their home. When you’re a star, there are multiple ways to make money and command your audience.

How much can you make?

The top webcam girls rake in some serious cash, giving them lots of income to spend on their personal life or invest back into their career. For example, Bella French, CEO of Manyvids, used her camming money to start Manyvids and create a future post-camming career for herself. The potential to earn big bucks is huge, so how much can you make once you’re doing well as a live cam girl?

Per day and per month

The average full-time cam girl makes $35,000 USD per year and around $35 USD per hour, giving them lots of cash to play around with. Also, you need to bear in mind that this is for around 3 hours of work per day, equaling about 21 hours of work per week. On a monthly basis, you’re looking at earnings of about $2,915 USD coming into your bank account.

Of course, this is an average, and the best sexy camgirls will make top dollar figures which skew these averages, but a decent salary is within your grasp for a relatively easy job with low amounts of stress. If you can get past the stress of your family/friends finding out what you do for a living, then camming is one of the most profitable ways to spend your time, leaving lots of free time for business ventures and other creative pursuits.

What do the top webcam stars make?

To get into the “top ranking” section on MyFreeCams, you have to be pulling in considerable amounts of cash every year. For example, the top 5 earners on MFC pull in at least $100,000 per month on average. The top camgirls can earn in excess of $1 million per year with the best cam sites, although their income can obviously fluctuate just like any other freelancer or self-employed person.

Average earnings

For successful camgirls who run their cam shows as a full-time business, a yearly income of around $35,000 is quite common. However, most of the best cam girls earn money through multiple ways, such as selling their used panties or selling additional nudes/videos online. Webcam models who want to stabilize their income need to make sure that they have multiple streams of income to fall back on – it’s just good business savvy. 

Due to the part-time nature of camming, some performers also combine camming with regular full-time or part-time jobs, giving them lots of extra earnings to play with on top of their regular stable income. This is a great way to get started in camming without risking your financial security too much at first.

Which sites to sign up with

There are many cam sites catering to both camgirls and camboys out there, and you should bear in mind that all of them take a significant cut of your earnings. On the one hand, you might want to look for websites that take the lowest cut of your money, but on the other hand, you need to consider how popular, reliable, and reputable competing webcam sites are. 

It’d be nice if a cam site only took 2% of your earnings, but if it gets very little web traffic compared to the big sites, then you’re fighting a losing battle. 50% of $10,000 is better than 98% of $1,000.

Chaturbate

Chaturbate is the best site to sign up to if you’re looking to get into camming, and it also has the biggest audience out of all the cam sites. Chaturbate features sections for women, men, couples, trans people, and also a “featured” section where it pushes upcoming cammers, helping to increase their popularity alongside all the well-known longtime cammers.

One of the best things about Chaturbate is its “tags” feature which works similarly to Twitter’s hashtags. By hashtagging your webcam room with tags which are niche and set you apart from your competitors, you can more easily attract viewers who are interested in certain fetishes and camgirls. Common Chaturbate tags include #asian, #bigboobs, #hairy, #squirt, #bdsm, #gay, #femdom, #feet and much more.

Chaturbate takes 40-50% of the earnings you make, but its huge size, great features, and unending popularity make it the go-to option for many camgirls getting started in the industry. Although they are shared with the company, Chaturbate tips can add up very quickly.

Click here to sign up as a broadcaster on Chaturbate

MyFreeCams

With a name like “My Free Cams”, you’d think that you wouldn’t be able to earn money from this website, but you can indeed. The website has a bit of an old and dated aesthetic to it – it looks like it dates back to around 2003. I’m not sure why they’ve gone for this Craigslist-esque layout, but some users must like it. Despite the clunky old aesthetic, the webcam streaming itself is fast and reliable. Do bear in mind that MFC is limited to cisgender females only – there are no gay or trans options.

Live Jasmin

Live Jasmin is another live cam girl site that is very popular online. The feel of the site is much sultrier and classier, feeling like an upmarket escort directory more than a cam site. Top earners like “LittleRedBunny” can earn up to $4.99 USD per MINUTE for their shows, which quickly adds up to $300.00 USD over the course of an hour. Not bad for posing in front of your laptop for a while.

Essential cam girl gear, tools, and equipment

In order to become a cam girl, you need more than just a great personality and attractive body – you need to have the tools and equipment which can propel you to stardom. Just as a bakery needs to buy high-quality ovens to bake its bread, you need to buy top-notch equipment to produce high-quality cam shows that keep viewers coming back for more.

Recommended webcams

As you grow your following, a crappy in-built laptop camera is not going to cut it – you need an external high-quality webcam as a minimum.

Logitech are definitely the biggest name in the camming game, and they’ve been the market leaders in high-definition webcams for multiple years now. As a result, Logitech HD webcams are often the solid recommendations for camming, but there are some exceptions too. Here are some cams you might want to invest in.

Logitech c920

The Logitech c920 can be purchased for around $70, which is a steal. It comes with Full 1080p HD streaming capabilities, as well as a decent quality built-in mic. It comes with a clip which makes it easy to clip onto laptops, desktops, monitors, tripods, stands, and more, making it easy to set up at the most flattering angle.

Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000

Great for if you’re starting out on a budget, this low-cost cam is usually less than $40. This widescreen video comes in 720p HD, which is slightly easier to transmit than full 1080p HD. As a result, this cam is ideal if you’re starting out and/or your internet connection isn’t too speedy. The downside is that it's designed to clip onto Microsoft products, so it’s not as easy to position as some webcams.

