Categories
Creator success News

Earning made easier: Spring’s Q1 investments enable greater creator success

This year, Spring is investing heavily in the success of our creators. We want you to maximize your income by doing what you love best.  

To help you along your journey, we’ve made significant changes in Q1 that make creating, launching, promoting, and selling merch easier than ever. What’s more, these improvements are just the tip of the iceberg. With your success in mind, you can expect us to roll out many more incredible changes throughout the year. 

Here’s what’s new:

Platform Integrations Updates 

We started the year by expanding the power of our integrations so that you can promote your merch in the places that matter to you and your broader fanbase. Additionally, many of your favorite social platforms are making changes that help creators realize their potential. 

Here are some exciting social shopping updates:

  • YouTube’s new Vertical Immersive Shopping features give fans a more interactive shopping experience during live streams.  
  • Youtube Official Artist Channels can now sell merch on Youtube with Spring.
  • Instagram now allows users to add up to five links in their IG bio, letting Spring creators easily direct traffic to their store as well as promote other important calls to action. 
  • Our partnership with Kajabi, a platform where you can create and sell online courses, allows you to display your Spring merch under each course. 

Expanded Catalog

We rolled out a bunch of new, highly-requested products. Check them out and launch your own when you sign in!

Tote bags

Bomber Jackets 

Full Zip Windbreaker

Pullover Windbreaker

Crew Socks

Slides – they’re back and even better!

New Samsung case sizes

Improved Creator Services & Capabilities

We’ve made big investments in the things that matter to you. We’re excited to announce lower base prices, faster shipping times, higher-quality printing, and more! Additionally, we’ve been improving our platform and services to maximize creator success. Check it out. 

  • Lower base prices on products. You can keep the profit or pass the savings on to your fans!
  • Faster shipping times. We’re committed to a quality fan experience with an updated processing promise. We will be quicker. Read more about how we’re making this happen here.
  • Higher-quality printing on your merch with new state-of-the-art printing technology.
  • An improved dashboard experience & seamless social integrations so it’s easier to set up and earn. 
  • Premium Design Services so creators can access professional designs at great prices: store hero banners, promo image designs, merch graphics, or you can bundle all three!
  • A new & improved store chatbot! This is part of our effort to offer support tools for your fans as they are shopping in your store. 

Team Growth 

To provide faster response times, improved resolutions, and a better fan experience, we’ve doubled our Creator Success and Support teams. In addition, we also added some incredible members to our Marketing and Merchandising teams, which will result in new creator tools, design and merchandising inspiration, and opportunities for our Spring creators! 

Company News 

We started CreateSpace, a series of networking events for creators to get to know each other and share tips on how to grow.

You have made your voices heard. We are responding with a resounding We Got You!😁 We cannot wait for you and your fans to experience these improvements and the ones we will continue to make throughout the year!👍

Questions, comments, thoughts? Reach out to us anytime at creatorhelp@spri.ng! We’d love to hear from you.

Categories
Creator success News

Expanded Catalog + Faster Shipping for Fans: Amaze and Mad Engine Partner to Drive Creator Success

SAN FRANCISCO, February 7th, 2023 – Amaze Software, Inc. today announced its partnership with Mad Engine, a leading manufacturer and distributor of graphic apparel. Starting this month, Mad Engine will begin to print and distribute apparel and accessories for Amaze Software’s creator platform, Spring. 

Mad Engine’s rigorous quality standards and competitive pricing have allowed the wholesaler to secure partnerships with iconic brands, such as Disney, Target, FYE, and more. Joining Mad Engine’s list of impressive partners, Amaze Software will now be able to provide the same premium products and printing services used by major retailers. 

“This new partnership benefits both Spring creators and their fans alike,” said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze Software. “Leveraging Mad Engine’s services enables us to maintain higher quality standards, while also improving creator profitability and providing faster turnaround times to the benefit of our creators’ fans.”

Creators will have access to Mad Engine’s broad and flexible catalog, expanding on the wide range of products available to customize and sell. The addition of high-velocity categories, such as pet apparel and access to new brands, allows creators to provide a more diverse line of products and appeal to a wider audience.

Additionally, the partnership will ensure faster production times for apparel and accessories. Mad Engine’s strategically-positioned facilities will also streamline delivery times for all creator products, including custom projects. Faster production and delivery times will help Spring creators increase fan satisfaction and drive repeat customers.   

Thanks to the services Mad Engine will provide, Amaze Software is able to enhance its printing and distribution services, helping creators achieve even greater success on its Spring platform. This partnership is the first of many strategic plans Amaze Software will be rolling out in 2023 to support the growth and improvement of its offerings.

