Discord needs to develop into Patreon with these new options

Whether or not it’s the newest additions to the Nitro subscription service, or the brand new username format, there’s been loads occurring over on Discord. Now the platform is getting much more options with the addition of recent strategies of monetization for ‘Server Subscription’ subscribers.

‘Server Subscriptions’ are a month-to-month subscription for servers that helps help the creators and communities who run them by providing distinctive perks and advantages below a paywall. To assist convey extra worth to the service, which was launched by Discord in December of final yr, a collection of recent options and advantages are being added to the service, which plan to go stay over the subsequent few months.

The primary new function to the Server Subscription service is the Media Channels Beta. Media Channels are a media centered channel sort which is able to enable customers to share subscription-only content material, corresponding to “unique memes and wallpapers.”

Much like websites like Patreon, this implies is that the content material on a Media Channel might be locked from members of your group and channel behind a paywall, except they’re subscribed. Discord can also be offering server house owners the prospect to set new subscription tiers, the place the perks provided for every tier might be outlined and set by the consumer creating them.

One-off digital merchandise may even be accessible to promote by creators to assist with monetization, corresponding to recipe e-books, gaming guides and digital wallpapers, as “downloadables.”

The choice of buying a premium function bundled alongside any downloadable may even be accessible, or group members can select to buy them individually.

Lastly, Discord can also be testing the roll-out of a Server Store, a one-stop on-line store the place server house owners and creators can promote their subscriptions, downloadables, and premium roles.

Whereas these new options might be helpful to content material creators and creatives who already use Discord to spice up and develop their on-line communities, it does make me fear about what they’ll imply sooner or later for individuals who use Discord primarily as a free, gaming social media platform.