Yes! There is absolutely a market for male cam models. The rules are the same – have a quality camera, lighting, a decent area for you to perform in and plenty of outfits and toys. Interactive vibes are popular with performers of all and any gender. A charismatic performer well versed in kink and roleplay has potential to do well, no matter what their body is shaped like.
There will be fetishists, especially if you are transitioning in any way. You’ll need thick skin, just as any performer. Familiarize yourself with cuckold, sissification, SPH and forced/coerced bi.
It is strongly recommended to watch performances from other similar, successful performers to understand what is expected in your shows. You are always in control and can decide where your personal limits are, so never feel as though you must do something that others do.
The majority of your clientele will be men. A very small fraction of cam viewers are women.
The Lovense Lush is very popular among performers of any gender. It is not recommended to use any non-flared toy anally, but if you must many performers use a condom with it. Lovense also offers several other tip controlled toys compatible with AMAB genitals. The Lovense Domi or a Hitachi type wand is also popular. While the Max is great for sync shows, it is bulky and hides the majority of what viewers may want to see.
One of the highest searched for and clicked on hashtags across social media is #amateur. Remember that when we are starting out! There is no need to feel pressure to have a perfect or immaculate room. Our clients are looking to connect with real, honest people and prefer to have as authentic an experience as possible.
The minimum setup you should have is an area where you feel comfortable performing, a halfway decent webcam, lighting, and a steady enough internet connection to keep from having a choppy stream.
Lights
Standard Three-Point Lighting Setup
Often when asking how you should set up light in your room, you will be presented with the idea of the “Three Point Light Setup.” This is a solid setup, if you do what you can to implement something similar you will find success. Every camera and room is different, you will have to see what works best for your space.
The best, softest and highest quality light you can get is sunlight. Sitting by a window may be just about all the lighting you need for a quality stream. Keep that in mind when creating your setup. Proper back lighting looks stunning in photography as well.
Ring lights do look great as a reflection in your eyes, but they are not the end all. It is not mandatory to have a ring light to have an excellent light setup.
Play around with your lighting setup. Some swear by daylight white (4500K and above) as a more natural light, others prefer warmer (2000-3000K) light. It’s smart to get your hands on an LED panel with adjustable temperature to see what works best for you. A low light facing up is excellent to smooth cellulite, and a warm colored light can do well for a more tan skin appearance and smooth stretch marks.
Once you have a proper light setup, it is recommended to adjust the white balance on your camera to make sure that you are appearing in the warmth you are shooting for.
Camera
Webcams have become integral to camming. They are plug and play, easy to use and simple to configure at a low price point. They are, however, extremely low quality compared to even the lowest end smartphone camera. The best webcams on the market boast a 4k resolution, however most cam sites will accept 1080p resolution as the highest as 4k can cause slowdown on the client side. 1080p is an excellent starting point for camming, I do not recommend using a webcam with a 720p maximum resolution.
You can use a built-in laptop camera, but you will be limited in camera angles. When you type on the keyboard, your whole screen will shake. There is also a higher possibility of damage from fluids to your whole laptop.
Logitech is king when it comes to webcams. They boast extreme compatibility, quality of hardware, consistency and availability. The C920x is a great starter camera. In addition to having a regular webcam monitor clamp, it is also compatible with camera stands via a screw hole. There are many variations of the C920x, the most important feature you are looking for is that it is 1080p.
The next step up from Logitech is the Brio. This is a camera that captures in native 4k. Since most sites will allow you to stream at a maximum of 1080p, the camera will downsample for you providing a crisp clear picture. This is a very light thirsty camera so be sure you have an excellent lighting setup before committing.
There are a few newer players on the market (Razer, Elgato) that have quality products as well. I don’t recommend cheaper brands than Logitech or no-name Amazon specials, as you may end up with an undesirable fish-eye distortion.
Any camera you pick can go on a static stand – but I don’t recommend it. Being able to move your camera is powerful. You can create POV angles, or use it to showcase seductive, teasing angles. If your show is getting stale or chat has slowed down, you can use the trick of moving your camera. A slight movement of the camera will trigger a primal reaction of curiosity – the opportunity to see the rest, or more of your room is extremely intriguing and can help recapture an audience. Here is a tried and true floor stand with a ball mount, and an adapter to convert the ball mount into one webcams can use.
Floor stand
Camera adapter
Here’s a secret – If you have a smartphone, you already have a better camera than just about any webcam. There are several programs that will allow you to utilize your smartphone camera as an input (EpocCam and Droidcamx are popular solutions). Connecting via USB is always best vs. any wireless solution, but you do have the option of a fully wireless show by using a smartphone as your camera. This does open some very creative doors and ideas! While these provide great quality you do need to watch out for overheating, also you will not be able to use your phone at all during your stream so you may want to do this with either an older phone or have another available. See Using your phone as a webcam
Room Setup
Remember – Amateur is not only fine, it is preferable to most. The best cam room is one you are comfortable in. I would strongly recommend taking some time to get ideas for your cam room by watching streams of models with a similar look to you. Do you want to have some items in your background to showcase your hobbies or gaming accessories? Are you aiming for a luxury, romantic feel with lush fur blankets and ornate furniture? Do you have a witchy, occult aesthetic that would benefit from tapestries? Fairy lights are extremely popular as well, and provide a little backlight.
