It’s hard work to say the least, but many are these days trying to build viable competitors to Google’s monopolistic censorship and deplatforming-prone YouTube.
In addition, the video giant is more and more moving away from supporting and enabling native, YouTube-grown talent in favor of mainstream stars and publishers, all the way to “subsidizing” their presence on the platform.
The problem of YouTube and what to do about it is being approached from different angles, and one of those attempting to solve it is StoryFire, which is now reporting growing app download numbers.
StoryFire founder Jesse Ridgeway, a former long-time YouTuber whose channel had about four million subscribers is the creator of the platform.
Ridgway decided to part ways with YouTube after a large number of videos on his channel got removed or demonetized.
StoryFire is structured in the “stories” format which can be either videos or prose, in that way apparently combining the functions of a video platform and a publishing tool.
Like YouTube, StoryFire lets users gain followers, while exposure to potential subscribers is achieved thanks to a comments and likes system that is similar to Twitter’s feed. And unlike on YouTube, where the process has become somewhat patchy, StoryFire promises to notify subscribers each time a creator has uploaded new content.
The platform, that is available on the web and via mobile apps, also promises to help build creators’ audiences, both smaller ones and those who have already established themselves.
StoryFire features in-app currency Blaze that can be bought, earned by charging for content, but also used to tip other creators. Another way to earn this in-app currency is to watch ads and by participating in a number of activities on the platform.
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