The economics of independent adult studios: a Mylfed case study

Abstract. The independent adult industry is best understood as five overlapping markets with distinct cost structures and platform dependencies rather than a single business. This case study uses Mylfed — a mid-tier scenario-led studio in the stepfamily/MILF segment — to surface the per-scene unit economics ($3.5K–$8.5K loaded), the five-layer distribution stack typical of studios in this tier, the payment-processor risk that has restructured compliance since 2021, and what a studio catalog observed at scale reveals about strategic decision-making over multi-year arcs.

By Lena Hoffmann. 1,690 words · 8 min · 6 citations.