Video services like Twitch and YouTube allow creators to monetize their time through advertising revenue. Membership platforms, like Patreon, allow creatives to charge monthly payments in exchange for new videos, comics, and essays.
It leads to a constant tension: apps like Tinder and Candy Crush wouldn’t be nearly the phenomena they are today without the App Store, but they have to constantly pay Apple for that privilege.Īpps are just one example of how online platforms for small businesses and independent creators have shifted the world we live and work in. But these marketplaces are big businesses themselves, and in order to earn a profit, they take a cut of revenue from many of the other companies that use their space. Online marketplaces like Etsy and Apple’s App Store allow businesses to flourish by connecting them to huge, global audiences.
