[Journey] $50k/month with a video streaming host

[DoodStream76]

Thanks for the help/advice recently @Proxy Cake

Some updates:
- Started integrating JDownloader for remote upload.
- Added "no-follow" script to our website (helps our domain not get banned)
- Added API for getting the user's storage usage and check if their storage limit is exceeded or not
- Added the "select all" checkbox to make it easier to export/share files
- Removed the current UI for remote upload and added a text-area to enter multiple URLs, with logic separating the URLs using regex
- Custom thumbnail options

To do next:
- Finish JDownloader (This will allow remote upload from Doodstream and other hosts)
- Extract subtitles from mkv file
- Add every language in the subtitle option
- Don't count VPN & proxy traffic / views
- Force adblock
- Increase default subtitle size by 2x
- Add 2 other player options that user can choose from (JWPlayer and Vidstack player)

And most importantly, figure out how to make money. We are not profitable, not even close. Hoping the ban of proxy traffic & VPN will increase revenue and decrease payouts!

Also need to figure out how to get more uploaders. I feel like this is an issue that I am going to have for a while. I've cold emailed 264 websites that use Streamtape or Doodstream. But I can only email so many until I run out!

 

[1pipi]

Thanks for the help/advice recently @Proxy Cake

Some updates:
- Started integrating JDownloader for remote upload.
- Added "no-follow" script to our website (helps our domain not get banned)
- Added API for getting the user's storage usage and check if their storage limit is exceeded or not
- Added the "select all" checkbox to make it easier to export/share files
- Removed the current UI for remote upload and added a text-area to enter multiple URLs, with logic separating the URLs using regex
- Custom thumbnail options

To do next:
- Finish JDownloader (This will allow remote upload from Doodstream and other hosts)
- Extract subtitles from mkv file
- Add every language in the subtitle option
- Don't count VPN & proxy traffic / views
- Force adblock
- Increase default subtitle size by 2x
- Add 2 other player options that user can choose from (JWPlayer and Vidstack player)

And most importantly, figure out how to make money. We are not profitable, not even close. Hoping the ban of proxy traffic & VPN will increase revenue and decrease payouts!

Also need to figure out how to get more uploaders. I feel like this is an issue that I am going to have for a while. I've cold emailed 264 websites that use Streamtape or Doodstream. But I can only email so many until I run out!

Hello, i really liked your project, i own a movie website (that is starting too), and i want to do a partnership with you and your site and you and my website.

If you has interess, we could discuss more about in dms.

 

[BooSpaceMan]

Probably one of the more interesting journeys, as it's such a unique niche and you seem to know what you're doing.

Looking forward to the increased revenue and for your competitors to start noticing you

 

[Klausgocrazy]

This is interesting, I’d be following your journey and I hope you’re able to figure a way to 10x your profit

 

[Stifmeister]

Amazing journey thread! Will definitely keep an eye on this one.

Wish you luck, if you need advice with adult niche, like monetization; i can definitely help out.

 

[DoodStream76]

Quick update:

I think proxy and VPN traffic is causing cpms to be really low. This week we're going to block proxy traffic, this will get our ad net works to show better advertisers, and give us higher cpms.

One of the biggest changes this week is that we're going to massively be improving our remote upload, that should be good. It will be easier for people to transfer to our host.

Traffic has been steady. Which is bad. I'd like to keep growing. Need to find more users somehow

Let's see how this week goes...

 

[Froxenblat]

Wish you the best for your journey, it seems solid

 

[DoodStream76]

Update:

Still constantly pushing updates.
- Added code to remove a React error pop-up
- Added a "Need more storage? Contact us" text
- Added every language to subtitles
- Worked on the add pin/unpin button to the dropdown
- R&D on the multi-audio options with our video player

Will try and start working on blocking proxy traffic and not counting VPN views this week. If this is done, and my cpms increase and go to $1, I will be profitable... Then I can focus on getting users.

I have been really focused on getting users, but I was thinking: If I'm not profitable now, I still won't be even if there are more users. So the blocking / redirecting proxy traffic should be priority

 

[Proxy Cake]

Update:

Still constantly pushing updates.
- Added code to remove a React error pop-up
- Added a "Need more storage? Contact us" text
- Added every language to subtitles
- Worked on the add pin/unpin button to the dropdown
- R&D on the multi-audio options with our video player

Will try and start working on blocking proxy traffic and not counting VPN views this week. If this is done, and my cpms increase and go to $1, I will be profitable... Then I can focus on getting users.

