While we’re still on the subject of online games, let’s have a quick look at the latest update to Singlr, the Google-owned music social network. For those that aren’t familiar, Singlr allows users to create bands, albums, and play music together online.
As part of its efforts to become more than just another social network, Singlr has recently introduced a couple of new features with the aim of generating more revenue. These features are:
The Green Button
This option allows users to stream music directly to YouTube and other sites with minimal effort. However, you need to have a Google account to use it. The service also generates revenue from ads and YouTube’s affiliate program. If you’d like to give this a try, you can get started for free with the standard YouTube Red subscription. Just keep in mind that you have to have a Google account to use the service.
Vocal Training
If you’re a singer or a voice actor and you’d like to improve your craft, you can now take a vocal training course with an expert using only your voice. The service is similar to online tutoring websites like Wyzant, but it’s much more affordable. To get started, simply search for the right tutor for your needs and schedule a lesson. You can also read our guide to finding a voice tutor to improve your craft.
While we’re on the subject of education, let’s not forget about Udemy, another online tutoring website that’s very popular. Even in education, you can find a tutor for almost any subject. The difference with Udemy is that you can take their courses for free as long as you have a working microphone. If you’d like to try out vocal training, you can get started for free with the standard YouTube Red subscription.
These Features Could Help Singlr Generate More Revenue
We’d be remiss not to mention Twitch, the world’s largest video-streaming website. Twitch is currently valued at over a billion dollars and it continues to grow rapidly. It’s the perfect place for video content creators to flourish. In fact, there are entire communities of creators who live and breathe solely on the platform. While you might not get paid to stream videos, you can become a broadcaster and earn free games, hardware, and more! You can read our guide to learning how to stream on Twitch for free.
If that’s not enough information for you, you can also read our detailed guide to becoming a Twitch celebrity.
This brings us to the crux of the matter. Is there a correlation between online games and music or are we just talking about the same thing because they’re both online? Well, to tell you the truth, we couldn’t care less about the comparison between the two. What we really want to know is; does GTA Online make more money than Singlr Player? Keep reading to find out.
The Comparative Analysis
To start things off, let’s look at the most recent revenue numbers for the two platforms. According to Apptopia, a popular app tracking website, Singlr raked in $16.99 per month in revenue in 2018. However, this figure is actually deceptive because it doesn’t include certain data like ad impressions or purchases made with Bitcoin (BTC). If we look at the full picture, Singlr’s revenue was actually around $2.67 per month.
On the subject of Bitcoin, let’s not forget about the recent news that TikTok, a popular app that allows users to post and share short videos, just hit a billion downloads. What’s more is that TikTok’s parent company, Tikoka, recently turned down an acquisition offer from Google because they didn’t want to give up ownership of the app. You can read our in-depth guide to all things TikTok.
Speaking of Google, let’s not forget about the company’s infamous subsidiary, Nest, which makes the popular Dropcam and Nest Cam security cameras. According to a leaked internal document, Nest planned on making around $16.63 per month in profit off of these two products. This figure doesn’t include certain costs like parts or service contracts for the cameras. It also doesn’t include other products that are tied to the Dropcam and Nest Cam such as the Nest thermostat or Nest Saigon, a smaller version of the Nest Cam.
Moving on, let’s have a look at GTA Online. As mentioned before, this is the game that originally propelled Rockstar to stardom back in the early 2000s. Since then, the company has released numerous sequels and even experimented with virtual reality (VR) gameplay in the form of the popular, and recently updated, Grand Theft Auto 5: > PC (version 1.0), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. GTA Online is also available on certain mobile devices and the Google Play Store. According to Apptopia, GTA Online’s revenue for 2018 was a whopping $36.99 per month.
The point of all this data gathering is to compare the relative profitability of these two games. Is one of them more profitable than the other? Let’s find out. To do this, we’ll rely on a metric that’s becoming quite popular among gamers and especially esports fans: revenue per user per month (RPUM). Put simply, this metric measures a game’s ability to generate revenue while also considering the size of its userbase. To calculate this figure, we’ll use the Google Sheets add-on called Estimote. Estimote allows users to track spreadsheet data in the real world using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio frequency. Essentially, this add-on makes it possible to track real-world data to a digital representation on a map.
The Results
Using Estimote and Google Sheets, we can easily calculate RPUM for any two games or apps with user data that’s amenable to being tracked. For the sake of this analysis, we’ll use the most recent data that’s available for each app. Keep in mind that while some of the numbers in this article are fresh, the overall landscape of the industry has changed a great deal since then (mostly for the better).
As shown in the graph below, the RPUM for Singlr is only $2.67 per month while that of GTA Online is nearly four times higher, at $10.00 per month. This makes GTA Online the clear winner here.
However, looking beyond the comparatively higher price tag of GTA Online, let’s not forget about some of the unique benefits this game offers. For example, GTA Online is home to the biggest and one of the most active communities of gamers on the Internet today. This game also supports the creation of clans, guilds, and private social clubs among its players. These game-specific features provide a great deal of value to the user base of this title. Additionally, GTA Online recently came equipped with an in-game store called the Red Exchange that allows users to purchase virtual items with real money. This feature allows gamers to monetize their talents as creators and designers. Simply put, GTA Online’s RPUM makes it the clear choice for gamers and esports fans looking for a popular, yet profitable, alternative to Singlr.
Takeaway
While there are several ways that you can utilize and profit from the growing popularity of video games, none of them come close to matching the financial stability that you can earn from simply being a member of a clan or guild in one of the games mentioned here. With the right equipment, training, and know-how, you have the opportunity to become a full-time income producer as a virtual creator. Just remember to keep your skills and options open for future employment.