If you seek to make money with FaceRig - The ideea behind the pricing.

[Holotech Studios]

Hello awesome creative people who want to make money with FaceRig on YouTube/Twitch :)

Following a discussion on twitter , we've realized there may be some confusion regarding the logic behind pricing on FaceRig Pro, what FaceRig is and is not , and its allowed commercial use :) so here's are more clarifications in addition to what we've listed on the Pro DLC on the store page. If you haven't read that yet please read it now :D.

The TL: DR super-simplified version of this post :
If you have a YouTube/Twitch/etc channel that you use commercially ( as in makes more than 500 USD per month, and is not just commercial "on paper") and you thus end up needing to upgrade to FaceRig Pro (to legally use it commercially for more than one video), we trust that FaceRig Pro will pay for itself (and then some) within the very first month, and after that any use is pure profit. We trust you will recoup that investment just as fast is not faster than fancy microphone or similar investment in your studio gear. Read below for the details :)



The long version:

Commercial Limitations & revenue threshold: Why do they need to exist?

Short answer : Technology licensing - the face tracking library used in FaceRig is externally licensed from face tracking specialists.

The face tracking libraries of the quality similar to the one being used in FaceRig, are typically commercially licensed as a subscription, starting with prices around thousands of dollars per seat per year. Yes there are free face tracking libraries solutions available out there , but the quality of those is nowhere near what we want to achieve with FaceRig. So we wanted to license the very best webcam face tracker there is ( and in our opinion the ULSee Face Tracker is right now among the best, if not the best image based face tracker out there).

FaceRig however is a one time purchase (not a subscription) with a low cost ( nowhere near a thousand of dollars). It also offers you much more than a face tracking algorithm (cool avatars, rendering& animation tech , lighting, voice effects, broadcasting via virtual webcam) so you don't have to worry about piecing the system together using several different products .

We do still to need be sustainable as a business long term, in order to keep improving FaceRig, adding features and content so that's why the program can't be free (if it would be free, we'd have to close up community avatar creation and rely on revenue from selling avatars, or to bombard you with ads at every step); and we also need to convince our tech partners that using their tech in a low cost product is a good idea, (as in :provides new revenue, and it does not cut in their current professional market) so we had to include limitations for commercial use. So that's the main reason any FaceRig Classic and FaceRig Pro have commercial use limitations, that's why we have a fairly complex EULA and that's and why Facerig Pro costs more (because it starts to have some commercial use).

If you do not make as much as 500 USD per month from the channel where you showcase your FaceRig generated content we do not consider that significant commercial use, so you are free to use the base 15 USD version for as long as you want, for as many videos as you want :).

Remember: A lot of effort goes into researching and maintaining these technologies, so it is normal that licensing them cost serious money.


Making just one video to post on a monetized YouTube channel

If you make just one or two videos with FaceRig you do not need the Pro upgrade ( even if you make more than the equivalent of $500 usd from the channel where you show the FaceRig videos). Making just one or two videos falls under "news reporting/ review" and that is fair use.
So it is perfectly fine to "test the water" with the base version of FaceRig before committing to purchasing the Pro upgrade.


Using it right - FaceRig is a tool, not a game. It is an enabler, and not the star.

Let's get real : "Let's play FaceRig" videos without a witty script or commentary, or a bit of role-play as the character does not work for more than one or two videos because FaceRig is not a game to be played. We do agree that even so, it is way more fun then a "Let's play Autodesk Motion Builder" or "Let's Play Adobe Premiere" but in the end it is a still tool not a game. The FaceRig User is the entertainer who still needs to script the content and make it funny, and the beneficiaries of the entertainment act are the viewers first , and the actor second :).

FaceRig Pro is meant for medium and large YouTubers/Streamers, to be used in their entertainment arsenal that helps make the videos more interesting. Just like a good quality microphone or a good quality camera it will not do the work for you, but it enables you to create more compelling content, and it requires an initial investment, that you will make back over time.

