Don't stop at making it. Take your story all the way to a sellable, publishable form.
Novels, manga, short videos, character packs, visual novels, songs. What you make in BunCho can go to Amazon KDP, YouTube, BOOTH, Patreon, Steam, Roblox and more. This guide maps where creators earn, what the public numbers actually mean, each platform's AI rules - and what BunCho prepares for you so you can try to monetize without the busywork.
Sell & publish builds kits for each platform from your work: book files, listing drafts, AI-disclosure answers, image sizes and buyer licenses.
See contests, awards and creator programs you can enter now →
Checked and updated: 2026-10-12
Where creators earn: the platform map
Each figure says what it measures (payouts to creators, gross royalties or sales volume) and who it covers. None of them is what a typical creator earns.
Game UGC
- Main platforms
- Roblox
- How money comes in
- Robux earned in your experience can be exchanged for cash through the Developer Exchange (DevEx) if you qualify.
- Public figure
- US$1.50 billion paid to creators through DevEx in 2025 (US$923 million in 2024)Total DevEx payouts across all creators (over 23,500 paid in 2025); reported coverage of the earnings call says the top 1,000 creators averaged about US$1.3 million each - so most of the money goes to the top. Roblox 10-K (SEC)
- AI rules (summary)
- Follow Roblox Community Standards. Trading Robux or cashing out outside DevEx breaks the rules.
- What BunCho prepares
- Story-to-Roblox export from the Studio's story tools.
Video
- Main platforms
- YouTube, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels
- How money comes in
- Ad revenue share (YouTube Partner Program), creator programs, and traffic to your other products.
- Public figure
- Over US$100 billion paid to creators, artists and media companies over the past four yearsYouTube's own statement covering all partners worldwide, including media companies and music rights holders. YouTube (2026)
- AI rules (summary)
- Realistic AI-made or altered people, places or events need the altered/synthetic disclosure. Mass-produced, repetitive videos may not be monetizable.
- What BunCho prepares
- 16:9 and 9:16 renders, trailers, thumbnails, title/description/chapter/hashtag drafts and label guidance.
Memberships & paid posts
- Main platforms
- Patreon, Substack, note, pixivFANBOX, Fantia (all-ages)
- How money comes in
- Monthly support or paid posts; the platform keeps a fee (e.g. Patreon's standard 10% for new pages, Substack 10%).
- Public figure
- Over US$10 billion paid to creators since 2013Patreon's cumulative payouts to all creators, as reported by Axios (Aug 2025). Axios
- AI rules (summary)
- pixivFANBOX bans AI-generated content; Fantia restricts it. Patreon allows AI works within its guidelines.
- What BunCho prepares
- Per-episode free/paid split suggestions, teasers and posting notes.
Novels & manga
- Main platforms
- Amazon KDP, WEBTOON CANVAS, LINE Manga Indies, Tapas
- How money comes in
- eBook royalties (35% or 70% under conditions), Kindle Unlimited page-read share, webtoon ad revenue sharing and reward programs.
- Public figure
- US$69.4 million: the KDP Select Global Fund for August 2026One month's pool shared among all KDP Select authors for Kindle Unlimited reads. WEBTOON Entertainment reports US$2.7 billion paid to all its creators in 2021-2025 (mostly professional, not CANVAS-only). KDP Select
- AI rules (summary)
- KDP requires disclosure of AI-generated text, images and translations. Tapas does not allow AI-generated content.
- What BunCho prepares
- EPUB (Japanese vertical layout supported), fixed-layout comic EPUB, KDP AI answers from your AI use record, vertical slices and thumbnails.
Digital products & assets
- Main platforms
- BOOTH, Gumroad, DLsite (all-ages), itch.io
- How money comes in
- Sale price minus store fees (e.g. BOOTH 5.6% + ¥45 per order; itch.io lets you choose its share, default 10%).
- Public figure
- ¥10.4 billion in 3D-model sales on BOOTH in 2025Sales volume (GMV) of one category on BOOTH, reported from BOOTH's 3D transaction white paper - not payouts and not books or comics. MoguLive
- AI rules (summary)
- DLsite requires AI-generated / partly-AI labels; itch.io has a generative-AI disclosure; BOOTH acts against AI works that copy specific works or artists and against mass listings.
- What BunCho prepares
- Store packages (EPUB/DOCX/TXT + product copy + buyer license) and character packs with a commercial-use license template.
