FAQ

Quick answers to common questions.

General

What is Makenot.work?

A platform for creators to sell content directly to fans. 0% platform fee; only the payment processor’s ~3% fee applies. Creators pay a flat monthly tier fee ($16-$60).

How do you make money with 0% platform fee?

Creators pay a monthly tier fee ($16-$60 based on content type). We don’t take a cut of sales.

Is it really free for fans?

Yes. Fan accounts are completely free. You only pay for content you choose to buy.

For Creators

How much does it cost?

Creator tier fees (what you pay to host content):

Basic ($16/month): Text, blog posts, promo codes, mailing lists
Small Files ($24/month): Everything in Basic, plus audio uploads (MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AAC, AIFF)
Big Files ($36/month): Everything in Small Files, plus video uploads (MP4, WebM, MOV) and larger file limits
Everything ($60/month): All current and future features, first access to new capabilities as they ship

See Pricing Tiers for storage limits, per-file size limits, and detailed feature comparisons.

How do I get paid?

Through Stripe. Payments go directly to your connected Stripe account. You control payout timing from your Stripe dashboard.

What if I earn nothing? Do I still pay?

Yes. The tier fee covers platform access, not a share of revenue. We know $16/month is real money if you’re just starting out or making work that doesn’t sell in volume. That’s a real tension with this model, and we don’t pretend otherwise. The tradeoff is that when you do sell, you keep everything. There’s no percentage cut that grows as you grow. An earn-back credit program is on the roadmap to address this. We may also accept applications for fee remission for supported causes and open source work.

What if I don’t earn back my membership cost?

An earn-back credit program is on the roadmap (expected no later than January 2027): if you earn less on the platform than you paid in tier fees over 12 months, the difference is credited as free months for the following year (capped at 12 months). The 12-month clock starts when the alpha period ends.

What’s the catch?

We make money from tier fees regardless of whether you sell anything. That means no cut of your sales, no ads, no data mining. Our incentive is to keep the platform good enough that you don’t cancel, which is the same as your incentive.

Can I leave?

Anytime. Export all your data, take your fans, cancel your tier. No lock-in, no exit fees.

Do I own my content?

Yes. You grant us a license to host and distribute, but you retain all rights. Remove content anytime.

How do fans find my work?

Published items appear on the Discover page, where fans can search, filter by tag, and browse by content type. Fans can also follow your projects and see new releases in their feed. We use Discovery Through Exploration; visibility comes from good metadata and tags, and every recommendation traces to a fan’s own choices. See Discovery.

Who eats chargebacks?

You do. A chargeback happens when a buyer disputes a charge with their bank. Since payments go directly to your payment account, any chargebacks come from your payment account balance, not ours.

How fast do payouts arrive?

Payout timing is determined entirely by Stripe; we don’t hold or delay funds. Check Stripe’s payout documentation for current schedules, hold periods, and instant payout availability in your country. You control your payout schedule (daily, weekly, monthly) from your Stripe dashboard.

What if Stripe suspends or closes my account?

Your content and data on Makenot.work are unaffected; you can still log in, manage projects, and export everything. You won’t receive payments until the Stripe issue is resolved. Stripe handles disputes directly with you. If Stripe permanently closes your account, we don’t currently offer an alternative processor; you’d need to export your data and sell elsewhere. See Payouts for more detail.

Can I use a custom domain?

Yes. You can point your own domain to your Makenot.work profile. Add the domain in your dashboard settings, then add a DNS TXT record for verification. Once verified, your profile, projects, and items are accessible at your domain. See Custom Domains.

What happens to my content if I delete my account?

Export your data before deleting. If you’re a creator with sales, content stays accessible to buyers for 90 days so they can download purchases. After 90 days, all content is permanently removed. See Account Lifecycle.

Are there minimum payout amounts?

Payments go directly to your Stripe account. Payout frequency, minimums, and instant payout availability are all configured in your Stripe dashboard, not by us.

Can I sell adult/NSFW content?

Not on Makenot.work. We intend to launch a separate platform for adult creators with identical commitments when infrastructure is ready.

For Fans

Can I download files?

Yes. Purchases include the original file for download. No DRM.

What if a creator leaves?

Content you own (one-time purchases) stays in your library permanently. If a creator deletes their account, purchased content remains downloadable for 90 days and you’ll be notified by email so you can download your files. Membership-gated content is available during the same 90-day grace period; memberships are not billed during this time. See Buyer Access for the full guarantee.

Can I get a refund?

Refund policies are set by individual creators. Contact them directly.

How do I know if there’s a new version of something I bought?

Your library marks items with a “New” badge when the creator publishes a version you haven’t downloaded yet. Once you download it, the badge clears.

Can I save items to collections?

Yes. Any signed-in user can save public items to personal collections. Use the “Save to collection” button on item pages, the “+” button on discover cards, or the context menu in your library. Collections can be public (visible on your profile) or private. See Collections.

For Developers

Is there a license key API?

Yes. If a creator enables license keys on an item, buyers receive a key on purchase. Your app can validate, activate, and deactivate keys via the License Key API. The API supports offline grace periods with signed JWT tokens.

Can I integrate cloud sync into my app?