About Amaze Software  

Amaze Software, Inc. is an all-in-one, end-to-end commerce solution for any creator looking to generate sustainable monetization and depth of community connection. Our creator success solutions include a merchandising platform, advanced commerce design application, and scalable managed services that helps anyone sell anything, anywhere. 

We believe anyone can be a creator and that everyone should be empowered to tell their unique story, cultivate deeper connections with their customers, and create authentic, shoppable experiences that allow them to monetize their passion. 

We’re on a mission to unleash potential and make it easy to create, share, and sell products and services. Learn more about Amaze Software and www.amaze.co and start a free store at www.spri.ng.

For press inquiries, please email us at info@amaze.co.

About Mad Engine 

Mad Engine is a leading global apparel and accessories company that caters to all genders and sizes across a full range of licensed, private label, branded, and influencer/celebrity products. With an evolving omni-channel distribution network, Mad Engine services direct-to-consumer, e-commerce, mass retail, mid-tier, department stores and specialty retail. Mad Engine has facilities dedicated to design, innovation, customer service, sales, sourcing, quality assurance, and distribution strategically located around the world. For additional info, visit: https://www.madengine.com

Categories
Insights News

How to prepare for the U.S. 2022 tax season

Tax season is upon us. Creators who have requested more than $600 USD in payouts in 2022 may be prompted to provide more information by filling out a 1099 form.

If you’ve previously completed the form, but your Tax Exemption Type has changed within the calendar year (for example, from Individual to Corporation) please notify us as soon as possible by emailing creatorhelp@spri.ng.

Note: If you have multiple accounts on Spring, you will need to update your account information for each, as we will be merging your payout amount into one 1099 form.

1. Identify yourself

If you’ve received over $600 in payouts from Spring in 2022, you may be prompted to fill out the tax information form. The first part of the form asks you to identify yourself—this information helps us determine if you need to receive a 1099. See further explanation of each option below:

  • Corporation: If you are filing taxes as a corporation.
  • Individual: If you are filing taxes as an individual.
  • Non-profit: Select this option if you are filing taxes as a 501(c) organization (non-profit organization).
  • International: Select this option if you are an international entity (you reside year-round outside of the U.S).

Please note, only individuals will receive a Form 1099. Corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and international entities etc are responsible for reporting taxes themselves by consulting a tax accountant.

2. Check your account information

Remember you have until Wednesday, January 20th, 2023 at 11:59PM PST to update your tax info within your Spring account settings.

  • Make sure your Spring account email is valid (we’ll email you your 1099 form to this email address).
  • Make sure the default address in your dashboard under “Settings” is correct.
  • Remember to notify creatorhelp@spri.ng if your Tax Exemption Type has changed (for example, from Individual to Corporation).

Make sure your default address reflects your residential address during the calendar year.

If you don’t update your information and do not receive a 1099 form, it’s still your responsibility to file your taxes properly based on your earnings, including earnings from Spring. We cannot provide tax advice—please consult a tax professional.

A link to your 1099 form will be sent to the email address associated with your Spring account by January 31, 2023.

Categories
Creators News

A letter from our CEO, Aaron Day: 2022 roundup

To Our Valued Creators and Fans, 

What an honor it’s been to see the hard work of our talented creators pay off. Our growing community has made 2022 Spring’s best year yet! 

Take a look at our five biggest highlights.

1) A truly Amaze-ing year!

Amaze acquired Spring with plans to accelerate its growth and make it easier than ever for creators to sustainably monetize their passion. 

2) We celebrated major milestones 🎉

Spring became one of the top 5 global commerce platforms focused on creator monetization with more stores now launched than Etsy! 

3) We rolled out new tools, integrations, and products

Creators saw the addition of over thirty new products and benefited from powerful integrations with OnlyFans and TikTok, as well as some incredible tools like The Hat Studio, SpringBoard, and Amaze.

4) Creators experienced unprecedented success

Not only did our creators rake in over 1 billion dollars in GMV this year, but we also got to see the LOTR cast wearing creator Don Marshall’s merch!

5) Three products brought in over $24 million in GMV!

Our top 3 products in 2022 helped thousands of creators live their passion and allowed their fans to rep them in style. 

As we wrap up 2022, I want to thank all our creators and fans who made these highlights possible. With new leadership in play, expect to see even bigger and better improvements next year. Let’s Spring into 2023!

