Marques Brownlee says he’s working to dial back the ads.

Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, faced backlash over his new wallpaper app, Panels, due to its high subscription cost ($49.99/year) and concerns over excessive data permissions.

Brownlee acknowledged user feedback, promising to adjust ad frequency for free users and address privacy concerns, clarifying that the app’s data disclosures were broader than intended.

The app, which offers curated wallpapers and shares profits with artists, aims to improve over time, despite criticisms of its design and monetization approach.

  • JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nlEnglish
    7·
    2 months ago

    Did he disclose an amount?

    5% to artists is very different than 40% to artists.

    Or is he adopting the Spotify bottom line?

    Only pay artists after X downloads and only pay a few cents after thousands of downloads and use the rest for profits

    • morrowindEnglish
      71·
      2 months ago

      It’s 50%, which is honestly quite low

      • JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nlEnglish
        33·
        2 months ago

        50% is quite decent and is 20% higher than most other “decent” services including physical stores. Building and keeping an app up to date with ever changing content requires at least a part time developer which is expensive.

        • morrowindEnglish
          4·
          2 months ago

          Well the baseline is that most wallpaper apps, which don’t pay artists afaik, charge like $5 a year, so if you’re gonna charge me 50, I expect 90% to go to artists