3D model repositories seem to be shifting into a common monetization mode: memberships.
Monetizing 3D model repositories has always been challenging, but they are a necessary aspect for 3D printing to thrive in the consumer space.
The earliest 3D printer manufacturers recognized a significant issue: while they could build and sell 3D printers, customers had to have something to print. This is why MakerBot created Thingiverse, and why Ultimaker created YouMagine. Other 3D printer manufacturers built similar repositories of their own.
Those services survived simply because they were sponsored by the manufacturers. The 3D models available on these services were offered to the public at no charge because the intent was to get people printing. Charging for access to 3D models would introduce unwanted friction and could lead to lower 3D printer sales.
However, the landscape has changed.
Surviving independent repositories have experimented with several different approaches for monetization. The most popular and simplest approach is to put a price on specific 3D models. The typical approach is to allow model contributors to set a price for their models, and the hosting service gets a cut of any sales. That approach has worked for some repositories, such as Cults, but not for others.
The Future of Monetization: Memberships?
Now, it seems that a particular style of subscriptions is taking hold, which some call “memberships”. The idea is slightly different from subscribing to a site; instead, you subscribe to a specific designer. This grants you access to the designer’s works on the site, although in some cases, certain models may be designated as free downloads by the designer.
This approach has been quite successful at MyMiniFactory, and now I’ve seen it also appear at Thangs. Prusa Research announced that they’ll be bringing something like this to their Printables site in the near future.
The affinity between designer and buyer plays a significant role in the success of this approach. Designers tend to produce items that have similar styles and functions. If a buyer likes one of their items, there is a very high probability they will also like their other works. Why not subscribe and be able to access all of them?
By offering many different designer memberships, a repository could gain plenty of subscribers. Each subscriber has different needs, and they might be able to find a designer they like in the site’s portfolio.
Because this approach appears to work, it’s likely we will see memberships gradually appear on all services. Over time, we may see the ratio of free to paid-access models shift towards monetization, but in the end, that’s what will support the designers best.