Yes. SyncKit provides E2E encrypted cloud sync, device registration, blob storage, and real-time notifications via SSE. Authenticate via OAuth2 PKCE or direct credentials.

What are the API rate limits?

Public endpoints (license keys, OTA updates) are rate-limited per IP. Authenticated endpoints have higher limits. See API Overview for specifics. Exceeding limits returns HTTP 429.

Technical

Is there an API?

Yes. The platform has a JSON API for managing projects, items, tags, blog posts, license keys, promo codes, memberships, follows, and data exports. It’s used by the platform itself and is available to authenticated creators. Public API documentation is planned.

Can I self-host?

Source code is available for review, but the license (PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0) does not permit commercial self-hosting.

What about mobile apps?

No native apps yet. The web experience is mobile-friendly, but we are building fully native iOS and Android apps focused on listening to and viewing your library on the go: offline playback, downloads, and push notifications. These are on the roadmap.

What email tools are available?

Every project gets built-in mailing lists. Automatic emails go out when you publish new items or blog posts. You can also send manual broadcasts (plain-text, one per 24 hours). There are no drip sequences, automated workflows, or segmented campaigns. If you need those, use an external email service and link to your content with direct purchase links.

Why no DRM?

DRM punishes paying customers more than it deters piracy. We believe in giving fans clean files they actually own.

What are your upload/storage limits?

Each tier has its own total storage and per-file size limit. Higher tiers get larger limits. See Pricing Tiers for specifics.

What happens if I exceed my storage limit?

You can’t upload new files until you’re under the limit, either by deleting content or upgrading your tier. Existing content stays accessible to fans. If you need more capacity than your tier provides, email info@makenot.work; we can discuss options, including per-file size increases for Big Files and Everything creators. For creators using large amounts of storage, we may work together to find ways to reduce capacity use without affecting content quality.

Trust & Independence

Why should I trust a one-person platform?

Source code is public. Every claim is verifiable by reading it. No VC pressure. Public commitments in writing. If we break them, you can see it in the code.

What stops you from changing the terms?

The code is public, the docs are versioned, and you control your data. If terms change in a way you don’t like, export everything and leave in minutes. See our written guarantees.

What jurisdiction governs disputes?

Colorado (US) law, resolved in Colorado courts. If you’re outside the US, be aware that any legal dispute would take place under US law in a US court. We prefer to resolve disagreements directly before it comes to that. Reach out to support first.

What data do you collect?

Account info you provide, content you upload, transactions you conduct. No browsing profiles, no behavioral tracking. Verifiable in the source code.

Will you ever take VC money?

No. Outside investment means someone eventually needs a return. Returns come from raising fees, adding ads, or selling data. We’d rather stay small and stay honest.

Will you ever run ads?

No. Ads mean tracking. Tracking means your fans become the product. We’d rather charge you $16/month and leave your audience alone.

Will you ever take a cut of revenue?

No. If we did, we’d be profiting from your success instead of hosting it.

Will you ever sell the company?

Makenot.work will never be sold to private equity, a competitor, or any outside buyer. The only people this company will ever be sold to are the artists and makers who use it. What that looks like (the legal structure, the governance, the timeline) is something we want to figure out carefully as the platform matures and stabilizes. We won’t rush a half-baked answer to a question this important. What we will commit to now is the boundary: no outside sale, ever.

Risk & Sustainability

What happens to my money if the platform shuts down?

The payment processor holds funds in your account, not ours. No commingling of creator revenue with operating funds. Our written guarantees commit to 90 days notice with full export access.

How long can you sustain this?

Self-funded, no debt, breaks even at ~23 creators at standard rates, operating costs ~$580/month fixed. If growth is slower than expected, options include voluntary support, reducing scope, or raising revenue through existing tiers. If the platform doesn’t prove viable, the shutdown protocol guarantees 90 days notice with full export access. See Platform Economics for the full cost structure.

Is this a full-time operation?

Yes.

What if the founder is unable to run the platform?

A real risk. Adding a second person is the top financial priority once membership covers operating costs. Until then: source code is public, all data is exportable, the shutdown protocol guarantees 90 days notice, and payment funds are held separately from operating funds. The long-term goal is to sell the company to its creators, but that’s a goal, not a guarantee.

Content Policy

What content isn’t allowed?

Content that dehumanizes, harasses, or incites violence. See Acceptable Use for the full policy.

How are content violations handled?

Users can report content via the report button on any item or project page. If a violation is confirmed, content is removed and the creator notified. Repeated violations may result in warning, suspension, or termination. Creators can appeal from their dashboard.

What’s your stance on AI-generated content?

Every item on the platform must declare one of three tiers: Handmade (no generative AI), Assisted (human-made with AI tools, disclosure required), or Generated (primarily AI output). Fans can filter to see only Handmade, only human-led work (Handmade + Assisted), or everything. Misrepresenting your tier is treated as fraud. See our full Generative AI Policy for definitions, examples, and enforcement.

Do you comply with law enforcement requests?

We prioritize creator privacy. We respond to: valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders, search warrants); mandatory reporting obligations such as suspected child sexual abuse material reported to NCMEC; and credible reports of abuse affecting other users on the platform.

FAQ