Curious how to side hustle your way into becoming a cam girl online in 2024? The life of a camgirl certainly has its appeal—making a little dough (or much more) from the comfort of your own home and all.
What’s not to love about that idea?
But there’s a lot that goes on for cam girls behind the scenes and we unpack it all in our guide on how to be a cam model in 2024.
We cover all-things camming including advanced marketing tips, brand development, the best cam sites to work for and more. If you’re ready to learn about being a cam girl, we bring the nitty-gritty details to the table in this article.
Our 2024 Guide for Cam Girls
- Technical know-how: Setup and equipment
- Getting started: Creating your cam brand
- Privacy matters: Safety tips for camming
- Where to cam: Top cam sites to work for
- FAQs: Answers to the most popular questions
Technical Bits: How To Be a Cam Model
Camming is a bit of a modern marvel, isn’t it? You can make money by doing all that stuff you probably already do in your everyday life. Watch TV, browse social media, chat with friends.
But before you can start cashing in, there are a few technical details that you’ll need to take care of to ensure your foundation is complete.
1. Computer
You’ll definitely need a computer if you don’t already have one. A laptop is ideal, especially if you plan on being mobile. But a desktop will work just fine.
While you could use a smartphone or tablet, it’s not ideal. The screen is too small, and the quality of the camera isn’t as good for producing quality content.
With that said, make sure your device can handle HD video and high-resolution photography. If you’re using a computer, 4GB of RAM is the bare minimum; otherwise, you’ll be stuck waiting for your computer to catch up every time you try to open a new window.
2. Webcam
There are two types of webcams: internal and external.
You’ll want to invest in an external HD webcam. These webcams plug into your computer via USB and offer a much higher resolution (minimum 720p) than the standard built-in models.
There are great external HD webcams starting around $30, but your computer will need an appropriate USB port in order to be compatible.
3. Microphone
You might be able to get away without a microphone if you’re just starting out. But if you want to be successful, you’ll need to invest in a good quality mic. Your viewers will appreciate it, and you’ll sound more professional during your webcam shows.
Just make sure to get a USB microphone so that it plugs directly into your computer. You can expect to spend between $40 and $120 on a quality USB mic, but you should be able to recoup the cost quickly.
4. Internet Connection
Live streaming is a data-intensive activity, so you’ll definitely need a stable internet connection to avoid any loading issues or interruptions in your broadcast.
The minimum internet speed you should have for HD video is 10Mbps. But for the best quality, aim for 25Mbps or more.
Pro tip: When in doubt, test your speed with an online tool like Speedtest.net.
5. Cam Model Account
Now that you’ve got the basics, it’s time to set up your account. Of course, every cam site is different, but the process is pretty similar across the platforms.
You’ll need to create an account and fill out some basic information about yourself including age verification to make sure you’re legal (18 years +). This is for your safety and the safety of the site and its members.
We definitely don’t condone illegal camming.
Be sure to use a unique username and password that you haven’t used for anything else.
6. Payment Method
You’re here to get paid, right? So you’ll need a way to receive your money.
Most cam sites will allow you to cash out via PayPal, direct deposit, or check. Some sites will also allow you to withdraw your earnings through a wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
If you’re just starting out, PayPal is probably the easiest option. But as you start making more money, you might want to look into setting up a direct deposit with your bank.
7. Equipment Extras
Not totally necessary but can improve your camming life:
- Lighting: Good lighting can make a big difference in the quality of your broadcast. If you don’t have any natural light, invest in a ring light which costs $30-$100.
- Tripod: A tripod will help keep your camera steady, which means fewer blurry shots and more options for posing.You can expect to spend around $50 for a quality tripod.
- Props: Some girls like to use props in their shows. This could be anything from toys to costumes or even just some fun accessories. Sky’s the limit really, so experiment away!
Getting Started as a Cam Model
It takes a special kind of person to be successful in the camming industry. Here are a few tips that’ll help get you started in making a name for yourself:
1. Be Professional
If you’re not confident, you won’t succeed as a cam girl! Full-stop. Confidence in your body and your talents makes for a more dynamic show that your fans will most certainly remember. Memorable shows means more potential earnings in the future.
But confidency isn’t everything.
Cam models are working professionals and with that comes the requirement to be polite and prompt as well. Act like it’s your job because it is! Whether you’re dealing with a cam site or a customer, you want to leave a positive impression each and every time.
2. Build Your Cam Persona
There are thousands of cam models out there, what will make your cam profile stand out?