Like a stage costume, or a funky make-up does not have to feature in every video, from start to end (unless you build your whole channel around your digital persona).
It acts as a multiplier over you base entertainer skill, and we trust helps you bring more viewers (and subsequently more ad revenue)

We've noticed that many semi-pro or Pro YouTubers using FaceRig have had significant increases over their base view count on the FaceRig videos.
(for people who have troubled themselves to set up FaceRig properly, including audio lipsync and tuned delay, it has been quite impressive: even 50% or 100% increases).

Of course this impression may be subjective, and it may depend on many factors but our opinion is that it provides at the very worse-case screnario a 20% spike in interest averaged over a month.

Examples
Larger YouTubers (purposefully leaving out the PewDiePie FaceRig videos) :
Nerdcubed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc77zmcSVXc ( about 150% increase over the baseline)
Jacksepticeye https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BNInEZgz4c ( about 50% increase)
iHasCupquake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSikasCfqVM ( about 75% increase)
... and many more

There are also examples from medium/smaller YouTubers
Spaz Boys Comedy : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOoI5hqGXSg (about 1000% increase over the baseline)

Don't take our word for it, just do a Youtube search on FaceRig videos and reach your own conclusions. It is our opinion is that if you trouble yourself with learning to use and set-up FaceRig properly, it gives you on average a 50% boost to your base "entertainer" skill.

The conclusion: if you make more than 500 USD per month from that channel, FaceRig Pro will pay for itself on the first month, and after that is pure profit.

Overall we trust FaceRig Pro upgrade is a safe bet and does makes financial sense for YouTubers/streamers who are good entertainers and plan to use it more than once or twice:) ( and if they don't plan to use it more than once or twice, they don't need to buy the Pro anyway :P ).


That about wraps it up :D.

[Holotech Studios]

There were a few extra questions that have popped up since yesterday on Twitter from a few YouTubers. Adding them here, with a bit of rephrasing for clarity:)

YouTuber - related FAQ, in regard to monetizing

Q: 1. What If I am a YouTuber and my channel is making below the 500 USD per month threshold now, and I use FaceRig classic, then later my channel grows and I start making more than 500 USD per month from it, do I owe you anything for past videos ?

A: No, you do not owe us anything . You will just need to upgrade to Pro at that time, but only if you want to post more videos with FaceRig.
Again : We do not require any form of recurring/subscription fee, percent of ad based revenue (like some game publishers do) or anything like that .
Just the-one time payment: the program cost (for the correct version) from Steam.
And then you can do how many videos you want with it, for as long as you want :).



Q: Wait a minute, if I use FaceRig on my big channel I am also advertising for you! Why should I pay for the Pro at all. Holotech Studios should be paying me if I am doing advertising for FaceRig!

A: Absolutely! If you want to advertise FaceRig or have Sponsored Videos, we can work out a deal where you get the program for free, and/or other benefits depending on the size of your audience BUT it should always be disclosed to the users. Reach us at info[at]facerig[dot]com for business talk :)
Undisclosed advertising on the other side is unethical and we steer as far form it as humanly possible.
If you make a video and you do not unequivocally disclose to your users right there and then that it is an advertisement /sponsored video, and if you do not disclose the fact that you get some benefits off the FaceRig sales that you bring in, we do not consider it ethical advertising and no benefits will be possible :).
Yes we are aware that many big companies and youtubers are not always disclosing advertising deals, and by doing so are making a lot of money with these kind of underhand practices, but they are unethical and it is unfair to the end user.



Q: Why do you take into account the revenue from the whole channel for this threshold ? Why not only take into account the revenue made by the FaceRig videos ?

A: The threshold is there to establish a condition by which we consider whether the venue where the videos are posted is commercial or not (and that is attribute of the channel, not of a particular video).
The previous condition was more cut-and-dry: "If you channel is partnered with YouTube , then it is commercial use and you need the Pro". There was no threshold involved.
However this condition did prove to be unfair for start-up YouTubers ( who were commercially using their channel "on paper", but in reality made very little to no revenue off it) .
That's why we have relaxed this condition by using the above threshold to determine if a channel has a high enough commercial value so that posting videos there can be considered commercial use. Many Start-up YouTubers have loved and saluted this decision.
Furthermore : see the above long post on why we think that if your channel is already making you above 500 USD per month, that FaceRig Pro will pay for itself, and it should not be a financial effort getting it :)


Q: I am not prepared to upgrade to pay for Pro, even if my channel makes more than 500 USD per month. The revenue from just one or two videos with FaceRig is not covering the Pro cost. So, I'm refunding FaceRig . Your pricing system is dumb.