Cheers, 

Aaron Day 

CEO, Amaze 

Categories
News

Sam Altman to Join Amaze Software’s Investor Group

SAN FRANCISCO, December 6, 2022 – Amaze Software, Inc. is excited to welcome Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and former president of Y Combinator, into its world-class investor team. As Amaze joins the ranks  of the fastest growing global creator commerce companies, the powerhouse team of investors will enable exciting partnerships and growth opportunities.

“Fast growing innovative companies like Amaze can certainly appreciate having a seasoned investor like Sam joining the team especially in uncertain times,” says Jerry Murdock, Co-Founder of Insight Partners. “We are now a stronger team moving forward and I am looking forward to seeing the future that Amaze will help create.”

Amaze Software has over 9M creator stores with more than 33M designed products actively in the market. Everyday, almost 4K new creators join the Spring platform where they are supported with an ever-expanding set of merchandising and marketing tools. 

“We anticipate that this partnership with Sam will bring forth new synergies that will allow us to further unlock potential for creators,” said Aaron Day, Amaze Software CEO. “Sam will play a vital role in helping us empower the Creative Entrepreneur to monetize in new ways and connect more efficiently with their fans.”

“I’m delighted to be an investor in Amaze Software,” says Altman. “The company is making tremendous strides forward in the creator space, and I’m excited to join the team.”

Within the last year, Amaze Software has partnered with companies like YouTube, TikTok, Discord, Twitch, OnlyFans, Sam’s Club and more. These powerful partnerships highlight the massive move eCommerce is making towards creator commerce and strengthens Amaze Software’s resolve to become the leading creator centric solution for all creators. 

About Amaze Software Inc.

Amaze Software, Inc. provides creator success solutions, including a merchandising platform, advanced commerce design application, and scalable managed services, to help anyone sell anything, anywhere.

We believe anyone can be a creator and everyone should be empowered to tell their unique story, cultivate deeper connections, and create authentic, shoppable experiences that allow them to monetize their passion.

Our mission is to unleash potential, making it easy to create, share, and sell products and services. Learn more and sign up for a free account at www.amaze.co and www.spri.ng.

Press inquiries – info@amaze.co

Categories
Creators News

Make and sell CUSTOM HATS 🧢 in our new Hat Studio!

For those who gave feedback about challenges designing hats, we heard you loud and clear.

Without further adieu, we’d like to officially introduce THE HAT STUDIO – Where creators can create and sell hats in minutes.

Just in time, too, because hats are the most in demand item on Spring, especially this time of year. Spring’s Hat Studio offers high-quality embroidered hats for creators, and each hat is made to order.

What led to this?

We realize that designing hats on Spring was a complicated journey, one that required considerable resources, making it difficult for most creators to successfully launch. So we took a slow and complicated tool and improved it. The previous hat-creation process is now gone! *applause*

Here’s how The Hat Studio works:

  • Find hats in the Launcher
  • Select the hat style you’d like to customize
  • Upload your design (simple works best) or choose from the free design library 
  • Input other details (price, title, description)
  • Publish
  • Listing goes live

Voila! Hats are now in play and you are ready to promote.

What we improved

First off, there are no digitization fees, it’s mobile-friendly, and it’s available to all creators. There are new colorways and styles (with even more styles coming very soon). It’s an instant launch and it’s FREE! 

Basically, the Hat Studio is the ultimate tool to make more money with higher quality hats.

Why hats make the perfect merch choice

As we said, hats are a top choice of shoppers on our platform. Besides being popular, there are a myriad of reasons to use hats to build your fan base. Here are a few fun ideas:

  • Use hats to foster team spirit (“team” logos are fun)
  • Autograph hats for personalization or exclusive giveaways
  • Design Holiday-themed PomPom beanies (perfect for gifting)
  • Test different concepts in front of your fans so they can vote for their favorite

Check out some of our Hat styles

Popular existing styles but with new color palettes:

  • Dad Hat
  • Snapback
  • Beanie
  • Trucker

Get excited for new styles Coming Soon:

  • PomPom Beanie
  • Otto 5 Panel
  • Bucket Hat
  • Tie Dye Dad Hat

We’re thrilled to offer this power tool for our creators. For some useful Hat Studio tips, check out our Embroidery Style Guide blog and happy hat selling!

Categories
Creators News

Introducing SpringBoard, Our New Creator Ranking Tool

Spring has always been committed to empowering creators with actionable data to make informed decisions about their brand. Today, we have taken another stride in that direction with SpringBoard.

What is SpringBoard?

SpringBoard is a new feature, available in each creator’s Dashboard, that helps the creator see how they rank among their peers on Spring based on their activity and performance on the platform. 

How is it calculated?