Whether it’s your sense of humor or your fantastic singing voice, focus on what makes you unique. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to find your audience and build a following.
This includes finding out what makes your customers tick and choosing cam niches that viewers just can’t deny. It could be cosplay or the mommy angle, explore the endless choices and land on something that fits you.
3. Stick to a Schedule
This is a business, and like any business, it requires planning and organization.
Creating your own schedule will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re making the most of your time. Your viewers will respond to consistency and will be more likely to become regulars if they know when you’re online.
Don’t be late.
It might sound obvious but unreliability and cancelled shows are a surefire way to lose customers.
4. Invest in Yourself
This business is all about you, so invest in yourself.
Take time to learn about the industry and find out what other models are doing. Join forums and read blogs. The more you know, the better equipped you will be to succeed. Don’t be afraid to spend some cash on marketing and promotion too.
It’ll be worth it in the long run.
5. Be Patient
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a successful webcam model career.
It takes time to build a following and start making serious money. Be patient and focus on putting out quality content. The rest will come in time.
How To Get The Most Out of Every Cam Show
The key to being a successful cam girl is to make the most of every show. Tips and tokens make the world go ’round. There are plenty of things you can do to reach your goals, but you’ll need to be creative and work hard.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Be Interactive and Get Personal
Your viewers want to feel like they’re a part of the show, so make that happen and interact with them. The better the conversation, the hotter your chances of keeping them around. Don’t hold back from sharing about your day and asking about theirs.
The more you engage enthusiastically, the more they’ll enjoy it and be willing to spend.
Are you mainly performing in public shows? Set generous tip goals for enticing acts that’ll make your viewers want to score hard.
If you’re more of a private performer, allure customers with the idea of personalized porn that could fulfill their fantasies.
2. Dress To Impress
Your appearance is essential as a webcam model. Another obvious one, we know, but being an attractive individual doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll win over clients, given the millions of other cam girls out there.
What will win over clients is you putting effort into your looks in a way that boosts your confidence and sexuality. Wear what feels good and suits your style, even if you’ll be taking it off later, whether that’s some sexy lingerie or a more sporty getup.
3. Think Outside the Box
I mean this in every sense of the word. Think outside the box when it comes to your shows, your outfit, your everything. Online camming is virtually endless in this category and what better way to stand out than by using a bit of creativity and courage to take the path less traveled?
Be bold and don’t be afraid to take risks.
At the end of the day, it’s your gig so if you try something out and it’s not your thing, no harm done and you can start fresh tomorrow.
4. Get Paid What You’re Worth
Don’t sell yourself short. You deserve to be paid what you’re worth.
It is especially important to charge appropriately on pay-per-minute sites like LiveJasmin. While new models on the site default to $0.98 per minute, you’ll be able to increase your rates once you’ve made it past the promotion period and established yourself on the platform.
As an experienced model, you’ll be able to charge as much as $9.99 per minute in private shows, so it’s important to price your content accordingly.
Cam Model Safety and Privacy
As a cam girl, you’re putting yourself out there in a very public way. Because there are risks involved, it’s important to take some precautions to ensure your safety and privacy.
1. Keep Your Real Name and Information Private
Your real name isn’t required (and in fact, it’s not recommended) when you’re camming. Create a screen name with a pseudonym that you’ll use for all your public interactions. This is the name your fans will know you by, so choose wisely.
Beyond that, do not give out personal details like your phone number, address, or social media handles. Unfortunately, you can come across unsavory strangers online and your safety is the most important priority here.
The only exception to this rule is there is no exception to this rule. Don’t do it. Ever.
2. Know Your Boundaries
You never know what’s going to happen on camera.
While that’s part of the game, you certainly don’t have to agree to poor behavior from a customer or repeated requests for something you don’t want to do. Know your boundaries and communicate them upfront.
If you run across a shady client, report them immediately. Sites like Chaturbate have a team of moderators available 24/7 to help keep you safe. So, if you ever feel like you’re in danger or just uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to reach out.
3. Use Secure Payment Methods
When you’re getting paid for your shows, you’ll want to use a secure payment method to avoid your personal and financial information being leaked.
The most popular option for cam girls is direct deposit, though some sites offer other options like PayPal or check.
Avoid third-party apps that can suspend your account for adult content.
4. Know the Camming Laws
There are laws governing online adult content, and you need to be familiar with them before you get started. In the U.S., for example, federal regulations require documentation and verification of all webcam models before they can perform anywhere.
The sites you choose must abide by this. It also indicates that the site doesn’t mess around with underage cam models or worse.
