CYBERSPACE—SWR Data, an adult market research firm, has released a new State of the Creator report showing that clip sales are increasingly replacing fan site subscriptions as the primary revenue source for adult content creators facing social media deplatforming and burnout.
The number of creators reporting clip sales as their primary source of revenue rose 24 percent annually, according to SWR Data’s survey last fall of 2025, of 550 adult creators. The percentage of creators reporting fan site subscriptions as their primary source of income fell 20 percent.
The survey covered a wide range of subjects essential to the creator economy, including demographics, income trends, work habits, platform sentiment, and revenue challenges.
MelRose Michaels, co-founder of SWR Data, said, "Creators are tiring of fan site hustle culture. Faced with social media instability and the constant need to find new fans, they’re increasingly looking for income sources that are more stable. While subscription sites really launched the fan site revolution, we’re starting to see creators question the trade-off for having to be on 24/7."
Mike Stabile, co-founder of SWR Data, added, "The data points to a potential shift in the creator economy. We’ll be diving into the data more over the coming weeks and months to help creators and platforms navigate this new world."
SWR’s most recent report, "What’s Behind the Rise in Clips?" is available on the SWR Data Substack. Join SWR Data's mailing list here.