Spring understands how complex it is to run a successful creator brand. Thus, a score is calculated for each creator based on a combination of multiple factors:

  • Activity: Does the creator stay current with the newest social media and eCommerce trends with regular product launches?
  • Quality: Has each new launch by the creator successfully found an engaged fan base?
  • Scale: With stories, posts, or tweets, how much store virality has the creator been able to drive to their store?

All the above factors are weighted and combined to create a score (between 0-100) for each creator. If a creator is in the “Top 10%” or 90th percentile, the creator has a higher cumulative score than 90% of creators on Spring.

How often is SpringBoard updated?

The score and percentile are computed daily based on the creator’s performance in the last 7 days on a rolling basis.

Eligibility, how do I participate i.e. see myself on the SpringBoard?

Creators who meet any of the criteria below are eligible to be a part of SpringBoard:

  • If you have signed up to the platform in the last 7 days
  • If you have launched a product in the last 7 days
  • If you have made a sale in a last 7 days
  • If you have purchased an Upgrade in the last 7 days
  • If you have purchased a Sample in the last 7 days

Note: If you satisfied any of the eligibility criteria today, you can expect to be present in the SpringBoard for a period of 7 days starting tomorrow.

Who can I contact if I have doubts or concerns about SpringBoard?

For any queries, please email us at creatorhelp@spri.ng.

Categories
Creators News

Amaze Partnership Allows Onlyfans Creators to Sell Merchandise to Fans for the First Time

Merchandise integration will provide OnlyFans Creators with an additional tool to build out their businesses and monetize to their fans.

London, UK (17 November 2022) – In keeping with its mission to empower creators from all genres to own their potential, OnlyFans has today announced that it has integrated Amaze Software, Inc’s Spring platform into its creator ecosystem, allowing creators to sell personalized merchandise to their fans on the platform for the first time. 

From today, OnlyFans Creators will be able to connect their Spring stores directly to their profile pages. This integration allows OnlyFans Creators to create and sell physical and digital merchandise, such as T-shirts, calendars, and puzzles, directly to their fans on OnlyFans. Creators who open a Spring store can seamlessly integrate it within their OnlyFans profile, making it easier to connect fans to their products and further grow their business. 

BKFC fighter and model Paige VanZant was one of the first OnlyFans creators to take advantage of the Spring store feature. Paige has designed a wide variety of custom merchandise–stickers, notebooks, backpacks, and apparel–which are now for sale direct to her fans through her OnlyFans profile. 

This new e-commerce integration is part of OnlyFans’ commitment to adding features – like the recent Statistics page, which helps creators make informed business decisions and monetise their creative output. 

OnlyFans CEO Ami Gan said, “Our creator community was looking for merchandise options to be able to share another side of their business with fans. As a creator-first organization, there are over 3 million creators on OnlyFans, meaning over 3 million small businesses now have access to a new monetisation tool.”

Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze, said: “Amaze cares about creator monetization, and by bringing new products and functionality, we put the power in the hands of the creator. This integration with OnlyFans enables a whole set of motivated creators with a new revenue stream and opportunity to connect with their fans in a new, innovative way.”

OnlyFans Chief Strategy & Operations Officer Keily Blair said, “Integrating a choice of e-commerce options for OnlyFans creators reflects the important role OnlyFans plays in the creator economy. By choosing to focus on integrations that support our creators’ businesses, we are ensuring a creator-first approach to strategic partnerships and platform growth.”

BKFC fighter and model Paige VanZant said, “I’m super excited to announce that I have a brand new Spring store merch collaboration coming out! I can’t wait to connect with you all through this amazing opportunity!”

CONTACT DETAILS 

Emma Wray, Lexington on behalf of OnlyFans: + 07771 101514 onlyfans@lexcomm.co.uk

Amaze Software, Inc – info@amaze.co

How It Works

It’s easy for OnlyFans creators to begin designing and selling their merchandise on their Spring store. To start, creators simply go to www.spri.ng to open an account, connect the OnlyFans integration, and upload their designs, which can be applied to over 120 available products–from apparel, to stickers and puzzles. Additionally, creators can use Spring to sell any other products they’ve produced outside of Spring’s print-to-order service.

Next, they can connect their Spring accounts to their OnlyFans profile using their unique Spring store URL. As a result, an embedded, scrollable storefront will automatically appear on their OnlyFans profiles. This way, fans won’t have to leave their favorite creator’s OnlyFans profile to peruse their merchandise. When they’re ready to make a purchase, fans will be directed to the creator’s storefront on Spring to complete the transaction. 

