.png "blank Coverage")
Elgato, known for its Stream Deck and Wave Link devices, has launched a new Marketplace, acting as an app store platform for these devices. Users can now buy and sell various digital items like plug-ins, graphics, overlays, emotes, and audio effects directly to those who own the devices.
The Marketplace, which was initially launched in beta for Wave Link users, has now expanded to include Stream Deck users with a recent software update. This update also allows users to log in to their Elgato accounts, facilitating the synchronization of purchased software.
Key points about the Elgato Marketplace:
- Monetization for Creators: The Marketplace allows creators to sell their digital creations directly to a broad audience. Creators can set their own prices, and at least 70 percent of each purchase will go to the creator. This provides an opportunity for creators to monetize their work, including plug-ins, graphics, and other digital assets.
- Transition from Native App Store: Elgato is discontinuing its existing Stream Deck App Store, which was native to its software and devices. Instead, updates and assets will be available exclusively through the Marketplace. While previously installed plug-ins will continue to work, they won't receive updates, which will only be accessible through the Marketplace.
- Community Impact: The transition to a centralized Marketplace may impact the community of software creators for Stream Deck. The effect on developers and the Stream Deck user community remains to be seen as the ecosystem undergoes changes.
- Favicon Feature: The new software update for Stream Deck (version 6.4) includes a feature that automatically adds a website's favicon to the button, replacing generic icons. Users may need to remove and re-add links to buttons for the favicon to appear.
This move by Elgato is expected to be beneficial for creators, as they can now earn from their digital assets and expand their reach. However, it raises questions about how the transition to the Marketplace will affect the existing ecosystem of Stream Deck software and the experience for users and developers.