Music
- Main platforms
- Spotify, Apple Music and others via distributors (DistroKid, TuneCore), Bandcamp
- How money comes in
- Streaming royalties paid through your distributor; direct sales on Bandcamp.
- Public figure
- About 13,800 artists generated US$100,000+ on Spotify in 2025Gross royalties to rights holders (labels, publishers, distributors), not artists' take-home pay. Spotify paid over US$11 billion to the music industry in 2025. Spotify Loud & Clear
- AI rules (summary)
- Rules differ: DistroKid uses AI credits; TuneCore Japan rejects 100% AI-generated tracks; Bandcamp bans mostly-AI music; impersonating real artists is banned everywhere.
- What BunCho prepares
- WAV master, 3000x3000 cover art, release metadata draft and distributor AI-policy notes.
Commissions
- Main platforms
- Commission and request sites
- How money comes in
- Fees agreed per request.
- AI rules (summary)
- Some request sites restrict AI-generated deliverables. Check before accepting a request and tell clients how you use AI.
- What BunCho prepares
- Character sheets, consistent looks and fast drafts to show clients - delivered under your own terms.
Reading the numbers honestly: these totals are spread across millions of creators and are heavily concentrated at the top. On Spotify, the artist ranked 100,000th generated more than US$7,300 in 2025. Treat them as signs that a market exists, not as what you will earn.
Step-by-step paths by kind of creator
Pick the one closest to you. Every step is something you can do today; earnings are never guaranteed.
4-panel comics -> X / pixiv -> fan support
For people who like short, frequent comics
- Make 4-panel comics from your story idea in BunCho.
- Post them on X and pixiv (on pixiv, set the AI-generated flag when AI made most of the art).
- For paid support, choose a site that allows AI work (e.g. Patreon) - or put only your hand-made parts (scripts, sketches, settings) on pixivFANBOX, which bans AI-generated content.
- Use the serial post kit to split each episode into free and supporters-only parts.
Novel -> Amazon KDP, then manga
For writers
- Write and revise with BunCho; your AI use record is kept automatically.
- Download the KDP kit: EPUB, listing draft and AI-disclosure answers (AI-generated vs AI-assisted).
- Fit your cover to 1600x2560 and publish on KDP.
- Adapt it to manga and publish a comic EPUB or vertical episodes on WEBTOON CANVAS / LINE Manga Indies (not Tapas, which bans AI-generated content).
Story -> YouTube Shorts / TikTok
For storytellers who want reach
- Turn a scene into a 9:16 short drama or a music video in the video studio.
- Use the video kit for titles, captions, hashtags and chapters.
- If anything looks realistic, turn on YouTube's altered/synthetic label and TikTok's AI-generated label.
- Point viewers to the full story or your other products. YouTube's Partner Program has its own thresholds.
Character asset pack -> BOOTH / Gumroad
For people with original characters
- Make expressions and standees with consistent character sheets.
- Fit icons and thumbnails, and download the character pack kit with a commercial-use license template.
- Edit the license in your own words and list the pack, stating your AI use.
- Never sell assets that imitate existing characters, specific artists or real people.
Story -> Roblox experience
For people who want players, not just readers
- Build your story's branches in the Studio's story tools.
- Export it to open in Roblox Studio and publish an experience.
- Robux earned in-game can only be cashed out through Roblox's Developer Exchange if you qualify.
Never buy, sell or trade Robux outside Roblox's official systems.
Visual novel -> Steam / itch.io
For game makers
- Export your branching story to Ren'Py or TyranoScript.
- Download the store page kit: description, tags and Steam Content Survey AI text.
- Make the capsule image set in Fit images and submit through Steam Direct or itch.io.
Lyrics -> song -> streaming
For lyricists and musicians
- Write lyrics and make a song and music video in BunCho.
- Download the WAV master and fit 3000x3000 cover art.
- Check your distributor's AI policy (some reject fully AI-generated tracks) and disclose AI credits where asked.
What BunCho prepares for you
Publishing is mostly busywork. BunCho does it from the work you already have - no extra AI calls, no extra cost.
Platform-ready files
EPUB with Japanese vertical layout, DOCX, TXT, fixed-layout comic EPUB, vertical webtoon slices, 16:9 and 9:16 videos, WAV masters.
Listing drafts
KDP details, store product pages, Steam store text, YouTube descriptions with chapters, teasers and hashtags.
AI disclosure answers
Filled in from your AI use record: KDP AI-generated vs AI-assisted, Steam Content Survey, itch.io, DLsite labels, YouTube/TikTok/Meta labels.
