How We Make Money
No hidden fees. No fine print. Here's exactly how Audibase works financially: what we charge, what it costs us to run, and what you keep.
Our Promise
Every rate on this page is the real, all-inclusive number. Stripe processing fees are baked into our commission. We don't add them on top. There are no listing fees, withdrawal fees, or surprise charges. If we ever change our rates, we'll announce it publicly and give you advance notice.
Where Does Your Money Go?
Here's the exact breakdown of a £10 sale on each plan tier.
Free
Free forever
85% to you
Pro
£9.99/mo
92% to you
Studio
£19.99/mo
97% to you
Commission Rates
All rates are all-inclusive. Stripe processing (2.9% + $0.30) is already included, not added on top.
| Sale Type | Free | Pro£9.99/mo | Studio£19.99/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracks & Software | 15%keep 85% | 8%keep 92% | 3%keep 97% |
| Event Tickets | 15%keep 85% | 10%keep 90% | 5%keep 95% |
What's Included in Our Commission
Our commission covers everything. There are no extra charges.
Payment Processing
Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, fully absorbed by our commission
Platform Infrastructure
Hosting, databases, CDN, and edge computing to keep things fast globally
Storage & Delivery
R2 object storage with zero egress fees for streaming and downloads
Support & Security
Customer support, fraud protection, and secure payment handling
Our Real Infrastructure Costs
Adjust the user count to see how our infrastructure costs scale. We want you to see exactly where the money goes.
Costs scale linearly from a 10k-user baseline
| Service | Est. Cost |
|---|---|
Cloudflare R2 Storage | ~$75/mo |
Vercel Hosting | ~$50/mo |
Firebase / Firestore | ~$120/mo |
Transactional Email | ~$35/mo |
Stripe Processing | 2.9% + $0.30/txn |
| Estimated Total (excl. Stripe) | ~$280/mo |
Infrastructure Costs
~$280/mo
Storage, hosting, database, email
Per-Sale Cost
2.9% + $0.30
Stripe processing on every transaction
Hidden Fees
$0
Everything above is included in our commission
Our costs will grow as we grow
We want to be honest: as more artists join and upload content, our storage, database, and bandwidth costs will increase. Use the slider above to see how costs scale. If we ever need to adjust commission rates to keep the platform sustainable, we will tell you first, explain why, and give you time to plan. Our priority is always the artists on this platform, and we will never make changes behind closed doors.
Audibase Revenue Overview
See how Audibase makes money based on real plan prices and commission rates from our codebase, combined with your assumptions about user behavior.
Your Assumptions
Total users (set above): 10,000
Creator Subscriptions
Facts from our code
These values come directly from our codebase and cannot be edited.
Plan prices
Commission rates
Creator subscription fee
Collected via Stripe Connect application_fee_percent
Payment processing
Subscription Revenue
Commission Revenue
Creator Subscription Fees
Monthly Summary
These are estimates based on your assumptions. Real results vary with actual user behavior, churn, seasonal trends, and market conditions.
How Payouts Work
Your money goes directly to you. We never hold your funds.
Customer buys your content
Payment is processed by Stripe using a destination charge.
Funds split instantly
Stripe sends your share directly to your connected Stripe account. Our commission is separated at the payment level. We never touch your portion.
Stripe pays your bank
Stripe pays out to your bank account on your configured schedule. Standard payouts arrive in 2-3 business days. Instant payouts are available where supported.
How We Compare
A straightforward comparison. All Audibase rates are all-inclusive with no hidden processing fees.
| Platform | Total Fees | You Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Bandcamp | 15% + payment processing | ~80% |
| Gumroad | 10% + $0.50 per sale | ~87% |
| Beatport | ~50% of retail | ~50% |
| Eventbrite | 3.7% + $1.79 + processing | ~89% |
| Audibase Free | 15% all-inclusive | 85% |
| Audibase Pro | 8% all-inclusive | 92% |
| Audibase Studio | 3% all-inclusive | 97% |
Plans at a Glance
Pick the tier that fits your needs. Upgrade or downgrade anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take a cut of creator subscription revenue?
Yes. When fans subscribe to a creator's tier, Audibase takes a 10% platform fee. The remaining 90% goes directly to the creator via Stripe Connect. This is separate from marketplace commissions on individual sales.
Are there hidden processing fees?
No. Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee is included inside our commission rate. The percentage you see is the total amount deducted. There are no additional platform fees, listing fees, or withdrawal fees.
Where are my files stored?
All media files are stored on Cloudflare R2, which provides S3-compatible object storage with zero egress fees. This means there's no extra cost when your fans stream or download your content.
How fast do I get paid?
We use Stripe destination charges. Funds transfer to your connected Stripe account at the moment of sale. From there, Stripe pays out to your bank on your configured schedule (typically 2-3 business days for standard payouts).
Is there a minimum payout threshold?
No. You get paid from your very first sale. There is no $50 or $100 minimum balance requirement.
What happens if I downgrade my plan?
Your commission rate adjusts to your new plan tier. Sales made before the downgrade keep their original rate. You'll never be retroactively charged a higher commission on past sales.
Will your costs go up as you grow?
Yes, and we want to be upfront about that. Most of our infrastructure costs scale with users, storage, and transactions. As we grow, our costs will grow too. We are committed to keeping artists informed if we ever need to adjust rates, and any changes will be announced well in advance.
Still have questions?
We're happy to answer anything about how Audibase works. Transparency means being available, too.
Contact Us