We are in discussions with a group that's working on a new site, such that it might become part of the Gaybucks family. It's a relatively small startup but has the potential to have good traffic and popularity, and they are currently pretty gung-ho on going DRM. They are nice folks with a potentially good product, but pretty non-savvy about anything to do with marketing, traffic, infrastructure, or administration of adult properties, which is why they're talking to us.
AJ and I have gone back and forth on going DRM for the existing Gaybucks sites, and Tom's recent comment to the effect that DRM hasn't been popular is what triggered my interest in starting this thread.
Are affiliates and/or surfers really strongly disinclined toward DRM-protected sites? Is there a noticeable difference in conversion or retention between similar sites with and without DRM? For an affiliate, are you less likely to promote a site with DRM?
I know a number of sites that are popular or have good visibility -- Corbin Fisher, Sean Cody, and Boycrush come to mind -- have DRM, so obviously it's not a complete bomb, but I also know there are serious issues... lack of support for members with Mac/Linux, funky authentication issues, etc., not to mention cost.
If we were to implement it, my idea would be to use the Corbin Fisher model... you can download and unlock the videos, and they stay unlocked indefinitely even after membership expires, but cannot be moved to another computer unless there's an active membership that will allow unlocking on the new computer. That seems like a nice compromise between providing some security for the content and giving members freedom to view the videos offline.
Opinions, please?
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