Studios often will provide cam models with rooms to work in. These are very basic and look like hotel rooms, usually a shot facing a bed with two nightstands, a lamp on each one and a piece of art hanging over the headboard. While they’re functional and provide everything the model may need, they don’t exactly look amateur nor do they have a lot of personality. Your background is an opportunity to show off a bit about yourself!
I have cammed with a chair setup, a couch, a bed, and even sitting on the floor. I’ve found success in all setups, personally I will often move during my show to create some diversification and keep it interesting. The most comfortable and least bruise-inducing for myself has been on a bed, although it requires the most lighting as you have corners created by the bed frame. Give them all a try, and do what feels right for you!
There are top models that have their whole setup on the floor in a tiny corner with a sheet behind them and a few potted plants. I have seen front page models walking around their kitchen or sitting on their couch as well. Models with strong followings that have the luxury of being able to perform in different rooms such as the kitchen (cooking public shows are popular!) or back patio can do very well with a change of scenery. Your fans will be thrilled to see you in a different environment!
You don’t need to overthink your room setup. Simple is fine, just as much as cluttered can be charming and showcase a great personality. Avoid a messy, sloppy room. And remember to have great lighting!
There are pros and cons to working with a studio. For most studios, the big perk is training – having a coach or mentorship that can assist you with your shows. Some studios, especially those in countries where English is not the majority spoken, will provide an operator to chat on your behalf. If you have the opportunity to work in person with a studio, they can provide assistance with things such as helping you create content, providing a space to work in, marketing, branding, and supporting all the technology necessary to stream. There are even studios that offer daily payout.
The biggest drawback to working with a studio is that a percentage of your earnings will go towards the studio. However if there is great coaching and support behind you, it can absolutely be worth it. If a beginner cam model is not able to get their business off the ground, but a studio assists them in marketing and branding, it can provide a great value to them and increase their earnings to a point that they may not have been able to reach alone.
That said, there are predatory studios that take larger percentages or sign their models into unfair contracts. A good studio will allow you to be released after a certain time frame, and will not retain ownership over all your content after that point. A predatory one will claim ownership over your name and any content you produce. Be sure to read any contract closely when it comes to ownership of your name and content, and ensure that anyone you work with has your best interests in mind.
Porn is free. Why would someone pay for a cam site?
You’ll hear this over and over. Yes, there plenty of free sources of pornography all over the internet. There are many consumers that never spend a penny, and depend on free sites. And although that might be enough for some people, there are many others that just don’t quite find what they’re looking for there.
That’s where we come in, of course. We fulfill a need that can’t be met with limited videos – a personal connection, fulfillment of specific fetishes, and true, honest company.
There are many very personal, specific kinks & fetishes that may simply don’t have a large amount of content, or aren’t specific to the client’s needs. Coupling that with the personal relationships created with models, clients can find great fulfillment where they once felt isolation.
Is there free porn out there? Sure. But it doesn’t work for everyone.
What type of person visits cam sites?
Is every person you interact with going to be some kind of creepy recluse? Will it be just weirdos?
Absolutely not.
Let’s face it: Everyone masturbates. There’s no shame in it! None, except for the stigma society has put on it. That’s a whole other subject. I’m a personal believer in strength through education. In general, most everyone masturbates or experiences arousal. This means that often times when you are doing cam to cam, you’ll find an average man on the other end. And many times, the people who are insistent on showing their camera do so for a reason and are often well endowed. It’s always a pleasure to have an attractive person on the other end, and is a perk of the job. So let’s break it down.
The Frequent Flyer – This member has been around, is familiar with cam sites, and has likely been using the website you’ve chosen for a long time. They are direct (for the most part) with what they are looking for, expect to pay a premium and know to tip an average amount. These will be your bread and butter.
The Freeloader – This member has no intention of tipping. They may ask for free actions, or that if you perform an act that they will totally tip you for afterwards. It never happens. Many of them are from countries all around the world and will call you “bb” or have poor language skills. Be aware of their existence and be ready to cut them loose or pay them minimal attention if they don’t tip. Begging and not tipping is more than enough reason to ban them from your room. Unfortunately, you will deal with a lot of these members. See Staying Safe (Protecting your identity & Common Scams)
The Newbie – These members can be turned into frequent flyers. They will however need guidance. They may be hesitant to take their first model private as they don’t know how to act or what to expect until they get into it. They work well in group or public shows, being shown the ropes of how to tip by other members. Be patient! Sometimes someone you might think is a freeloader is simply a newbie and needs an opportunity to learn.
The Whale – This is your dream customer. Oftentimes, paired with your frequent flyers, these clients will be responsible for a large portion of your income. Whales drop big money. Whales are happy to see you. Whales love to spoil you, and love to see your genuine reaction to being showered in tips. Many whales don’t have difficult kinks to attend to, and are genuinely turned on by the act of spoiling you. Whales are the real life “sugar daddy” that many scammers pretend to be. Real Daddies pay. They don’t negotiate and test – they just want to see you happy.
The Happy Helper – They know exactly how your show should be run. They know what you should charge for every item, what kinds of videos you should make, and how to coach you into being a great big successful model. All for the low cost of letting them into your behind the scenes, giving them all your content for free, and constant attention while you’re offline. Stay away from folk who seem to be too helpful, especially if they ask for any kind of moderator privileges on the first day you meet. There will be kind souls out there, but unfortunately the lousy ones are louder.
In conclusion…
On an average day your regulars will make up the majority of your income. Frequent flyers, smattered with a few Whales and Newbies will be who you’ll see and want to focus on.
How do you build regulars? Consistency! Consistency is the key to success in this industry.
