Discord is opening the monetization floodgates: get ready for microtransaction stores and paid 'exclusive memes'

pcgamer.com:

The internet's biggest chat app is introducing new ways to extract cash from the people who use it. Discord is expanding server subscriptions, a Patreon-like subscription button that's been available to large servers since 2022, with tiered subscriptions and longer-term plans to effectively turn servers into storefronts.

«To date, we've paid out millions of dollars to thousands of creators and communities, and we're seeing more creators and communities earning on their Discord servers every day,» wrote product manager Derek Yang in a blog post published today. "...Today, we’re excited to share new tools that help you get started earning money faster."

The nickel-and-dime-ification of Discord servers begins this week with "media channels," a new type of channel (currently in beta) designed to host subscriber-only content, including, for instance, «exclusive memes and wallpapers.» You could see an art creator using this Discord feature to post subscriber-only illustrations, as many comic creators and other illustrators already use Patreon to do. 

Not a bad deal for creators, but that's only the start of the new revenue streams Discord, who currently takes a 10% cut of server subscriptions, plans to implement. Here's a full list of what the free (now with three asterisks) chat app has in the works:

As a longtime Discord user, this update makes me feel icky. Seeing Discord encourage locking conversations behind paywalls and sharing tips to «convert people into paying customers» makes me miss the days when it felt like Discord was making Discord for me. The company's calculated, mercantile tone is a far cry from the Discord that won me over by identifying exactly what I need from a chat app and surprising me with features I