(IMPORTANT UPDATE) - Difficult Decisions About The Page

EDIT: New prices are in place. However, existing members will not be affected by the price change until August 1st, 2025, as per Patreon's policy.

Good evening everyone. This month was exceptional in almost all respects for the Patreon. I want to start by thanking you all for that. The following may sound ungrateful, but I really do hope you'll keep in mind just how grateful I am for all the support you have shown me this month.

I want this to be efficient page that produces as much content each month as I can manage. But to do that, I'll need to make changes.

The reason I put up that preface is because many of these difficult decisions I am about to discuss are about money, time, and what projects I take on moving forward. I hope these changes will stick so that no more changes need to be made.

All changes will go into effect on July 1st.

If you'll indulge me, I'd also like to take the time to express why I've come to the decisions I am about to share, but I'll be sure to bold the headline so that you can skim it for the relevant info if you prefer. Let's rip the band-aid off on the one most likely to upset some of you.

I am raising the price of the $5 and $10 tiers by $0.99. ($5.99 and $10.99)

This change will go into effect on July 1st, and applies to existing members and new members alike. I have confirmed with CrimsonSFM that existing members will not need to reverify.

The tl;dr is audios cost money. A lot of it. But I'm gonna be candid about exactly what that means.

I am among the most consistent customer of many of the VAs, and the scripts are meaty enough to pay better than their other projects. I've been told that I am often the difference between them making rent that month or not. I am Pal's only source of income at the moment for reasons I won't disclose for his privacy, but as one of my best friends I strive to support him as an artist and individual. I take pride in that, but it's also a lot of pressure, and it is the primary driver in my focus on growth.

Many VAs are immensely talented, but pricey. In the past, I have passed over them for projects despite being the most qualified, and the results were underwhelming. No price should be too high for a project that will live forever, and I want to always hire the best one for the job without as much concern for nickle and dime-ing. The results will speak for themselves.

Lastly, the Persona 5 audio cost $380.72. It was one of the worst performing audios in terms of sign-ups and social media circulation. I appreciate all who signed up to listen to it. But I was willing to provide such a high budget because it seemed like it would both please current listeners and be a strong membership driver, which wasn't the case. However, this $0.99 raise is actually enough to cover most of that cost on its own. You give a little extra but it goes a long, long way thanks to how much support I really have. Please do think about that even if it stings.

At the $5 Tier, I will only be producing two page-funded audios. To compensate, the audio for the Motion Comic, sans visuals, will be available as the "third" monthly audio.

Four audios a month (three originals and one for the comic) at the level of quality and standards I have now is not sustainable. I get a lot of offers for commissions or 50/50 funded collabs with some very cool creators that are both more income to the VAs and a major cost offset, many of which have the budgets of a regular page-funded audio, and I want the time necessary to take those one. And of course, audio-visual projects just need more time than audio-only ones.

The main change this makes is to the seeding of audios. I will continue to do the "Solo" and "Group/Couples" seeding, but more than likely I will bunch "Group/Couples" together.

I will be phasing out the $15 and $25 Rewards

My goal is to create content for the page, and for the enjoyment of as many members as possible. The main reason I am targeting these tiers is $15 and $25 are often far too low to get anything actually funded - many VAs have a minimum budget for commissions that exceeds both tiers. I am going to leave them open as additional support tiers so that I can increase Pal's salary.

The Samus Aran Animatic & Hatsune Miku/Bravely Default Comics will be pushed back to give Pal more time to work.

Pal's life is turbulent, and this month was unkind to him. He has not given me permission to share any private details, and it's not my story to tell anyway. But I need to better accommodate the ups and downs of his life, as a big part of running this page is being empathetic to the circumstances of everyone I work with. I'd like him to have an even greater head start moving forward. As such, I've chosen to push Samus back as well, just so that he has more of a buffer to work with in case any more misfortune strikes in his life.

The Suggestion Box will go back to being a monthly suggestion box, and a pinned FAQ about HotRamenAudios.com will be put in its place.

This one's... actually quite underwhelming of a change. The main reason is I feel a pinned post with information about verifying to, and using, HotRamenAudios.com is much more essential for new and existing members. Additionally, a monthly suggestion box is a good reminder for people to submit ideas, where I find a "general" suggestion box often goes unused. It will also help me stay organized with polls.

Commissions Are Open Indefinitely, But I Will Be More Selective

Some commissions, simply put, are not lucrative. Up to now, I have waived the writing and editing fee on audios if the commissioner allows it to be posted to the page as a timed exclusive. Audio-making is expensive, and I did this to ensure it was within the realm of affordability. But unfortunately, I am going to have to be more pragmatic about what projects I take on. I want commissions with healthy budgets that are enjoyable to as many members as possible seeing as my time is more limited.

"Extreme" Audios will be allowed in suggestions and polls, and not relegated solely to the $10 Tier

While the idea was enticing at first, VAs actually have fees associated with extreme content, such as human toilet use and scat play (like dirty anal) that mean their budgets are just going to be bigger, only to reach a much smaller audience as a result. I will allow them to enter the Suggestion Box and have a shot at winning a more general poll to accommodate the greater expense. For those worried this means they will never win, I do have some commissions with extreme content in the works, and the Kobeni project is still a-go, so you can rest assured that Extra Spicy Hot Ramen Audios is not DoA.

Alts will be more infrequent

While the idea of alts is appealing, the often cost a lot more than they are worth. The Super Smash Bros. alts and Zhu Yuan "extreme" alts are still going to release as intended, but that money is better spent on new projects, I feel.

Personal Thoughts

I went from being well-off enough to self-fund audios in 2022 to spending 2023 and 2024 descending into debt after losing my job and struggling to find new work. The reason I went full time in the first place was because in October of 2024, I was so behind on medical insurance payments that my insurance dropped me. I have Bipolar Disorder, and I rely on medication to and stave off hypomania and suicidal ideation. I believe you'll find my declaration to go full time was posted October 31st, that same day. This was a dire situation for me, and I have spent the last few months working hard and trying to enjoy the process. I have all that I need, monetarily, to survive and thrive again and I thank you all for that. But two things came out of that period. I am now empathetic, maybe to a fault, of those struggling financially despite working hard, as is the situation so many of these VAs, and Pal, are in. It's driven me to grow, maybe too fast. I have a lot of work I now owe, and this month proved I can catch up quickly and move on without a clear loss of quality so long as my circumstances are right. The changes above are things I now know will help me to be the best at this that I can be. More audios, more work for those who deserve it, less unfulfilled promises.

At the top of it all, I want to say I recognize that I am very, very lucky as a creator. I believe a lot of it has been shrewd hustling and business decisions, but it's also due to having an audience that I feel genuinely cares about me and what I do. I want to enjoy myself more moving forward. This could be the coolest job in the world if I can keep the bright side in focus. So some of these changes are also about ensuring my passion stays white hot. Hopefully, we all win that way.

Thank you, and keep on keeping on.