How the marketplace works
Plumely's marketplace is an introduction layer. A business describes what it needs, creators pitch for it, the two sides talk, and then they do business with each other directly. Everything below is a description of that, including the parts where Plumely deliberately isn't involved.
1. A business posts a brief
A brief describes the video: the deliverable, the platform it's for, what footage already exists, a budget band and a rough deadline. It's published to the public brief list, where it's readable by anyone — including search engines, which is how creators find the work without having to sign up first.
2. Creators bid
A creator reads the brief and sends a short pitch with relevant work attached. Their profile travels with the bid, so the business sees the verification facts and account history alongside the pitch rather than having to go looking. Bids are metered rather than unlimited — that's what keeps the list free of copy-pasted applications.
3. The business shortlists and picks
Bids arrive in one place instead of four inboxes. The business can shortlist, ask questions, and then accept one. Accepting closes the brief, declines the other bids, and opens a conversation between the two parties.
4. You talk — here or elsewhere, your choice
Every profile chooses how it wants to be contacted: an in-app message thread, direct contact details, or both. In-app keeps a timestamped record, which is worth having if anything later goes wrong. Swapping contact details is faster. Neither is forced on you.
5. You agree terms and record them
Before work starts, both sides confirm a short agreement summary: scope, deliverables, total amount, how much is paid in advance, and the deadline. Plumely doesn't enforce it and isn't a party to it. It exists because a timestamped record of what was agreed is exactly what you need if you ever have to escalate this somewhere that does have enforcement powers.
6. Money changes hands — not here
This is the part to be clear-eyed about. Plumely does not process, hold, escrow or insure payments between users, and takes no commission. You pay each other directly by whatever method you agree. In exchange for keeping 100% of the money, both sides accept that Plumely cannot reverse a payment, recover funds, or adjudicate a dispute about one.
What Plumely actually does for you
Stated plainly, so the boundary is obvious in both directions.
- Hosts the brief and puts it in front of creators, including through search.
- Verifies specific, checkable claims — domain control, channel ownership, link-backs — and shows exactly what was checked and when.
- Keeps a record of the conversation and the agreed terms, if you use in-app messaging.
- Takes reports, reviews them, and makes upheld ones visible on the profile.
- Makes it expensive to run repeat scams by tying verification to single-use artifacts, so a banned account can't re-verify the same domain or channel.
What Plumely does not do
- It does not hold or transfer money, and cannot get a payment back.
- It does not guarantee the quality, delivery or legality of anyone's work.
- It does not check anyone's identity documents, finances, or ability to pay.
- It is not a party to your agreement, not an employer, and not an agent for either side.
What it costs
Browsing, reading briefs and verifying yourself are free. Posting briefs and placing bids are metered: Plumely Pro includes one brief and five bids per calendar month, and extra capacity is bought as one-off credits. The meter is the entire business model, which is precisely why there's no commission on the deal itself.
FAQ
Why doesn't Plumely handle payments?+
Handling payments would mean taking a cut to fund it, plus escrow, KYC and dispute-resolution machinery. The trade here is the opposite: you keep all the money, and you take on the counterparty risk yourself. That trade is only honest if it's stated clearly, which is what this page is for.
What stops fake businesses or fake creators?+
Verification tied to assets that cost real money — domains and established channels — with each one usable by only one account across the whole platform. That doesn't make fraud impossible; it makes repeat fraud expensive, which is the achievable goal. Read the safety page for the specific scams and how to spot them.
Can I use the marketplace without the video editor?+
Yes, entirely. They share an account and nothing else.
What happens if a deal goes wrong?+
Report it. We review reports, and upheld ones appear on the profile so the next person sees them. We can't recover your money — which is why the safety guidance is worth reading before you're in that position rather than after.