About OnlyFans

OnlyFans is the subscription social platform revolutionising creator and fan connections. Inclusive of creators from all genres, OnlyFans provides creators the opportunity to control and monetise their content as they develop authentic connections with their fanbase. Since being founded in 2016, OnlyFans has paid out over $10 billion (USD) in creator earnings and established itself as the go-to platform for 220 million users and over three million creators worldwide. 

About Amaze Software Inc. 

Amaze Software, Inc. provides creator success solutions, including a merchandising platform, advanced commerce design application, and scalable managed services, to help anyone sell anything, anywhere. 

We believe anyone can be a creator and everyone should be empowered to tell their unique story, cultivate deeper connections, and create authentic, shoppable experiences that allow them to monetize their passion.

Our mission is to unleash potential, making it easy to create, share, and sell products and services. Learn more and sign up for a free account at www.amaze.co and www.spri.ng.Press inquiries – info@amaze.co

Categories
Creators News

Fast-growing Amaze acquires Spring in landmark deal to accelerate creator commerce

SAN FRANCISCO, November 8, 2022 – Amaze Software Inc. is excited to announce the acquisition of Spring’s best-in-class merchandising platform. 

We believe that anyone can be a creator and that creators play an important role in how we learn, connect, and find joy. We take our role to innovate on behalf of the creative economy seriously–enabling creators and creative entrepreneurs to unleash the potential of their content and connections with authentic, shoppable experiences that allow them to sell anything, anywhere.

Looking to the future, combined core capabilities will provide brands and creators with an expanded toolset that will help them drive success through unique opportunities to engage more authentically with customers, create products, and merchandise across social spheres.

Recent creator solutions launched include expansions of YouTube, TikTok, and Meta social commerce integrations, the Sam’s Club Photo and Customization platform, and SpringMark, which offers the ability to protect and manage creator’s designs. Launching soon is a simplified Amaze user experience streamlining page creation, access to expanded design services and the Spring Hat Studio, where creators can instantly create and merchandise embroidery. 

Spearheading the acquisition is Aaron Day, Chief Executive Officer of Amaze Software Inc. Aaron has extensive experience successfully leading large corporations, most recently as an executive at Canva. His in-depth knowledge of the creator economy has helped Amaze step out as an industry leader by building better and more comprehensive solutions for creator commerce.

“This acquisition will accelerate Amaze’s ability to enable creator success and monetize their passions. Pairing Spring’s 5.5M new creator stores with the leadership team’s vast social commerce, merchandising, and marketing experience–hailing from the likes of Adobe, Meta, Roblox, and Walmart–Amaze now has the ability to bring even more value to the creator economy,” said Aaron Day, CEO.

Joining Aaron on the leadership team is Spring’s former CEO, Chris Lamontagne, who will take on the role of President and lead the Creator Community and Commerce Group, and Annelies Jansen, who will become the Chief Business Officer. 

Continuing their leadership roles at Amaze are Laura Haines, Chief Product Officer, and Amelia Shepard, who will step into the Chief Marketing Officer role, managing marketing, eCommerce, and customer service teams. 

About Amaze Software Inc. 

Amaze Software, Inc. provides creator success solutions, including a merchandising platform, advanced commerce design application, and scalable managed services, to help anyone sell anything, anywhere. 

We believe anyone can be a creator and everyone should be empowered to tell their unique story, cultivate deeper connections, and create authentic, shoppable experiences that allow them to monetize their passion.

Our mission is to unleash potential, making it easy to create, share, and sell products and services. Learn more and sign up for a free account at www.amaze.co and www.spri.ng.

Press inquiries – info@amaze.co

Categories
Creators News

Spring Updates: SpringScore, social shelf, and more

We are heads down here at Spring making improvements to the platform, and so we wanted to share some of the recent updates.

We aren’t stopping here though, and are always listening to your feedback, so keep an eye out for more exciting updates over the coming weeks as we head into the holiday season.

SpringScore

springscore.spri.ng Find out how much you could be earning on Spring using the brand new SpringScore calculator. It takes less than a minute!

Find out your SpringScore.

Promo codes

You can now simply create and activate a promo code right after you’ve launched a new listing. Promote your products and drive more sales in a couple of clicks!

Check it out by launching a new listing.

Create a promo code for your store.

Social shelf

We’ve made it even easier to start selling on social platforms using our powerful integrations. You will find these cards pointing you in the right direction, on the dashboard and straight after you launch a new product listing.

Go to your dashboard here.

Create button

Look for the big blue button. This is your new gateway to create products both on desktop and mobile.

Create products here.

Products

We’ve added a bunch of new products for you to customize and have made it easier to access the best sellers and latest additions. More products coming soon!

Create products here.