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Subscriptions: A Complete Guide

Secure predictable revenue and provide continuous content access with a recurring subscription model

Updated over a week ago

What are Subscriptions?

Subscriptions are a powerful monetization feature that allows you to offer your content through a recurring payment model, creating predictable revenue while providing your audience with ongoing access to your content library.

Create Your Subscription

  1. Navigate to Subscriptions

  2. Click New Plan

  3. Enter the basic information:

    • Title: Choose a clear, concise name

    • Description: Explain what subscribers will receive

    • Image (Thumbnail): Add a thumbnail to represent the plan (optional)

  4. Set the pricing and billing frequency:

    • Price: The amount subscribers will pay per billing cycle

    • Billing Period: Choose Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annual, or Yearly

  5. Configure additional options:

    • Free Trial: Specify a trial duration (optional)

    • Pause Feature: Allow subscribers to temporarily pause instead of canceling

  6. Set the plan availability:

    • Public: Visible on your storefront for anyone to subscribe

    • Private: Only accessible via a direct link you share

  7. Click Save to finalize your plan

💡 TIP: When naming (title) your subscriptions, keep in mind how they'll appear alongside other plans. Use consistent, easy-to-understand naming conventions.

Subscription Thumbnails

We recommend using custom image thumbnails to draw attention to your preferred subscription plans.

For instance, you could add a "Best Value" badge to your Annual Plan's thumbnail, subtly encouraging customers to choose that option.

Add a Free Trial

Free trials can significantly increase conversion rates by allowing potential subscribers to experience your content before committing.

To add a free trial:

  1. When creating or editing a subscription plan, locate the Trial Period section

  2. Enter the number of days for the trial period

  3. Click Save

ℹ️ INFO: Users only get one free trial, even if they switch plans or cancel and resubscribe. If a user switches to a new plan while on a trial, the trial period will end immediately.

Assign Content to the Subscription

You can assign content to subscription plans in two ways:

Individual Assignment

  1. Navigate to Content > Videos or Collection

  2. Click on the specific content you want to add and Edit

  3. Scroll down to the Subscription section on the right side

  4. Select your desired plan from the dropdown

  5. Click Save Changes

Bulk Assignment

  1. Navigate to Content > Videos or Collection

  2. Using the checkboxes, select the content you'd like to assign

  3. Click Add to Plans

  4. Select the desired plans on the side panel

  5. Click Add at the bottom-right to save the changes

Build Additional Subscriptions

After setting up your first plan:

  1. Navigate to Subscriptions

  2. Click the ellipsis (...) next to your existing plan

  3. Select Duplicate

  4. Edit the duplicated plan (title, description, price)

  5. Assign additional content to this plan, if necessary

  6. Repeat this process for each plan you want to create

💡 TIP: A duplicated subscription keeps the settings and assigned content of the original plan, saving time when creating new plans.

This is an efficient method of assigning subscriptions to a new subscription.

Set the Availability of the Subscription

When creating or editing a subscription plan, you can set its availability to either Public or Private. This setting determines how users can discover and access your subscription.

Public Subscription

Public subscriptions are visible to everyone who visits your storefront's Join Us Page. These are your standard subscription offerings that you want to make widely available.

🔗 Learn more about the Join Us Page

Key Characteristics of Public Subscriptions

  • Appear on your Join Us Page for all visitors

  • Show up in the Get Access options when users try to access gated content

  • Displayed when changing plans at the User Dashboard

Private Subscription

Private subscriptions are hidden from your storefront and can only be accessed via a direct link that you share. This gives you control over who can subscribe to these plans.

Use Cases for Private Subscriptions

  • Create special offers for specific audience segments

  • Offer legacy pricing to existing customers

  • Test new pricing structures with a limited audience

  • Provide exclusive content to select groups

  • Create temporary promotional plans

  • Phase out old subscriptions while maintaining access for existing subscribers

Share the Private Subscription

  1. Navigate to Subscriptions

  2. Click the ellipsis (...) next to your existing plan

  3. Select Copy Link

  4. Share this link with your chosen users

💡 TIP: Use private plans to offer exclusive deals or to test new pricing with a smaller group before making changes to your public offerings.

In-App Subscriptions

If you have Uscreen apps, you'll need to set up subscriptions specifically for in-app purchases. These subscriptions are managed differently from your web subscriptions due to app store requirements.

Key Points about In-App Subscriptions

  • Separate Management

    • In-app subscriptions are managed through each app marketplace

  • Approval Process

    • Any changes to in-app subscriptions require app store review and approval, which can take several days

  • Limited Options

    • App stores have specific requirements for pricing tiers and free trial durations

  • Private Subscriptions

    • We advise creating Private subscriptions specifically for in-app purchases

  • Content Access

    • In-app subscribers should typically have access to your highest tier

ℹ️ INFO: For detailed guidance on setting up and managing in-app subscriptions, including pricing considerations, trial periods, and best practices, refer to our comprehensive guide.


​🔗 Learn more about In-App Subscriptions

Manage Existing Subscriptions

Edit a Subscription Plan

  1. Navigate to Subscriptions

  2. Find the plan you want to modify

  3. Click the ellipsis (...) and select Edit

  4. Make your changes

  5. Click Save

Delete a Subscription Plan

Before deleting, please be aware:

  • All users on that plan will lose access to its content

  • Invoices linked to the deleted plan will no longer be filterable in the Sales page

⚠️ WARNING: Deleting a subscription will permanently remove it from the system and instantly revoke access to all of its subscribers.

If you're unsure whether to delete or edit a plan, consider using the Private setting to temporarily hide it instead.

To delete a plan:

  1. Navigate to Subscriptions

  2. Find the plan you want to remove

  3. Click the ellipsis (...)

  4. Select Delete

  5. Confirm by clicking Delete Subscription

📝 NOTE: Subscription plans tied to apps cannot be deleted via the Admin Area. Please reach out to ott@uscreen.tv for assistance.

FAQs

Can I offer different pricing tiers?

Yes, you can create multiple subscription plans with different pricing and content access levels. This allows you to offer tiered options like Basic, Premium, and VIP subscriptions. For more information, see our article on Create Tiered Subscription Plans.

How do I adjust prices for existing subscribers?

Please see our article on Adjust Prices for Existing or New Web Subscribers

Do marketing automations like Reduce Churn or Try Again for Free work with multiple subscription plans?

Yes. These features work with all subscription plans.

Can I offer a subscription with 0 amount?

No, Uscreen does not support $0 subscriptions. If you want to offer free content, you have these alternatives: Free Access Offers

Related Articles
Create Tiered Subscription Plans
Subscription Pricing and Free Trials for In-App Purchases
Bundles: A Complete Guide
Subscriptions Analytics
Creating Private Subscriptions for In-App Purchases
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