A: We're perfectly cool with you refunding it :) We only want you to buy it when/if if you think it is worth it for you. We're sorry to see you go, but your happiness is far more important than a sale :D.
We are definitely not looking into brainwashing/forcing people into using FaceRig :)
On a side note: The Pro is for the people who want to use it more than once or twice. You didn't need to upgrade to Pro for just one or two videos, as those fall under 'fair use' for review/news reporting.


Will update this post when more questions will pop up :).

[1HP SUPER COOKIE WITH EVIL HATS]

How do you police this.. .I mean what keeps a person from just saying they have a pro version?

[Holotech Studios]

We don't have to police it super hard :) These cases are almost non existant as anyone who has a public channel that makes him/her more than 500+ USD per month can easily afford the Pro upgrade if they want it :) . ( plus it is a super-foolish to risk using the wrong version or using a pirated copy as that may reflect poorly with their channel's audience or even Google).

If we will ever suspect someone of "cheating" we will e-mail their address listed on the channel and ask them to produce proof of ownership for Pro. Because they could only get it by Steam ( there's no other way FaceRig is being sold right now) there are a plethora of ways to check digitally if a person owns a certain Steam account, and if that account has the Pro upgrade :)

But again, so far there has been zero need to actually do that :)

[Spizy Chicken]

Wish I had known this before I purchased it I'd get a refund.

[1HP SUPER COOKIE WITH EVIL HATS]

Originally posted by Spizy Chicken:

Wish I had known this before I purchased it I'd get a refund.

it is not like your going to make money off it...

[LVVrunner]

I buy Facerig Pro = 1293 hours Streams

[1HP SUPER COOKIE WITH EVIL HATS]

Originally posted by LVVrunner:

I buy Facerig Pro = 1293 hours Streams :B1:

and zero money made.

[ZephyreSyx]

With the addition of Live2D, I like to know also in abridged english if I can make commercial videos with facerig pro that uses Live2D. My brain fizzed a bit trying to understand if it's a yes or no complexities when on site, it says that you can use live2D commercially, and on here it's discribed a bit more obscurely.
I know big words but I'm still a country hill billy

[Holotech Studios]

If you are an individual, not a medium or big company, there's not a lot to worry when using Live2D module of Facerig for commercial purposes (there are no added complications, it is just the rules for monetization/commercial use of FaceRig that apply just as before)

Live2D Editor-Free and the included samples are free for individuals even for commercial use :) . Look here: http://sites.cybernoids.jp/cubism_e/samples

If you are a medium or large company, that's when things get a bit more complicated.
If you use external Live2D models made by someone else ( not the included samples), of course you should check with their creator :).

Let us know what is the obscure part and we will clarify it for you.

[Aikatsuyuri]

Originally posted by Holotech Studios:

If you are an individual, not a medium or big company, there's not a lot to worry when using Live2D module of Facerig for commercial purposes (there are no added complications, it is just the rules for monetization/commercial use of FaceRig that apply just as before)

Live2D Editor-Free and the included samples are free for individuals even for commercial use :) . Look here: http://sites.cybernoids.jp/cubism_e/samples

If you are a medium or large company, that's when things get a bit more complicated.
If you use external Live2D models made by someone else ( not the included samples), of course you should check with their creator :).

Let us know what is the obscure part and we will clarify it for you.

I have a few questions and if I missed the answer being previously posted, I do apologize sincerely about that.

- I have no intentions of monetization via. Youtube at all however, sometimes, my videos are set to Standard License due to a song or in-game composition and so forth, would I still have to worry about anything partaining to going pro? My Youtube account of course was never set to monetenize nor' do I ever have intentions of ever setting it as one.

- Are we allowe to use it in videos more than once or twice? From what I'm currently understanding, more than two or three videos would mean I'd have to upgrade to pro.

- IF my channel does ever get big but I'm still under free-use/non-commercial use/no monetization, would I then have to upgrade to pro?

