Important Update: Upcoming Changes to Patreon, Apple Fees, and Content Schedule

Hello everyone!

I wanted to loop you in on the current PATREON/APPLE ISSUE we're facing.
You might have already heard from Binnie or seen the Patreon posts, but here’s the scoop:

PATREON WILL SOON HAVE TO CHARGE IOS USERS 30% MORE if their subscriptions are managed through the Patreon app on the Apple Store. While we can suggest users switch to a web/browser subscription to avoid this fee, the bigger problem isn’t the extra cost—it’s Patreon’s upcoming change to their subscription model.

Right now, Patreon still offers a “FIRST OF THE MONTH BILLING” SYSTEM. This means that no matter when someone joins, they get charged again on the 1st of the next month. For example, if someone joins on the last day of the month, they’ll be charged again the very next day.

But sadly, PATREON IS FORCING EVERYONE TO SWITCH TO THEIR NEW BILLING MODEL STARTING NOVEMBER where subscriptions are tied to the date a user joined. So, if someone joins on August 31st, they’ll have access until September 30th. The big issue here is that our current rewards system is based on monthly access. This means someone could join on the last day of the month, get all of that month’s content, and still have access to everything for the next month. That’s a ton of value for them but really throws off how we manage content and rewards.

After racking our brains and spending countless hours trying to find a solution, we’ve come to the conclusion that we’ll need to RESTRUCTURE THE PATREON BENEFITS to make this work under the new system.

HERE’S THE PLAN:

GROWING LIBRARY SYSTEM
The Growing Library System gives patrons access to more content over time, based on their tier. This system encourages long-term subscriptions and tier upgrades. With this system, it’s easier to say “whatever.” Even if someone (for example) subscribes in November, they’d still get 52 audios in the Mandu Tier before the December update. The library keeps growing, so everyone gets a fair amount no matter when they join. Audios will be posted on the 1st of every month moving forward. Binnie is making efforts to record content months ahead, ensuring that the audios are guaranteed to be posted on time.

AUDIOS STARTING NOVEMBER 1ST

• TIER ACCESS:

  • KIMCHI: 10 audios, NO GROWTH

  • MANDU: Starts with 50, GROWS BY 2 AUDIOS/MONTH

  • HOTTEOK: Starts with 100, GROWS BY 4 AUDIOS/MONTH

  • BIBIMBAP: Starts with 200, GROWS BY 8 AUDIOS/MONTH

• MONTHLY GROWTH:

  • New audios are added each month. Higher tiers get more content as the library grows.

• SAMPLE AFTER 3 YEARS:

  • MANDU: 122 audios for $8

  • HOTTEOK: 244 audios for $15

  • BIBIMBAP: 488 audios for $25

• ADDRESSING VALUE CONCERNS:

  • Some worry that as the library grows, audios might lose their worth. However, this is already true for tiers like Bulgogi, where users get over 300 audios for $50, making each audio worth about $0.17. The Growing Library System actually ensures that patrons continue to get value as more content is added.

• CALLS STARTING NOVEMBER 1ST:

  • All tiers except for Mandu and Kimchi will have WEEKLY GROUP CALLS ON SUNDAYS, with up to five calls if the month has five Sundays.

  • GIMBAP AND TTEOKBOKKI TIERS will have weekly 1:1 calls, with up to five calls if the month has five Sundays.

  • BULGOGI currently gets 2x private calls by default, and the call role is assigned by the bot. This will change. Instead, they’ll need to open a ticket to claim their 2x call tickets and specify which Sundays during their subscription period they want the calls. If a Bulgogi patron doesn’t join the call on their selected Sunday, the ticket expires. This will require some work from the patron and some work from the content team to verify. If we don't do it this way, we will have to remove this benefit from Bulgogi entirely.

We understand this is a lot to take in, and we’re here to answer any questions you may have. As we adjust to these unexpected changes and work out our new content distribution plan, there won’t be any new audios for August. However, we’re starting to implement the new library system this weekend, with September’s audios scheduled for release on the 1st.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

~ Binnie & Content Management