Patreon introduces gifting feature and other creator tools

Patreon, a platform known for facilitating paid memberships for creators, has unveiled a series of new features aimed at enhancing monetization opportunities and expanding its user base. This move aligns with Patreon’s strategy to diversify revenue streams and provide more flexibility for both creators and their audiences.

On Tuesday, Patreon announced the introduction of several new tools designed to help creators monetize their non-paying followers and explore new revenue avenues. These include options to sell individual posts, a gifting feature allowing fans to gift limited-time subscriptions, and promotional tools for sharing clips on social media.

This initiative is part of Patreon’s broader efforts to evolve beyond a mere monetization platform. Last year, Patreon introduced free membership options, enabling fans to follow their favorite creators without committing to a monthly subscription. According to a blog post released today, this move has already resulted in over 30 million sign-ups.

One of the key updates is the introduction of one-time purchases for content, such as individual posts and collections. This allows followers to access paywalled content without needing a full membership. Previously, Patreon had enabled one-time purchases for various digital products, including videos, podcast episodes, and images.

Additionally, Patreon is testing a new gifting feature. This allows fans to gift limited-time subscriptions to their friends, much like gifting subscriptions to services like Netflix, Hulu, or MasterClass. For example, users can send a one-month membership as a birthday gift.

To further improve communication, Patreon is opening community chat sections to both free and paid members. New features like a countdown clock and live chat will promote upcoming content. There will also be a tool for auto-generating audio and video clips from Patreon posts to serve as teasers on social media.

All these new features are set to roll out in the coming months, according to the company.