Other laws around camming have to do with obligations to report illegal activities, intellectual property rights and more.
Top Cam Sites To Work For
Choosing a cam site is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a cam model, so choose wisely among the best cam sites to work for:
1. Chaturbate – Highest Amount of Traffic for Cam Girls
Type of cam site: Pay-per-minute and tips
Average monthly traffic: 379+ million
Typical full-time monthly revenue: $6,000
Earnings split: 60% model / 40% site
Payout schedule: Weekly
Chaturbate has been around for nearly a decade, and it’s still going strong. In fact, it’s more popular than ever, with an average of over 379 million visitors per month. That’s a lot of potential eyes on your content and money in your pocket.
As a cam model on Chaturbate, you can be paid by the minute in private shows or by tips in the public forums, either way earning a 60/40 split in your favor. Payment terms are weekly, so you’ll always have cash coming in.
The great thing about Chaturbate is that there’s a massive variety of people who use the site, which is evident from the first time you lay eyes on the category and filter options. You may find genres you’ve gotta Google to understand, but this is a great thing for a potential cammer.
Add as many items as you want to your tip menu and watch as Chaturbate’s apps and bots go to work for you to bring in tokens. You can also add games like roulette or spin the wheel to enhance your chat room experience and keep your followers coming back for more.
Whatever you’re into as a webcam model, you’ll find an audience. From trans shows to couples and everything in between, Chaturbate covers all the bases when it comes to live cam content.
2. LiveJasmin – Most Professional Cam Site Overall
Type of cam site: Pay-per-minute tips
Average monthly traffic: 250+ million
Typical full-time monthly revenue: $4,000
Earnings split: Up to 80% for the model
Payout schedule: Bi-weekly
If you’re in the mood to stream some steamy cam content, look no further than LiveJasmin. This camming site knows how to keep its cam girls and viewers happy.
With a feature-rich video player, they provide a prime viewing experience that can’t be beaten.
Your fans can even request actions and send gifts directly from the interface, which means your live show is never interrupted.
LiveJasmin averages over 250 million visitors per month, so there’s definitely an audience here. Plus, as a cam girl on LiveJasmin, you can take home up to 80% of your earnings with their level dependent payment system.
That’s one of the highest splits in the industry, but you’ll have to earn $30,000 in a two week payment period in order to qualify for that top tier.
LiveJasmin also offers a variety of ways to make money.
In addition to the public and private shows here, you can get dough selling premium photo and video content. Whether you want to build a solid cam following or make cash off a few wares, LiveJasmin is a go.
3. Stripchat – High Quality Cam Clients
Type of cam site: Pay-per-minute and tips
Average monthly traffic: 120+ million
Typical full-time monthly revenue: $9,500
Earnings split: Up to 60% to the model
Payout schedule: Weekly
Stripchat is a newer cam girl site making waves in the industry. With over 120 million visitors per month, it’s quickly become one of the most popular camming sites on the web.
One of the things that sets Stripchat apart from other sites is its quality traffic. Many users are high-spending customers who are looking to spend money on their favorite female, male, and trans models.
Stripchat makes this easy to track using a tier-based points system for users. As users gain experience points on the platform, they level up and receive badges and perks not available to other members.
On Stripchat, you’ll take home up to 60% of your earnings on a weekly basis.
While it’s not the largest split in the industry, it’s still pretty decent cut and represents a flat rate of $0.05 per token you receive. You can always improve your bottom line by increasing your StripScore, which gives models higher visibility on the site.
There are plenty of ways to make money on Stripchat. From private shows to selling gallery content, ample opportunities exist for you to monetize your online presence. Take advantage of the initial 15 day profile boost, and you’ll set yourself up for success on the platform.
4. OnlyFans – Best Cam Girls Site for Subscription Content
Type of cam site: Paid subscription site
Average monthly traffic: 55+ million
Typical full-time model revenue: $180 per month
Earnings split: 80% model / 20% site
Payout schedule: Every 3 weeks
While OnlyFans isn’t a traditional cam site, it’s quickly become one of the hottest new sites for models to sell paid content on a subscription basis.
OnlyFans has ingrained itself in the social media world and has become a go-to platform for influencers, celebrities, and now cam girls. You may have even heard about it in some of your favorite rap songs.
With OnlyFans, you can sell anything from photos and videos to private chat and custom content. You can set your own prices and keep 80% of what you make across the board. This is great for models who want a simple payment system and more control over what they charge.
With this site, you’re only limited by your imagination.
