Private, group and public shows: what changes
Picture a room with a busy chat at a quarter past ten. At twenty past, it has vanished from the live list and the player shows nothing. The performer has not necessarily gone anywhere. More often, the show has simply moved behind a door, and the door is one we do not open.
Public shows
A public show is the room as anyone can see it. It is generally free to watch, and the performer earns from tips sent in the chat. Tip menus, goals and toys that react to tips all belong to the public room.
This is the only kind of show CamAlmanac records. Our readings, taken every few minutes, note which public rooms are open and how many people are watching. The live list, the profiles and the tide tables on hub pages are all built from public rooms alone.
Group and ticket shows
A group show takes the performer out of the public room for several paying viewers at once. Platforms arrange this in two broad ways:
- Per-minute group shows. Several viewers pay a per-minute rate in tokens, often lower than a private rate because the cost is shared. Some platforms require a minimum number of viewers before the show starts.
- Ticket shows. Viewers buy a ticket in advance, sometimes after a goal is reached in the public room. When the show begins, only ticket holders can see it.
Names and rules vary. One platform's "group" is another's "party", and some offer only one of the two.
Private shows, spying and cam-to-cam
A private show is one viewer and the performer alone, charged per minute in tokens. The viewer usually has the performer's full attention, and the rate reflects it. The rate is set by the performer or the platform and shown before the show begins.
Several options sit around the private show, depending on the platform:
- Spying, or voyeur mode. Others may watch a private show without taking part, usually at a lower rate and without chatting.
- Exclusive private. A private show that cannot be spied on, often at a higher rate.
- Cam-to-cam. The viewer switches on their own camera so the performer can see them. It is optional, sometimes charged as an extra, and never required.
| Show | Who sees it | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Anyone | Free to watch; tips are voluntary |
| Group or ticket | Paying viewers | Per minute or a single ticket |
| Private | One viewer, plus spies where offered | Per minute |
The tokens guide explains how per-minute charges and tips work in practice.
What you see on CamAlmanac
When a performer starts a private or group show, their public room closes. At our next reading the room is no longer public, so it drops off the live list. If you had its player open, the stream stops. When the paid show ends and the room returns to public, it comes back at the following reading.
This explains a pattern on some profiles. A performer may look as if they stopped broadcasting halfway through the evening, when in fact they spent the second half in private. Time spent in paid shows is not counted toward days seen or usual hours. The profile records the public room, and only the public room.
So "offline" on a directory that lists public rooms means "not public right now". It does not mean the performer has finished for the night. Waiting a while and checking again is often all it takes.
Etiquette, briefly
The rules of each room are set by the performer, usually in the room description. A few habits travel well between rooms and platforms:
- Read the room rules and the tip menu before you ask for anything.
- Do not ask a performer to take a public show private for free, or to perform a paid item without the tip.
- Accept a refusal the first time. A performer may decline any request, paid or not.
- Keep personal questions out of the chat. Performers are adults at work, and their privacy is part of the arrangement.
- If a room goes private while you are watching, let it go. It will reopen or it will not, and the live list will show which.
None of this is complicated. The schedule belongs to the performer, the room belongs to the performer, and the viewer brings good manners and, if they choose, tokens.
FAQ
Why did a room disappear from the live list while I was watching?
The performer may have started a private or group show. CamAlmanac lists only public rooms, so a room that goes private drops off the live list and the player stops until the room is public again.
What is the difference between a group show and a private show?
A private show is one viewer alone with the performer, charged per minute in tokens. A group show is shared by several paying viewers, either per minute or through a single ticket, depending on the platform.
Can other viewers watch a private show?
On some platforms, yes: a spy or voyeur option lets others watch silently, usually at a lower rate. Other platforms keep private shows fully private. Each platform sets its own rules.
Does offline on a directory mean the performer has stopped working?
Not necessarily. A performer in a paid show is out of public view, so a directory that lists public rooms will show them as gone. They may be working the whole time.
