Discord is planning to introduce a new opportunity for creators to generate income by offering digital products for one-time purchase within their communities. These products, referred to as “Downloadables,” may include items such as recipe ebooks, gaming guides, or digital wallpapers. The company is set to begin experimenting with this feature in the upcoming months, as stated in a blog post by Derek Yang from Discord. Users will be able to purchase these Downloadables from a Server Shop, which is currently undergoing testing.
The addition of Downloadables and the Server Shop complements Discord’s existing server subscriptions as additional avenues for creators to monetize their servers. To enhance the server subscription experience, Discord is introducing tier templates to simplify the process of determining which subscription options to offer to their communities. It’s worth noting that Discord emphasizes that not every revenue opportunity needs to be a quick way to get rich, perhaps discouraging individuals from exploiting subscriptions solely for monetary gain.
Alongside these announcements, Discord is launching a new type of channel called Media Channels, currently in beta. Media Channels are designed to focus on videos, photos, and files, providing a convenient way for communities to separate visual content from text chat. These channels are being rolled out to all Community servers with Server Subscriptions enabled.
With these expanding features, Discord aims to become a more appealing platform for community building. Given the recent changes on platforms like Twitter and Reddit, where users are seeking alternative spaces, these updates may attract even more individuals to join Discord.