Image sizes
KDP cover, Steam capsules, 3000x3000 album art, thumbnails - fitted in your browser.
Licenses
A buyer license for books and a commercial-use license template for character assets.
Checklists
Rights, provenance, disclosure, platform rules and all-ages - per platform, per work.
AI rules to know before you publish
Rules as checked on 2026-10-12. They change, so confirm on each platform.
- Amazon KDP: AI-generated text, images and translations must be disclosed; content AI created stays AI-generated even after heavy edits. AI-assisted work needs no disclosure.
- YouTube: realistic altered or synthetic content must be disclosed; animation and clearly unrealistic content don't need it.
- TikTok and Meta: label realistic AI-generated video and audio.
- pixivFANBOX: AI-generated content is not allowed. Fantia restricts it. Tapas and Bandcamp do not allow AI-generated content.
- DLsite: choose AI-generated or partly-AI. itch.io: use the generative-AI disclosure. Steam: describe AI content in the Content Survey.
- BOOTH: AI works that rely heavily on specific works or artists, and mass listings, can lead to suspension.
- Music: distributors differ (e.g. TuneCore Japan rejects 100% AI-generated tracks); impersonating real artists is banned.
What we won't help with
- Promises of income ("anyone can make X a month", "guaranteed", "passive income"). They aren't true.
- Hiding AI use or getting around platform AI rules and disclosures.
- Adult platforms or adult content. This guide covers all-ages work only.
- Buying, selling or trading Robux or other in-game currency outside official systems.
- Copying existing works, specific artists' styles for sale, or real people's likeness and voice.
FAQ
Can I really earn money with AI-assisted work?
Many platforms accept AI-assisted work under their rules, and some creators do earn. But earnings depend on each platform's terms and review and on how popular your work is; most creators earn little. BunCho cannot guarantee any income.
Does BunCho partner with these platforms?
No. BunCho is not affiliated with or endorsed by any platform on this page. We prepare files and drafts that follow their published specs.
Who owns what I make?
Under BunCho's terms you can use what you make, including commercially, at your own responsibility. Check the rights in anything you brought in and each platform's rules.
How do I answer the AI questions honestly?
BunCho keeps an AI use record for each work (what AI generated, what it rewrote, which tools) and fills in each platform's answers from it. When unsure, choose the heavier category.
Does exporting cost credits?
No. Kits, image fitting and the AI use record do not call AI and are free.
Make it, then take it to market
Open a work, go to Sell & publish, and download the kit for the platform you want to try.
Sources
All checked on 2026-10-12. Figures are as published by each company or reported by the press; they cover each platform as a whole.
- Roblox Corporation, Form 10-K (fiscal 2025), SEC (2026-10-12)
- Roblox Q4 2025 earnings call coverage (AOL) (2026-10-12)
- YouTube: The future of YouTube 2026 (Neal Mohan, 2026-01-21) (2026-10-12)
- Spotify Loud & Clear (2026-10-12)
- Spotify newsroom: Loud & Clear 2026 highlights (2026-03-11) (2026-10-12)
- Amazon KDP Select (KDP Select Global Fund) (2026-10-12)
- Axios: Patreon $10 billion paid to creators (2025-08-05) (2026-10-12)
- The Korea Times: WEBTOON Entertainment creator payouts (2026-03-17) (2026-10-12)
- MoguLive: BOOTH 3D transaction white paper (2026-02) (2026-10-12)
- Amazon KDP Content Guidelines (AI-generated content) (2026-10-12)
- YouTube Help: Disclosing altered or synthetic content (2026-10-12)
- YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview (2026-10-12)
- pixivFANBOX: What is AI-generated content? (2026-10-12)
- BOOTH: Stronger measures on AI-generated works (2025-07-18) (2026-10-12)
- DLsite: AI-generated / partly-AI labels (2026-10-12)
- Tapas: Content guidelines update on AI-generated artwork (2026-10-12)
- Steamworks: Content Survey (AI disclosure) (2026-10-12)
- itch.io: Quality guidelines (AI disclosure) (2026-10-12)
- DistroKid: Music made with AI tools (2026-10-12)
- TuneCore Japan: Guidelines for releases using AI (2026-10-12)
- Bandcamp: Keeping Bandcamp Human (2026-01-13) (2026-10-12)
- Roblox: Developer Exchange (2026-10-12)
- Patreon: standard platform fee (2026-10-12)