Zarta

# Zarta: A Creator-First Pay-Per-View Platform

High-Level Overview

Zarta is an ad-free creator platform that enables content creators to monetize individual videos through a pay-per-view model rather than relying on traditional advertising or subscription revenue.[1][2] Founded in 2021, the company operates on the principle that creators should have direct, transparent relationships with their audiences while earning revenue aligned with the actual value their content provides. The platform allows creators to upload videos, set parameters for free previews, and charge viewers micropayments to access full content—a model designed specifically for creators with established, loyal audiences who produce high-value, one-off content rather than continuous streams of material.[1][2]

Zarta raised $5.7 million in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), validating the thesis that the creator economy needs alternative monetization mechanisms beyond ads and subscriptions.[2] The company targets creators producing value-driven, entertaining content with dedicated fan bases—positioning itself as a platform for creators who benefit from this model rather than attempting to serve the entire creator spectrum.

Origin Story

Zarta was founded by Luba Yudasina, a former Airbnb software engineer and YouTube content creator, who developed the platform out of personal necessity.[1][2] Yudasina's journey began when she experimented with monetizing her own content beyond sponsored brand deals and traditional subscriptions. She initially considered launching a Patreon but discovered a critical gap: creators found it exhausting to continuously produce exclusive content for a small subscriber base, while viewers struggled with subscription fatigue across multiple creators.[2]

The breakthrough came when Yudasina decided to sell pay-per-view videos directly to her audience—specifically, instructional content on securing internships in Silicon Valley. Over a hundred viewers purchased these videos, validating the demand for this model and demonstrating that audiences would pay for specific, high-value content without ongoing subscription commitments.[1] This personal success illuminated the broader opportunity: the creator economy lacked a dedicated platform for this type of transaction. Rather than building another subscription or ad-supported platform, Yudasina created Zarta to formalize and scale this emerging monetization pattern.

Core Differentiators

Pay-Per-View Microtransaction Model

Unlike subscription platforms (Patreon, Substack) or ad-supported networks (YouTube, TikTok), Zarta's core differentiator is its focus on individual video monetization through small, frictionless payments.[1][2] This model eliminates subscription fatigue for viewers and removes the pressure on creators to maintain consistent content calendars. Creators set their own pricing and preview parameters, maintaining full control over their content strategy.

Ad-Free Environment

The platform operates without advertising, creating a cleaner user experience and ensuring creators capture 100% of revenue from pay-per-view sales rather than sharing earnings with an ad network.[1] This stands in stark contrast to YouTube's ad-revenue sharing model and positions Zarta as creator-centric from a financial perspective.

Curated Creator Base

Zarta deliberately targets creators producing value-driven content with established audiences rather than attempting to be a platform for all creators.[1] The company implements community guidelines that prevent violent or misinforming content while giving creators significant autonomy over their offerings. This curation maintains platform quality and ensures the pay-per-view model aligns with audience expectations.

Direct Creator-Fan Connection

The platform emphasizes direct relationships between creators and their audiences, eliminating intermediaries and algorithmic gatekeeping.[1] Creators set the terms, pricing, and preview length, giving them unprecedented control over monetization strategy.

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Zarta operates at the intersection of two powerful trends: the maturation of the creator economy and growing skepticism toward ad-supported business models. As creators increasingly seek diversified revenue streams and audiences experience subscription fatigue, alternative monetization mechanisms have become essential infrastructure.[2]

The timing is particularly relevant as major platforms face pressure to reduce reliance on advertising—both from regulatory scrutiny and from creator demands for fairer revenue sharing. Zarta's emergence reflects a broader shift toward direct-to-fan economics, where creators maintain ownership of their audience relationships and monetization strategies. This aligns with the success of platforms like Gumroad and Substack, which demonstrated that creators value control and transparency over maximum reach.

Additionally, Zarta's model addresses a specific gap in the creator economy: high-value, one-off content that doesn't fit subscription models. Educational content, specialized tutorials, exclusive interviews, and premium analysis all benefit from pay-per-view mechanics. By formalizing this category, Zarta influences how the broader creator ecosystem thinks about content monetization—moving beyond the binary of "free with ads" or "subscription-only."

The a16z backing signals institutional validation that this model represents a meaningful category within creator infrastructure, potentially encouraging other platforms to experiment with hybrid monetization approaches.

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Zarta's trajectory will depend on its ability to scale creator adoption while maintaining the quality curation that differentiates it from broader platforms.[1][2] The company's stated focus on international expansion while maintaining laser focus on the United States suggests a measured growth strategy prioritizing market depth over rapid global scaling.

The key challenge ahead is demonstrating that pay-per-view economics can sustain creator livelihoods at scale. While the model works for high-value, one-off content, questions remain about whether it can support creators who need consistent income. Yudasina has acknowledged this isn't a model for every creator, positioning Zarta as a specialized tool rather than a universal platform.[2]

Looking forward, Zarta's influence on the creator economy will likely manifest in two ways: first, by proving that micropayment models can be viable at scale, potentially encouraging other platforms to adopt hybrid approaches; and second, by establishing a new category of creator infrastructure focused on direct monetization rather than algorithmic distribution. As the creator economy matures and audiences become more selective about where they spend attention and money, platforms that offer creators genuine control and transparent economics—like Zarta—may become increasingly central to how creators think about their business models.