Drops are currently only available to creators in the All Audiences category.
This article provides instructions on how Drops work and how your members experience a drop. For frequently asked questions, please refer to Drops FAQ.
What you need to know about Drops
Drops give creators a way to provide shared experiences for their members right on Patreon, complete with a countdown and live chat.
When a creator drops their latest video or audio release:
- They build hype with members with a countdown to the first release
- Their members can watch or listen together and have conversations about the release right in the live chat
How to schedule a drop
Make sure you follow this guide while in your creator profile. You can switch to your creator profile by clicking your profile picture in the bottom left corner and clicking on your creator profile.
- From your page, click the Create button from the right-hand side and select Post
- Choose your media type: audio or video
- From the right-hand side of the page, make sure the Make this a Drop toggle is on
- If ready, upload your audio or video file. Alternatively, you can schedule a drop before your content is ready and upload it later by navigating to your Drops tab
- You can schedule your drop before your content is ready to upload. We recommend uploading your final content 24 hours before the drop time. If you are not able to upload the final content 2 hours before the drop time, our system will automatically move the drop to drafts
- For video posts, you can edit the thumbnail — This is what we show your members starting at 2 minutes before the scheduled live drop and post-release
- Add a title (required) and description (optional)
- If desired, add your drop to a collection and/or add tags to help you organize your work
- Click the Next button to choose the date and time of the drop
- You can also add a cover image for your drop — This is what we show your members when the drop is published until 2 min before the drop time
- Choose Who can access this drop. At this time, Drops are available for All members, Paid members only, or Selected tiers
- If you want, you can set an audio or video preview that will be shared after the live drop
- When you’re finished, select Schedule drop
Once your drop is scheduled, you can promote it on Patreon itself (e.g. a separate post or in Chats) and/or your socials (e.g. Instagram). Once your drop is scheduled, you can promote it on Patreon itself (e.g. a separate post or in Chats) and/or your socials (e.g. Instagram). Note that all drops should abide by Patreon’s Community Guidelines, which act as the guardrails detailing the sorts of behaviors that are permitted and prohibited on Patreon.
How do edit a drop
Once a drop is scheduled, it will appear in your Library and can be edited at any time. To edit a drop, follow the steps below:
Make sure you follow this guide while in your creator profile. You can switch to your creator profile by clicking your profile picture in the bottom left corner and clicking on your creator profile.
- Click on your
Library from the left menu to be taken to the Posts tab by default
- Use the Filter or type in the Search box to locate specific drops. You can also sort it by clicking on Title or Publish date
- Easily identify drops by looking for Scheduled Drop beneath the Publish date or by the
icon beneath Post Type
- Click the
menu button in the top right corner of the drop. Then click on
Edit post to make changes
- After making the necessary edits to your drop, be sure to save the changes
How to delete a drop
You can delete your drops at any time from the Library tab. Please note that deleting a drop is permanent and will also result in the deletion of any comments and reactions to that drop.
Make sure you follow this guide while in your creator profile. You can switch to your creator profile by clicking your profile picture in the bottom left corner and clicking on your creator profile.
- Click on your
- Use the Filter or type in the Search box to locate specific drops. You can also sort it by clicking on Title or Publish date
- Easily identify drops by looking for Scheduled Drop beneath the Publish date or by the
- Checkmark the drop(s) you want to delete
- Once you have your selection, click Delete
- A message will appear, notifying you of the number of posts that will be deleted. It will also remind you that this action cannot be undone. Click Delete to confirm and proceed
Member experience
Creators can choose to drop to All members, Paid members only, or Selected tiers. Members or fans who don’t have access to your drops will see the drop as locked, and they’ll be nudged to Join to unlock.
The different phases of the member experience described below are available on both the Patreon app and the web.
Pre-release
Once it is 7 days or less before the drop release, your members will see the preview of the drop, including your selected cover image and a countdown on both their homepage and when they click through to your page.
Your members can engage with the drop before its release by clicking on I’m interested—This action allows them to receive reminders about the drop and notifications for any comments you post before the release. They can also participate by commenting, viewing others' comments, and reacting to them. These features are available on both the web and the Patreon app.
24 hours before the drop, the content will be featured at the top of your page to build anticipation and excitement. 2 minutes before the drop, all members will receive a push notification, letting them know your drop will go live. At this point, they can Join the drop, see the number of people who have also joined, and participate in the live conversation. When there are 10 seconds left, they'll see a countdown until the content is released.
Live Drop
During a live drop, members can Join the drop and watch or listen, comment, and react in real-time directly underneath the drop content. Members who tapped I’m interested will receive a push notification, letting them know the drop is live.
As a creator, you can also join the live drop and engage in conversations with your community. While it's not required, participating in the live drop is a fantastic way to connect with your fans on Patreon, making the experience exciting and engaging for everyone.
Post-release
After a drop finishes, your members will continue to have access to watch or listen, read existing comments, and react and comment themselves indefinitely, just like any other post on your Patreon.
Your drop will continue to be highlighted on your page for 24 hours after the drop, ensuring that your content remains visible and keeps your audience engaged. After 24 hours, the drop will appear alongside all of your other posts, in its place chronologically.
Looking for suggestions or helpful tips for upcoming Drops? Check out our article for Helpful tips for your Drops.