Depictions of sex using various types of media goes back centuries and even millennia—but the internet has made it more accessible and available than ever. Without proper regulation and protections for people working in the adult pleasure industry, many workers (often women, youth, and members of the LGBTQ+ community) are exploited. Provisions around consent are dangerously and tragically lacking, protective sex decisions don’t always lie in the hands of the actors, and profits don’t reach performers whose videos are distributed beyond their control.

Below, you’ll find four websites that uphold values of fair wages, hold multiple checkpoints for consent and rigorous health and protection standards, prioritize actual pleasure, celebrate diverse representations of sexuality, and have transparency into founders and mission statements. If visual erotica is outside of your comfort zone, head to number five on this list—it’s a subscription service for sexy audio stories sure to get you in the mood.

Oh, and it should be mentioned: these websites are NSFW (not safe for work), although each link will take you to the page that outlines each brand’s values. 😊


1. Four Chambers

Standards | Transparent wages, affiliate program for performers for continued revenue, pays for sourced music
Price | $9/month

The founders of Four Chambers decided not to label the project—and instead created their own standards free of marketing jargon and generalizations. The current pay for performers is $1,100 with an additional affiliate option for continued income, and the brand pays musicians for sourced tracks. In addition to their strict shooting guidelines, each performer also gets to review the final film and veto any clips they do not wish to share. 


2. Make Love Not Porn

Standards | Revenue sharing model with users (50% of each rental goes to those in the videos), “social” sex instead of highly produced clichés
Price | $10–$50/month, single purchase options available

In 2009, Cindy Gallop took to the Ted stage to make a case for why modern adult entertainment needed a major overhaul. There, she announced her launch of Make Love Not Porn, a website that features highly-curated, revenue-sharing social sex uploaded by users. One feature that’s especially worth noting: when a user no longer wants their video on the site, MLNP removes it, so participants are always in control of their content.


3. Pink & White Productions

Standards | Consent and performer agency standards, affiliate program for performers, offers filmmakers support to create empowering and safe content
Price | $10–$25/month

Shine Louise Houston sees adult content as “the perfect place to become political.” Pink & White Productions, which she started in 2005, is devoted to empowering filmmakers, supporting actors, and offering a diverse representation of sex and sexuality. Its projects include Pink Label TV and CrashPadSeries, both of which explore the “complexities of queer sexual desire” and hold high standards for performer agency, consent, and sexual health.


4. Bright Desire

Standards | Pay performers before scenes, films feature consent, shares behind the scenes footage for transparency
Price | $10/month (with $13 initial fee)

Safety and consent are at the forefront of every Bright Desire film. From up-front payment to unscripted after-scene interviews (so you can get to know the performers) to the director’s commentary, Bright Desire depicts honest, consensual sex where performers’ needs are tantamount. While the focus is on cisgender heterosexual sex, there are performers and videos representing various orientations as well. 


5. Dipsea

Standards | Feminist-forward, fair pay for writers and voice actors
Price | $9/month

Dipsea is a female-founded startup creating audio erotica that is relatable, feminist, and that celebrates sex. For the person looking for mental, rather than visual, stimulation, Dipsea’s 5 to 20-minute audio stories are designed to inspire you—and turn you on. With plenty of options for a diverse range of sexual experiences, you can listen alone or with a partner to really heat things up.