• by Colin Kirkland , September 7, 2023

Patreon, a subscription platform for creatives, is attempting to forge deeper relationships between registered creators and the fans that support them. On Thursday, the company introduced a new community chat feature, as well as member profiles.

“It’s harder than ever before to be a fan in a world where algorithms prioritize consumption over connection,” the company wrote in a blog post, adding that it’s worried creators will begin losing touch with their fans and fans will begin losing touch with each other.

This is why Patreon has decided to launch a creator-run chat feature that allows members to chat with each other outside of the comment section. Now, members can connect with other members to discuss creators’ work, share their opinions and get to know each other better directly on the platform. 

Creators can also customize their own chats by name, topic, emoji and member tier, with the option to invite fans to join in as well. Inside the chats, users will be able to share text, photos, and emojis, along with previews of Patreon posts, which creators can use to showcase a new upload. 

“It just feels like a little hang-out for friends and I hope it leads to friendships within the community!” commented video creator Rachel Maksy.

Chats are led and managed by creators, which means they have the power to set the focus and feel of their chat communities. Members will be able to flag and report messages, which creators can review using “a designated hub.”

In addition to chats, Patreon also announced profiles that members can customize by name, photo, and bio, allowing them more individuality within various Patreon communities. In the future, the company wants to invite members to use their profiles to showcase their role and community contributions, too.

Chats and member profiles will begin rolling out today, but some users may not see them for the next couple of months. “We’re in the early days of developing these community features,” the company wrote.