Empowering Creators with Our New Commercial License Membership

3D printing has been thriving thanks to the passion and dedication of many designers, artists and enthusiasts who freely share their designs online. People can quickly search, find and print all sort of designs and solutions thanks to this amazing community. We cherish this maker spirit and are committed to keeping it alive. At the same time, we recognize that many designers and artists need to make a living from their work.

Our community has consistently asked for one feature above all others: the ability to offer and purchase commercial licenses through MakerWorld. Commercial licensing is essential for both creators and users who sell physical prints of 3D models available on MakerWorld. That's why we're excited to introduce Commercial License Membership.

Since launching MakerWorld in 2023, many creators have eagerly anticipated this moment. While there are various ways to monetize 3D printable models, for the time being, we've chosen to make minimal changes and keep the entire database free and open for personal use. Everything you see when browsing or searching remains downloadable without paywalls or login required.

What are the Benefits?

Commercial License Memberships streamline how creators offer, and makers purchase, licenses for commercial use. This simplifies the process for those who want to sell physical prints of models downloaded from MakerWorld, while keeping designs freely available for personal use.

This enhancement supports our growing community of creators, especially those in our exclusive model program who previously had to use platforms like Patreon for commercial licensing. Now, everything can be managed in one place.

For makers who need commercial licenses, this means:

• A convenient, one-stop shop for finding and licensing 3D models.
• Clear and transparent licensing terms.
• Ability to directly support the creators they love.

For creators, this new feature allows them to:

• Generate additional income from their designs.
• Easily draft commercial licenses with our License Helper tool.
• Build stronger relationships with their subscribers.

How It Works

To ensure quality and prevent abuse, creators wanting to set up commercial memberships need at least 200 followers and 600 prints, with no rule violations in the past 90 days (except for incorrect reports). Well-established creators from other platforms can contact models@makerworld.com to receive an invitation to our program.

Membership pricing, set by individual designers and creators, ranges from $3-$300 per month. This monthly subscription system gives creators flexible options to engage with their community. We leave it entirely up to creators to approach their audience – pricing, rewards, and other details are their choice.

Funds are transferred directly from subscribers to creators, with a 10% platform fee supporting our development and operations, plus additional payment provider fees. Currently, PayPal is our sole payment system, so both creators and subscribers need to have a PayPal account.

You can customize subscription tier name, monthly price, details of the commercial license itself, and the welcome message for new subscribers. 

Additionally, we are introducing a tool called Commercial License Helper. If you're unsure about which rights to grant your subscribers, you can use this tool to simplify the process of generating an outline of all the rights and restrictions of your commercial license. You'll still have the option to modify its contents by adding, deleting, or editing within the license helper. 

Ready to Get Started? 

If you're a creator ready to set up your commercial membership, head to your Creator Center and look for the "Commercial License Membership" tab. We've created a simple setup process to help you get started quickly.

1. Connect your PayPal account through Wallet > Payout information
2. Click "Add Membership Level" to begin customizing your tiers
3. Use the Commercial License Helper to define clear terms

For more information, we invite you to read our FAQ page and terms of use. 

We're excited to see how our community will use this new feature to support their creative work while continuing to share amazing designs with makers worldwide.