VOD: AEBN or MaleFlixxx?

[jeremyroddick]

I am planning to sign up to one of those 2 VOD site in the next few weeks/month both as an affiliate and as a studio, content provider. I was wondering if you might have any comments about those 2 contestants based on few points:

1-Template customization
2-Payouts/Reliability/Money
3-Traffic & conversion
4-Content management from a studio point of view

Anything else that I should know about?
(I know that debate has been covered in the past but I can only find threads from 2007 and I guess the industry is moving so fast that it might have changed since)

[DirtyNick]

I'd say neither talk to Monica at Moviedollars.

Neither AEBN or Maleflixxx have proper SEO for a hosted studio site so you would be wasting your brand. Both sites only use numbers in URL which tells nothing to the engines. Also the templates for both are not really customizable at all.

Moviedollars will pretty much build your theater from ground zero it's fully SEO'd actually keywords in URL's and anchor text.

You do of course want content sold through AEBN and Maleflixxx for the additional sales but don't expect a theater set up through them to rank that well

I'm a former PPC/SEO Monkey

[nickbaer]

I'll be curious to learn of your experience with MaleFlixxxxxxxxxx, as in my case it's been almost 4 years and they have not approved my studio. At last check, they said someone discarded my submitted content.

During the same time period, I have been with the best of the rest...

[nickbaer]

For those webmasters here looking for a new promotion activity, I do have some content on Moviedollars which you could promote, and earn from (paid direct from Moviedollars). PM's invited.

[steven619]

They both are great companies.

Maleflixx tends to look better but AEBN has more traffic.
To get around some URL issues you can always do what is called "cname" in your DNS.

Take for example my 1980's design for boysinclive.com.
By working with the cname all the urls are now "boysinclive.com". Although that is with AEBN. AEBN supports cnames via their admin control panel.

Maleflixx can do the same but you have to contact them.
Take for exmaple my 1981 design http://gaytwinkslive.com/
THat is with Maleflixx but the URLs will not give that away. Maleflix will want you to "give them" your domain name but I suggest you talk to them about that more.

Summary:

Maleflix looks better
AEBN has more traffic and more control

How about both?
Domain names are pretty cheap or create 2nd level domain names.

[jeremyroddick]

Thanks for adding about customization. That's what I was a bit worried about with AEBN and Maleflixxx. It seems really hard to adapt the whole console to look like something decent and not like a photocopy of "an other VOD site with the color changed".

I'd say neither talk to Monica at Moviedollars.
Moviedollars will pretty much build your theater from ground zero it's fully SEO'd actually keywords in URL's and anchor text.

You do of course want content sold through AEBN and Maleflixxx for the additional sales but don't expect a theater set up through them to rank that well

I'm a former PPC/SEO Monkey

[steven619]

I understand your feelings.
I also have the same issues.

If you are at the phoenix forum pull me aside.
There are some other lower cost alternatives that you could use that also gives you 100% control.

[jeremyroddick]

I understand your feelings.
I also have the same issues.

If you are at the phoenix forum pull me aside.
There are some other lower cost alternatives that you could use that also gives you 100% control.

I can only afford one traveling a year to those events and I went to the XBiz already. But everybody tells me that the PhoenixForum is the place to be for gay webmasters so I guess next year I'll try to get there!

Thanks

[HunkyLuke]

AEBN has always performed good for me as an affiliate, plus they have always paid out on time too! I have not tried maleflixx or moviedollars.

[Kushiel]

Just to pop in real quick and give you a poke -

My name is Trevor , and I'm currently the guy in charge of new gay content submittals at AEBN - I figured I'd drop in and give you my opinion. I always recommend to all of my new studios when this question comes up, that they go with as many different VOD providers as possible. This opens the door to as many different sources of income as possible and is in my mind the -best- option for a studio to grow, especially in the economic uncertainty floating around at large these days. While occasionally the traffic from the bigger players in the VOD market do of course cross, it's always best for a studio to get as much branding done as possible - it's one of the foundations. Whenever you get the time, I'd be more than happy to give you some more detailed info about

Our standard contracts are always non-exclusive, and never have any requirements as far as requiring you to use a template from us on your website (though we'd totally love for you to).

On the subject of the templates, we do offer several solutions for the SEO problem that Nick brought up - meta-tags and the extended func. features within the theatre pages themselves, as well as the ability to c-name a theatre to any other url available that you have the right to use.

As far as customization, you (or your webmaster if you have one that's not you) are more than welcome totally tweak your theatre with your own CSS coding, and work with our guys on the tech side. This does allow you to have a -huge- number of options open and available to you. For an example of a pretty tricked out theatre, go check out adultemart.com - the guys over there have done some absolutely -amazing- mods to the theatre system.

I have to confess that I'm not at all a tech-monkey on the affiliate side of the lube, but if you've got any specific questions about the template and their customization, etc. I'll be more than happy to get our guru in to help.

Pop me over a PM, or an email and I'd be more than happy to shoot you back some more info.

Kindest,

~Kush
Trevor

[derekt]

I would strongly suggest AEBN. This is where our main revenue stream comes from. But why just go with one or two?

If you make $100 with 5-8 or whatever providers, that's $800. Every penny adds up.

I wouldn't suggest MaleFlix. They wanted to carry us a couple years ago. Sent them the DVDs, packages, etc. I didn't hear from them after 2 months. Finally a call was placed to them, their response was they rejected us because we have bareback content and they said their big studios won't be associated with Bareback content. They have a lot of Bareback Content.
Maleflixxx chooses and picks what studios they want.

AEBN will take great care of you.

[Rich]

i am using both of these sponsors at the moment but have made sales only with aebn right now

[steven619]

Just a helpful note. Though you can do a lot with AEBN template they may not always be helpful. Here is what I got back from my AEBN rep today.

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As far of CSS, If you select View Source you can see a link to the CSS code. Everything Adult Emart has done they did on their own. Basically modifying the CSS is sort of "at your own risk". While no damage can be done, we don't offer support to help you do it, and if you do mess up the look, we'll just have you reset it back to default.

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Don't let that scare you but it shows that you really are on your own.
I'm lucky enough to know enough about CSS to work around their 1980's template system.

The upside, at least you have more control over the layout of your AEBN feeder / theater then you do with other VOD companies.

[jeremyroddick]

I have made some tests recently and managed to heavily modify their CSS. But even with that it still looks like a AEBN template. I mean both companies will have to put more flexibility in their system. It is so passé!

Here's the test site where I've made some modifications with AEBN template. Let me know if you have any ideas how to modify it deeply:
http://www.gayfruits.tv

Don't let that scare you but it shows that you really are on your own.
I'm lucky enough to know enough about CSS to work around their 1980's template system.

[nickbaer]

It looks nice. Would look BETTER if my titles were showing

Here's the test site where I've made some modifications with AEBN template. Let me know if you have any ideas how to modify it deeply:
http://www.gayfruits.tv