I have been really focused on getting users, but I was thinking: If I'm not profitable now, I still won't be even if there are more users. So the blocking / redirecting proxy traffic should be priority

Yup sounds like the right way to go about it. You have enough users to realise what you need to do, if you can get profitable now you'll be looking real good

 

[DoodStream76]

Also, here are some updates:
- We have added multi-audio capabilities

- Fixed a download button issue
- Increased default subtitle size by 2x
- Working on showing remote upload progress bar & Doodstream compatibility
- And more

Also, will be able to fix the VPN / proxy traffic next week! Should be exciting.

 

[DoodStream76]

LOOK AT THIS!

We haven't blocked proxy traffic yet, but started using pop ads for a new ad network. Hopefully they don't limit our cpm before we can fully block proxy traffic..... At this rate, we will be profitable, if we use 4 different ad networks and they all are about the same.

Will start working on Monday about blocking proxy traffic and not counting VPN & Adblock viewers, which will also limit our payout expenses

 

[Typescript]

View attachment 415483

LOOK AT THIS!

We haven't blocked proxy traffic yet, but started using pop ads for a new ad network. Hopefully they don't limit our cpm before we can fully block proxy traffic..... At this rate, we will be profitable, if we use 4 different ad networks and they all are about the same.

Will start working on Monday about blocking proxy traffic and not counting VPN & Adblock viewers, which will also limit our payout expenses

That's awesome. Which network did you go for?

 

[snitcher44]

View attachment 415483

LOOK AT THIS!

We haven't blocked proxy traffic yet, but started using pop ads for a new ad network. Hopefully they don't limit our cpm before we can fully block proxy traffic..... At this rate, we will be profitable, if we use 4 different ad networks and they all are about the same.

Will start working on Monday about blocking proxy traffic and not counting VPN & Adblock viewers, which will also limit our payout expenses

whats your current expenses of hosting? Will you make profit after paying to uploaders and paying server bills?

 

[1pipi]

That's awesome. Which network did you go for?

This is monetag my friend, from propellerads, is a literal premium ad network free for everyone lol, they just not accept subdomains, but they pay very well, they have propush too that pay even more so.

 

[Bourverm]

I wish you all the best with your journey. Best of luck!

 

[dhio21]

View attachment 415483

LOOK AT THIS!

We haven't blocked proxy traffic yet, but started using pop ads for a new ad network. Hopefully they don't limit our cpm before we can fully block proxy traffic..... At this rate, we will be profitable, if we use 4 different ad networks and they all are about the same.

Will start working on Monday about blocking proxy traffic and not counting VPN & Adblock viewers, which will also limit our payout expenses

Already got payout from this network?

 

[pink37]

Wish you the best for your journey, it seems solid

 

[DoodStream76]

Thanks for all the love guys


Here is what traffic is looking like this past month. The big spike is fraudulent traffic.

It is slowing increasing. I do believe that we have the best product, in terms of speed, bandwidth, payout rates, and customer service. It is just a matter of time until people switch over to us.


We are gaining about 3% of new traffic from the previous day. It's inconsistent, but growing nonetheless.

Who knew these websites would be so difficult?!?!

Sad news:
- It doesn't look like we're going to reach our first goal of $5000 in January.
This original goal was $5000 in profit, but we're not even going to reach that in revenue.

There are a couple reasons for that. But 3/4 of our current ad networks don't pay anything. One of them just started paying on the 24th of this month.

The main reason for this is likely because of fake traffic and it hurts our cpms with the ad networks.



Let's say all 4 of our ad networks start paying the same $45 per day. That would be more than $5000 a month, reaching our goal.

Now, you have to take into consideration our payouts, and expenses, meaning we'll barely make anything.

I've given some of our affiliates more than $1000 each.

Once we block fake traffic and stop counting VPN traffic, I think our payout amount will drastically decrease, which means more money in our pockets to survive.

Also funny thing. Our current CDN solution costs more than 48TB of storage space this month. This doesn't seem right or sustainable. BunnyCDN is very expensive. Some are saying that Cloudflare has a free CDN solution. We're not going to make any big changes right now, but it's something I have to think about.

LET'S KEEP WORKING

 

[1neanu]

Great journey, I love what I see. Wish you the best and I'll be here watching when you achieve the success.

Little minor thing I observed, maybe you have more important things to solve right now, but also you could solve this frame in your website regarding pricing, login etc because it doesn't look that profi.


Other than that everything looks good.
Good luck in your journey, mate!

 

[DoodStream76]

Little minor thing I observed, maybe you have more important things to solve right now, but also you could solve this frame in your website regarding pricing, login etc because it doesn't look that profi.

Once in a while people will send a screenshot like this.

What browser / device are you on?

Because on our end it is fine: