How to Work at Home as an Adult Webcam Model

Exhibiting in the safety of your own home, providing entertainment for others, and being able to express your sensual side, are just some of the benefits of being an adult webcam model. The money can be very good or very bad - the difference is how much work you put into developing your business. If you are interested in working at home as a model these tips will get you started.

Equipment Needed

A good webcam or camcorder is an absolute neccesity. You can start with a lower end model, but upgrade as soon as possible. At least one lamp with an adjustable neck is needed to light yourself correctly. Adult webcam viewers will not become regulars if your image is grainy and dark. You will need a high speed internet connection, and a place in your home where you can have relax and have privacy. Try to start with at least three pieces of lingerie and three nice but not too revealing outfits. Also, you will need to register with the major instant messengers - Yahoo, AIM, MSN, etc.

Once you have the basic equipment, you have to decide if you will work for a webcam host site, or sell webcam shows independently. It is possible to do both once you get some experience. It is faster to get started independently, but your traffic and results might be more predictable on a host site.

Selling Adult Cam Shows Independently

Pros

No revenue split with a host site.
Faster payment (many host sites only pay once a minimum has been reached)
More control over what you can say/do in your show

Cons

More legal liability
Must spend more time negotiating payment with customers
Customers are more likely to try to haggle
More time spent marketing your profiles initially.

How To Get Customers

Chatrooms used to be a great places to find webcam shows and sell shows independently. In the last few years they've become overrun with bots and women selling shows for other models on commission. This makes it very hard to sell 1 on 1, but it is a good idea to stake out a few adult chat rooms in your niche. Stream your cam but don't show any flesh - not even breasts! Be careful of time wasters, and skeptical of men who will only buy a show after a "preview". Often, this is only to scam a free cam show.
Craigslist

Craigslist and other free classified ad sites with erotic sections are excellent resources. Bookmark several cities and post each day, at least once a day. Graphical ads, those saved as a JPEG, work better for posting ads faster.

Camgirlshide is a site that lists independent cam girls. You can list for free, but you will be reviewed to check for authenticity. Once you have your chat profiles ready, (Yahoo, AIM, etc.) go here to register your information on, as well as to learn more about selling cam shows independently.

How To Get Paid

Paypal will suspend your account for sales of anything adult related, so to accept payment instantly you'll have to look for a paypal alternative. Ikobo and E-pasporte are two that are widely used. You can also accept gift certificates as forms of payment, but you will need to list them on your taxes as well.

Working For a Cam Site or Host

Hundreds of webcam sites, or adult webcam hosts, exist to choose from. The payment methods and rates vary, but most take a comission of 30 - 50% of your sales. Others will pay you a flat rate for each show. Two of the largest (and busiest) are Niteflirt and IMLive.

Modeling on IMLive

IMLive is always hiring for webcam operators. However, to say that you work "for" the site somewhat inaccurate. Sites like IMlive.com host thousands of profiles and provide the software and billing system. You sign up, create your profile, and set your per minute rate. IMLive takes roughly 50% of your per minute rate. You can increase your take by bringing in your own customers.

Modeling on Niteflirt

Listings on Niteflirt involve a phone based system. Niteflirt.com began as a phone sex portal, and independent phone sex operators began offering webcam features as they became more popular. You will have to use your own software, such as Yahoo Messenger or Eyeball Chat, to stream a cam to your caller. Niteflirt has a merit system as well as a bidding system for placement in their listings. Your "bid per click" will be billed to your Niteflirt account, and the higher ranking you desire for your profile the more you'll pay for each click through.

How To Work More Than One Site At A Time

Expect downtimes on any adult webcam host.. Most performers offset this by streaming their cam feed to more than one site, which is also a good strategy to use when working indpendently. Your webcam's software probably doesn't come with this ability, but a freeware program called Splitcam makes it possible. Splitcam is available from many reputable freeware sites, such as CNET's Download.com.

For Your Safety

Never use your real name, city, or any identifying information with a customer. You should have a separate persona complete with history and likes/dislikes if the viewer wants to get to know you. Never agree to meet a viewer or give out your home phone or cell number. AIM and Yahoo allow PC to phone calling for a small fee and PC to PC calling for free. Never use email adresses that you have used in your personal life. Check with legal requirements to ensure that you are keeping adequate records.

Letting your exhibitionist side out to play can be profitable and fun. If you remember to treat giving webcam shows as a business, while still being personable and giving excellent customer service, you will build a steady clientele.