Logitech C922x

This professional streaming webcam comes in Full 1080p HD at 30 frames per second and can even be streamed at 60 frames per second if you shoot in 720p HD, which opens up some unique video production opportunities. The 5-foot cable gives you some leeway with where you can place your webcam, while the dual built-in microphones broadcast your voice in stereo, creating a more intimate and lifelike audio experience for your fans.

Popular Sex toys for Cam Shows

If you’re performing alone, there are only so many times that you can rub your body or masturbate before people start to get bored. The best camgirls often use sex toys as rewards for meeting their tipping goals. For instance, they’ll set a goal of using a large dildo on themselves if they reach 5,000 tokens, and they might teasingly play with the dildo beforehand, building anticipation for the audience and making them want to pay for more.

Depending on your niche, you might also experiment with sex toys such as love eggs, vibrators, paddles, whips, chains, and anything else that your fans might be into. The more niche and fetish-ey you can get, the more loyal fans you’re likely to attract.

We also cannot ignore the popularity of Lovense Wi-Fi toys and other similar toys which [are linked to your webcam show and vibrate according to the tips that you receive] (https://www.lovense.com/cam-model). Lovense’s vibrating toys work with more than 16 of the best camgirl sites, including Chaturbate, Live Jasmin, MyFreeCams, Cam4, and Flirt4Free.

Wi-Fi toys engage your viewers by allowing them to directly control your sexual pleasure with their tips. This adds a whole new level of interactivity to camming, bringing it closer to “virtual sex” than ever before. The idea of directly affecting your sexual pleasure is a fetish for many users.

Lighting


There’s a reason that Mariah Carey brings her own lighting to radio interviews – she knows that lighting makes all the difference to how attractive you are. Generally speaking, soft and warm-toned lighting is the most attractive option for webcam modeling jobs, as it gives your skin a soft glow and doesn’t highlight as many imperfections or harsh features. I’m not going to go too deep into the principles behind photography, but when people complain that they look awful in pictures, it’s often because they’re badly lit. Mariah knows.

Chaturbate have actually released a video advising their broadcasters how to light themselves. In the video, they recommend the standard “3 point lighting” setup which uses 3 different lights in a triangle formation to guarantee that you’re evenly and adequately lit from all angles. They recommend using photography umbrellas or softboxes for light diffusion – this basically means that the light remains bright but is less harsh, casting softer shadows which are more flattering.

The lighting in Chaturbate’s tutorial video is a very cool temperature, which basically means that the light is very white/blue in nature, giving a bit of a cold and clinical feel to the room. Personally, I think that lights with warmer color temperatures are more flattering and they create a more intimate-feeling experience. Warm-colored lighting can help you to be properly lit while still feeling like you’re using a couple of desk lamps like a naughty sexting teenager. It’s intimate and inviting. 

Tips for being a cam guy or gay cam model

If you’re looking to make it as a cam boy online, then a lot of the same rules apply to you too. However, you should bear in mind that the male market is much smaller than the female market, so you’re going to have to work a lot harder if you want to earn decent money as a camboy. Here are a few extra tips for camboys looking to rake in the big bucks.

If you work hard and promote yourself well, you may be able to earn around $24,000 per year as a camboy, but it’s definitely more difficult than it is for camgirls.

Check which cam site works for you

Not all cam sites allow male performers. For instance, MyFreeCams doesn’t have a male section at all. On the other hand, some sites allow for male solo performers but do not have a “gay” section for male-male couples. Sites like Chaturbate, Cam4, and Live Jasmin have sections for gay men and couples, so make sure you’re using a site which will cater to your needs and attract a gay audience. 

Consider butt play

Whether you’re straight or gay, almost all of your audience is going to be gay men, so you need to be comfortable with that first of all. Although some camboys take on the more “macho” approach, many cater to their gay audience by engaging in butt play and putting dildos and prostate toys up their ass for tips. It’s not a prerequisite, but it’s bound to make you a lot of money, so you should consider it.

Try sexy outfits

Just because you’re a man doesn’t mean that you should be limited to boxer briefs and a smile. Dabbling in sexy roleplays and outfits is a great way to set yourself apart from the competition and have some cheeky fun. You could dress up as a sexy policeman, a naughty schoolboy, a sweaty football player, or simply invest in some sexy male lingerie like a jockstrap and harness. Give your viewers the sexual fantasy they’re craving and have fun!

Conclusion

We’ve covered an awful lot in this article, but hopefully it’s given you some ideas for your budding career as a live cam girl or cam boy. If you’re thinking about getting into camming, I’d first recommend spending a few nights just watching some of the best (and worst) live cams out there on your website of choice. Look at what they’re doing to entertain their audience, look at how they engage with people, and see how they tease their viewers into paying up.

The best camgirls make the job look easy, but there’s so much that goes into the performance aspect of webcam performing, as well as the behind-the-scenes administrative stuff that you don’t see. Camming might not be for everyone, but if you’ve got the personality, the performance ability, and the means to pull it off, camming can be a very profitable and enjoyable way to make large sums of money in short spaces of time.

Have fun and stay safe!




  • angela says:

    hi im angela and am thinkig about becoming a cam girl. i liked your tips and incurigment. thank you!

  • Dale Smevold says:

    I was thinking of being a camboy great tips..

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