How To Break A Machinima Contract

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CadenSwift

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I have a gaming channel with around 30,000 subs and get 200,000-300,000 views per month. I signed with Machinima back a few years ago. My contract offers $2 / 1000 views, and lasts several years.

Has anyone had success breaking their Machinima contract?

Is it worth breaking my contract? I feel like this CPM is kind of awful. I was getting paid for views from AdSense before and I was ranging between $1.50 - $8.00 / 1000 views. The problem is that since I wasn't partnered I couldn't monetize all my videos and was stupid enough to accept Machinima's contract.

Is there some way of breaking this contract because it seems really shady. I feel like I claim it's not equitable or that it's unconscionable for them to lock me in for so many years. I know that people have managed to get out of these contracts before, I'm just wondering how they managed to do it?

If I do manage to get out, what is the best alternative to Machinima, and what kind of revenue would I be looking at with that network?
 
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That sucks, I hear when you partner with them you're selling your sole and they own you. Best of luck.
 
I've seen very popular channels partnered with Machinima and have heard them complain too. I do think it will be beneficial for you if you can break the contract somehow, but I'd guess the fees would be pretty darn high.
 
Is their anyway to call them or e-mail a manager?
 
I've never seen a phone number. They have a messaging system where you can submit a ticket.
 
I don't really want to hire a lawyer. I've read that if you breach a fundamental term in the contract that they will kick you out or something. At the same time they could sue for breach of contract; although I also read that they have never brought anyone to court. It wouldn't be worth their time to sue me for the few hundred dollars they get a month from my content, not to mention the PR nightmare they would be in. But again I don't want really want any trouble.
 
I don't know much about youtube and their networks but maybe you could redirect your viewers to another channel? Set up a new channel and blahblahblah at the end of every video you make, tell your viewers to sub your 2nd channel.
 
erickishere said:
I don't know much about youtube and their networks but maybe you could redirect your viewers to another channel? Set up a new channel and blahblahblah at the end of every video you make, tell your viewers to sub your 2nd channel.
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There's a term in the contract that covers that. They own the rights to advertising on all gaming related content that I post.
 
What happens if you're sick? Are you obligated to make videos every month?
 
Just read your agreement. It should show your terms, the length and the penalty. Look for a loophole.
 
Paper-Boy said:
What happens if you're sick? Are you obligated to make videos every month?
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There's no obligation to make videos. You're not allowed to make videos private or take ads off of them though. Honestly I don't think they'd really notice if I just deleted all my videos.
 
HerpDerpSlerp said:
Just read your agreement. It should show your terms, the length and the penalty. Look for a loophole.
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I've read the agreement several times. I'm no lawyer though, so I was looking for someone else who already found a loophole.
 
CadenSwift said:
I've read the agreement several times. I'm no lawyer though, so I was looking for someone else who already found a loophole.
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Could you send your viewers to a website you own, maybe have them register for a contest. You're going to give an ipad or something away. Make sure they verify their email. Create a new channel and let them know about it through their email?

Create a second channel. Tell them to visit your website and have the videos embeded. Get them to subscribe to that channel somehow. Later change the sites content so the video that sends them to the site looks like it's for a different reason?
 
Unfortunately for you unless you signed the perpetual contract which they had around a year ago there is no way out. I managed to get a few channels released on the old contract as the contract lasted forever which if took to court wouldn't stand. There's nothing you can do I'm afraid apart from create hate videos about them and hope that they will terminate your contract, but I know people who have done that and after they have been released their adsense accounts have mysteriously been disabled. Of course you could also make a 2nd channel as stated above but I imagine it would be quite difficult to transfer all of your audience over.

If I'm honest while Machinima isn't the best network and they don't have a great CPM at least your earnings are going to be consistent. For example you mention you were earning between $2-8cpm on adsense, I assume this was around xmas time when everyone was buying ads. In January it is not unusual for your CPM to drop way below $2 (and even $1, depending on the niche) simply because no companies want to buy ads then, so in that respect at least your earnings are consistent and it's not as bad as it seems - there are MUCH worse networks out there.
 
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Well, what is the best deal I would end up with if I were to break the contract? I've heard a bunch of other networks offer 75/25 splits. Would this be significantly better than my $2 CPM?

Google takes a 45% cut themselves, then Machinima would take 25% of the remaining 55%. So I would get 41.25%, of the ad revenue, which I think is somewhere around $8-10. That would be somewhere around $3-4 CPM? Does anyone know what the big Machinima partners get paid? Is it better to get a flat rate, or a percentage?

What is the best network to join for gamers, and what do they offer?
 
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