How should I set up my home studio?

We've updated the DirectCam broadcaster which doesn’t rely on Flash player.  You can use it from your desktop, laptop, phone and tablet. Two-way cam should be a much better experience as well.  Read the 'DirectCam Helper' guide here.

I’m ready to broadcast, how should I set-up my home studio?

Lay a cable

Whaaat?  Hopefully you took our advice from our Webcam Performer Setup post and bought a long Ethernet cable for your home studio.  Here’s why we suggested it… WiFi is flaky.  It works, doesn’t work, is strong then weak, good then bad.  This is partly because it is subject to interference.  Many household items share the same frequency as WiFi.  Wireless phones, alarm systems and wait for it, microwaves!  All of these and your neighbours WiFi can cause interference with your WiFi signal and available bandwidth (speed).

It is not a disaster if you can’t run a cable from your PC to your modem or router, but if you can or if it is slightly inconvenient but possible, we would strongly recommend it.

Low bandwidth = low-quality video from your webcam = unhappy customers.

Do it with the light on

Lighting is the number one most important thing about your studio.  If your room is too dark your camera and PC struggle to make a decent picture – why make it hard for them.  If your video feed is too dark your customers will not be happy.  They want bright, clear and crisp imagery.

So, no dimly lit rooms, no candles and keep the curtains open!  Natural light is the best light.

Your room is light enough when you feel completely un-sexy and totally exposed.

If you have a poorly lit room then it is advisable to invest in a studio light.  Starting at around £20 on Amazon, a studio light will transform the way you look on cam which in turn = happy customers.  Always ensure any lights are pointing directly at you to ensure you are not in a shadow.

Wow, that was a whole load of good advice, what about camming on AdultWork.com though?

We thought you would never ask!  That was all the hard stuff, getting up and running on AdultWork.com is pretty straight forward.  (Down haters, down!)

We are going to talk about the AdultWork.com pay-per-second video chat service here.

To offer DirectCam you will need an AdultWork.com account and yes it is most likely you will need to become a verified member.  This is not complicated but be prepared to upload a copy of your photo ID and to take a selfie just the way we like them.

PC users then download the video broadcasting software called JustCamIt.  You install this on your PC, select your webcam and login using your AdultWork.com username and password.  (All the links to programs and settings are at the bottom of this article.)

You’re now online and ready to accept visitors to your cam room.  When they enter, they will be listed in JustCamIt and you will talk to them using the chat window there.  You do not need to be logged in to AdultWork.com at all.

A couple of points to note here:

• If you can’t install JustCamIt, for whatever reason, or if you are using a Mac, you can use JustCamIt Lite. This is not a program but a website with an Adobe Flash version of JustCamIt.  We don’t recommend doing this as you will be limited as to what clients you appear to, but if you have no other option, it’s there.
• JustCamIt does work without video but you have to set this up in your DirectCam settings area of AdultWork.com. This feature is used by many female performers who don’t wish to provide video throughout the month, thereby enabling them to still engage in pay-per-second chat conversations, just without the video.  We call this DirectIM (IM = instant messaging).

Webcam Chat Modes

Free Preview

Like most other sites, AdultWork.com offers a free mode where clients do not have to pay to see you.  This mode is optional, you do not have to allow it.  Obviously, it is easier to persuade someone to go into a paid-for mode from a free preview session, than hoping they’ll enter straight into a paid mode without having seen you on cam first.

To dispel timewasters, free preview requires clients to be members of the Site. However, if you want (and if you’ve got what it takes to convert prospects into customers) you can allow anyone to enter your chat room, AdultWork.com member or not. We call this “guest mode” and you can enable it via your DirectCam Settings Page

Performers are not allowed to provide any kind of show or nudity in free preview.  This mode is purely for clients to see you, check their tech is working and that your picture quality is good.

Paid Modes

When customers enter your room it will be in Group Mode or Private Mode.  Group Mode allows any number of people to enter your room and you perform to all of them.  Private mode is one-to-one.  Only one person can view you at a time.

Whilst most people set a higher price for private and only do certain things in private, group mode is the route to financial riches.  10, 20 or 30 people in your room, all paying 1 credit per minute is far better than one person pay 3 credits per minute in private.

Webcam Performer Setup

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