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.

        • yggstyle@lemmy.worldEnglish
          203·
          3 months ago

          Nah it’d be cheaper to commission the artist for a dozen or so pictures for 45 bucks:

          First you need to blow some ungodly amount of money on breaking the time/space barrier… Then travel back to the 1920s and find a starving artist. Then pitch him 45 bucks for some art. Easy! 45 bucks to them is like 800 of our today dollars.

          Sarcasm aside- it seems people really are disconnected on how much a commission or art costs. Sure you can buy prints reasonably priced but any commission that isn’t a speedy doodle is going to clock in a helluva lot higher.

      • MagnyusG@lemmy.worldEnglish
        20·
        3 months ago

        For a single piece sure.

        I presume the idea here is that you have access to their full library. Personally, I fail to see why I would change my wallpaper enough to warrant even a free app to change it, let alone 50 bucks.

      • yggstyle@lemmy.worldEnglish
        101·
        3 months ago

        If you know an artist doing commissions that cheap they are depressed, desperate, or want to fuck you.

    • JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nlEnglish
      6·
      3 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

        • JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nlEnglish
          31·
          3 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.

          • morrowind@lemmy.mlEnglish
            2·
            3 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

    • Deceptichum@quokk.auEnglish
      63·
      3 months ago

      I’m an artist who has uploaded many of my works to wallhaven entirely for free online, alongside the games I put out and any other creative venture I’ve pursued over the years.

      That part is problematic not relevant.