Discord seeks to make it easier for channel owners to make money, and as a big step in that direction, you are now testing a new function called Premium Memberships that will allow community creators to charge for access to some or all of their servers.
The ability to charge for content “is one of the most requested features by creators“Discord said. It is possible to do it through third parties like Patreon (many communities are doing it), but not natively through Discord, up to now. “Premium Memberships present a streamlined and easy way to deliver premium experiences, content, and interactions within your community.“, said Discord.
“You can set it up, design tiered benefits, and view member engagement analytics right on Discord. And with a quick and seamless process, members can immediately sign up and access benefits with payments and support – all that happens right out of the box. inside Discord“.
The new feature is currently being tested on a “select handful“of communities, but Discord said it is “really excited by the feedback it has received so far”. That’s not surprising, concept-wise at least – channel owners are already doing this anyway, they just have to go through a few hurdles to make it happen.
Allowing them to more easily monetize their work without the added hassle is sure to make the platform more attractive, especially for ambitious newcomers who don’t have some sort of subscription system set up yet.