TL;DR
$3 per 10 hours, creators get the lion's share, and creators get multiple legal guarantees.
The base model of OwnStream is that viewers pay for watchtime, and then spend it however they want, whenever they want. You can think of it like utilities, or a prepaid mobile data plan.
Creators earn based on how much profit their videos generate. The platform cut increases in a manner similar to a progressive tax system.
Additionally, OwnStream commits to legal protections for creators. This includes, but is not limited to, protection against demonetization. If it can be watched it can be monetized.
Business Model
$3 per 10 hours. Watch as you please, when you please.
No advertising, no subscriptions - only premium.
You pay for what you use, just like utilities. If you use more water, you pay for more water. Plain and simple. At OwnStream you buy video time up front, and then you can watch what you want, when you want.
Furthermore, the only experience is the premium experience. No features locked behind subscription tiers. No "ads tier". You pay for video, and video is what you get.
Creator Compensation
Get viewed; Get paid.
Compensation operates through a profit-sharing model. Operational expenses are paid first, then we share the surplus. Complex financial factors are smoothed out and handled in a uniform manner, which gives creators simplicity without compromising transparency.
Creators need to be able to live off of their channels. Alternative income streams for creators exist, but this is no excuse to use market dominance to extort creators. The platform earns money across all channels, and a modest cut is more than enough.
How the platform cut is determined is a mechanism based on progressive tax systems. A creator who earns at most $5000 a month gets "taxed" 10%. The exact numbers in the current plan are available in the 'Supplementary Information for Letter of Intent' document, available on the LOI page.
The Basis of Trust
"We don't need a contract" is the preamble to betrayal.
Doing business requires some degree of trust, but the best foundation for that trust is to not rely on it. You should not be forced to blindly trust a platform to treat you well. Legal accountability is necessary for a platform to be genuinely trustworthy.
The implementation requires a lot of time and money, and is not completed. Drafts will be shared publicly when available. If you have anything on your mind that should be considered, please reach out.
Monetization
Monetization by right.
If OwnStream is willing to show a video to viewers, then the creator should be entitled to their cut. Simple as.
Content shall not be penalized in any way for not meeting "family friendly" criteria, any use of language, any expressed opinions or thoughts, or any other characteristic of the content, insofar as the content does not conflict with law or belongs to a prohibited category.
Content Integrity
Creators decide. Always.
This is a point that should be obvious. If a creator doesn't ask for changes to be made, then no changes should be made. There have however been instances of unsolicited AI filters, which will not be allowed for OwnStream to do. All content modification features shall be opt-in.
If a video has to be modified for compliance, then the decision to do so and the control over how lies with the creator. OwnStream may provide tools for these purposes, but may not employ them at discretion.
Censorship
OwnStream is not an arbiter of truth.
OwnStream must be a neutral arbiter. Failure in this regard will introduce bias at an infrastructural level, which is not permissible, and as such OwnStream must as a final consequence be legally liable for such failures.
This liability is not limited to deplatforming or similar extreme measures. It extends to any and all suppression and favoritism. All videos and creators have to be treated fairly.
Merely Infrastructure
OwnStream is an infrastructure provider.
OwnStream provides, first and foremost, an infrastructure solution for sharing video. OwnStream does not get to decide what software you run to do so.
Using third party clients is fully legitimate, and you do not need permission from OwnStream. You can also use third parties to enhance your experience, e.g. a content discovery service.
As long as your device accesses OwnStream in the intended manner, then almost anything is permitted.