Studios and agencies: red flags and checklist

Some performers work through a studio (a location or company that provides a room, equipment and coaching) or an agency (which manages accounts and marketing). A fair studio can help. An exploitative one can take most of your earnings or control your account. You don’t need either to start: every platform we review lets you sign up independently for free.

How the money works with a studio

The platform pays the studio’s account, and the studio then pays you under a private agreement. That means two splits: the platform’s cut, then the studio’s cut. A studio taking half of what the platform pays means you receive only part of what an independent model would, so the help you get must be worth it.

Red flags

• They keep your ID, passport or account passwords. Never hand over your documents. Verification is done by the platform, not the studio.
• You can’t see your own earnings or statistics in the platform dashboard.
• Up-front fees for “registration”, “training” or “equipment”.
• Guaranteed income promises or pressure to decide quickly.
• No written contract, or one you’re not allowed to take home and read.
• Penalties for leaving, or claims that your account, name or content belong to them forever.
• Pressure to do things you don’t want, to meet customers, or to work unreasonable hours.
• Recruiting through vague “modelling” or “hostess” job ads, or DMs on social media.

If you feel forced, threatened or unable to leave, contact local authorities or a sex-worker support organisation.

Checklist before signing anything

1. What percentage of the platform payout do I receive, and how is it calculated?
2. Can I see my earnings in the platform dashboard myself?
3. Who owns the account, the stage name and the content? What happens to them if I leave?
4. How and when am I paid, and in which currency?
5. What exactly do I get (room, equipment, coaching, marketing), and what does it cost?
6. How do I end the agreement, and with what notice?
7. Who keeps my personal data, and how is it protected?
8. Can I work independently on other platforms at the same time?

Get the answers in writing. If a studio won’t answer these questions, that’s your answer.

Independent vs studio: a quick comparison