Whether you’re a fitness model or a beauty influencer, you can still monetize yourself and your brand on OnlyFans. Plus, you’ll have complete creative control over what kind of content you provide to the masses.
In fact, some of the most popular content on OnlyFans is GFE (girlfriend experience). You can engage with users via DMs and even texting, which is a personalized experience many followers are willing to spend a small fortune to have.
So, if you’re looking to branch out and try something new, OnlyFans is the kind of platform for fun, fresh content with fewer limitations.
5. BongaCams – Long-Standing Cam Girl Platform
Type of cam site: Tips
Average monthly traffic: 300+ million
Typical full-time monthly revenue: $4,000
Earnings split: Up to 50% to the model
Payout schedule: Bi-weekly
If you’re a cam model looking to maximize your earnings, BongaCams brings a lot to the table.
It’s a large community with thousands of users online at any given moment ready and willing to partake in your shows.
BongaCams offers an earning system based on tips, with popular cam girls taking home up to 50% of the revenue generated from token packages purchased by their fans.
You can also earn cash prizes up to $1,000 from BongaCams weekly competitions for top models and top chat rooms.
While most of the models on BongaCams are female, there’s still a wide variety of categories and niches available to choose from. Whether you’re a mature housewife, gym babe, couple, or even male or trans, BongaCams has an audience waiting to tip you for content.
Even though there aren’t any private cams, you’ll make money with token shows and in the free chat. Then, once you build up a large enough following, you can position yourself to create a consistent income on BongaCams.
FAQs How To Be a Cam Model
How Do I Start a Cam Business?
You start a cam business on any of the top cam sites online by signing up with a reputable cam company. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll need to verify your identity and age with the site. Sites provide the necessary release forms for you to create adult content.
Then you’ll need to set up your profile, including choosing a username, profile picture, and description. Once your profile is complete, you’re ready to start performing and make money.
What Equipment Do You Need to Be a Cam Model?
You can be a cam model with very little equipment. The great thing is all you’ll need is a webcam and a good internet connection to get started.
If you want to take things to the next level, you can invest in some additional equipment, such as lighting, props, and toys. But it’s not necessary to get started.
What are the Two Biggest Types of Cam Sites?
The two biggest types of cam sites are token sites and pay-per-minute sites. Token sites make their money through tips, while pay-per-minute sites make their money through private shows.
Many sites like LiveJasmin offer a combination of both, so you can make money through tips and private shows, which maximizes your earnings potential.
What’s The Best Site for Cam Models?
The best site for cam models is Chaturbate. This site offers everything you need to get started as a cam model. They have a user-friendly platform, high traffic levels, and good revenue splits.
They also offer a variety of features, such as private shows, tips, and the ability to sell photo and video content that can help you make even more money.
How Much Does a Webcam Model Earn?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how much a webcam model will earn. Every model is different and will have different success levels.
That said, most cam models report earning an average of $3,000 to $4,000 per month on a full-time schedule. Of course, there will always be outliers who make more or less, but that’s a decent range to expect.
What Are the Best Hours for Cam Girls To Cam?
The best hours to cam will depend on your audience and when they’re online.
That said, most cam girls report the best results during evening hours in North America (8pm-2am EST). This is when most people are home from work and have free time to relax and enjoy some adult entertainment. Keep in mind that you don’t have to confine yourself to these hours.
If you have an international audience, you may find that camming during daytime hours works better for you. It’s all about experimenting and finding what works best for you and your audience.
How Do I Become a Top-Earning Cam Girl?
There are a few things you can do to become a top-earning cam girl:
- Build a loyal following. The more regular viewers you have, the better the chance of bringing home more money.
- Use a top cam site. As a webcam model on a reputable site like LiveJasmin, you’ll have a more professional experience overall.
- Create exclusive content. Offering exclusive content like pics or videos that can’t be found anywhere else is a great way to get people to subscribe to your channel.
- Develop a brand. Building a brand around your camming business can help you stand out from the rest and attract more viewers.
Final Takeaway on How to Be a Cam Girl
Whether you’re looking to dream big, pornstar style, or, most likely, just be a relatively successful cam girl, you have to start somewhere. The truth is, it’s a real job, just like any other job, and it takes effort to start making money.
The chat rooms at Chaturbate can quickly launch your webcam modeling career. The traffic is steady, and there are plenty of tipping members. LiveJasmin is great for a private show or two. Plus, the customers pay big tips to its top models there too.
Remember to be real with your fans, no matter which particular site you sign up for. Respond to private messages, be professional, and you could earn money quickly.
For inspiration: Best OnlyFans Girls