[Holotech Studios]

Originally posted by Aikatsuyuri:

- I have no intentions of monetization via. Youtube at all however, sometimes, my videos are set to Standard License due to a song or in-game composition and so forth, would I still have to worry about anything partaining to going pro? My Youtube account of course was never set to monetenize nor' do I ever have intentions of ever setting it as one.

You're good to go with the base version of FaceRig, as long as the avenue where you showcase the FaceRig videos (the channel in your case) makes you less than 500 USD revenue per month. If/when it gets above that threshold, it is considered a commercial avenue and you'll have to upgrade to Pro if you want to keep posting FaceRig videos on that channel.

Originally posted by Aikatsuyuri:

- Are we allowe to use it in videos more than once or twice? From what I'm currently understanding, more than two or three videos would mean I'd have to upgrade to pro.

You're okay with more than once or twice. You don' t have to upgrade to Pro if the channel where you showcase the videos is not commercial, which we define as making below the $500 USD revenue threshold.

The once or twice limit is for people who already have commercial channels ( that make them more than 500 USD dollars per month) , and what to give FaceRig a test-rn without upgrading the Pro. Or to write a review. So there's a free test-run that you can do with Classic.

Originally posted by Aikatsuyuri:

- IF my channel does ever get big but I'm still under free-use/non-commercial use/no monetization, would I then have to upgrade to pro?

Yes. If by big you mean "makes you more than 500 USD in revenue per month".
But only then, not before :)

[Aikatsuyuri]

Originally posted by Holotech Studios:

Originally posted by Aikatsuyuri:

- I have no intentions of monetization via. Youtube at all however, sometimes, my videos are set to Standard License due to a song or in-game composition and so forth, would I still have to worry about anything partaining to going pro? My Youtube account of course was never set to monetenize nor' do I ever have intentions of ever setting it as one.

You're good to go with the base version of FaceRig, as long as the avenue where you showcase the FaceRig videos (the channel in your case) makes you less than 500 USD revenue per month. If/when it gets above that threshold, it is considered a commercial avenue and you'll have to upgrade to Pro if you want to keep posting FaceRig videos on that channel.

Originally posted by Aikatsuyuri:

- Are we allowe to use it in videos more than once or twice? From what I'm currently understanding, more than two or three videos would mean I'd have to upgrade to pro.

You're okay with more than once or twice. You don' t have to upgrade to Pro if the channel where you showcase the videos is not commercial, which we define as making below the $500 USD revenue threshold.

The once or twice limit is for people who already have commercial channels ( that make them more than 500 USD dollars per month) , and what to give FaceRig a test-rn without upgrading the Pro. Or to write a review. So there's a free test-run that you can do with Classic.

Originally posted by Aikatsuyuri:

- IF my channel does ever get big but I'm still under free-use/non-commercial use/no monetization, would I then have to upgrade to pro?

Yes. If by big you mean "makes you more than 500 USD in revenue per month".
But only then, not before :)

Alright, understood! Thank you very much.

[Prism]

am i able to use facerig as much as i want until i get the $500 USD revenue per month and then i will pay the pro fee? that seems more fair to me. +i would set somthing up so you get some of the USD revenue per month if you would like..... if i ever get my channle big because i only have like 8 subs (im bad at youtube i want to be a gamer so thats y i havnt been uploding vids in a while...)

also i will note in the video that i am NOT trying to get people to get facerig and i will also note i am Not advertising. (if i do a video in the future)

[JDinKorea]

Folks, I just want you to know that your licensing rules are extremely clear AND fantastically generous. While I do not have any plans on monetizing in the future, IF I do I will certainly upgrade to Pro. This is a great product. Thanks for making it available to the masses!

[jamdoodles]

What if one, for example, would like to use Facerig in game development? I assume one would obviously need at least the Pro version, but I read in some of the documentation that further, legal uses of this software (beyond the regularly-mentioned streaming/youtuber/etc uses) would be explained upon the final, studio release.

Am I right in thinking that, even with the Pro version, using it in game development at this stage in development isn't (as a general rule and outside directly contacting the owners of the FaceRig technology and working it out) permitted?