Control Access and Sell Media with Graph Paper Press Sell Media Plugin

Graph Paper Press Sell Media Access Control

If you’re running a website that offers digital media like photos, videos, or audio, you know that controlling access to this content is crucial for both security and revenue generation. Graph Paper Press offers an excellent solution with its Sell Media plugin, allowing you to sell and control access to your digital media files effortlessly.

In this article, we’ll explore how Sell Media Access Control works and how you can use it to manage who gets access to your content, as well as how to set up and manage your media store for optimal sales.

What Is Graph Paper Press Sell Media?

Sell Media is a WordPress plugin designed by Graph Paper Press that enables you to sell digital media on your website, such as photos, videos, and audio files. With this plugin, you can easily manage digital downloads, set pricing, and control access to your media files. The plugin integrates seamlessly with WordPress and allows you to set up a digital store without any hassle.

One of the most important features of Sell Media is its access control system. It helps you protect your valuable content by restricting who can view or download your files based on various user permissions and payment status.

Why Do You Need Access Control for Media?

Whether you’re selling stock photography, video content, or other digital assets, controlling access is crucial for the following reasons:

1. Security: Ensures that only paying customers have access to premium content, protecting your work from unauthorized use.
2. Revenue Protection: Prevents customers from downloading or redistributing content without paying for it, safeguarding your earnings.
3. User Experience: Allows you to offer tiered access to content, such as premium or exclusive files, making your offering more attractive to potential buyers.
4. Licensing Control: Helps you create different license options (e.g., standard or extended licenses), restricting what buyers can do with your media after purchase.

Features of Sell Media Access Control

The Sell Media Access Control system allows you to manage access to your media with ease. Some of its key features include:

1. Content Protection

Sell Media gives you the ability to protect your content by setting restrictions on who can view or download it. You can control access to media by creating paywalls, requiring users to pay before accessing content. This is ideal for photographers, videographers, and digital artists who want to sell their work online and keep unauthorized users at bay.

2. Membership or Subscription Plans

With Sell Media, you can offer membership or subscription-based access to your media files. For example, you can set up a subscription plan that allows customers to download unlimited media for a fixed period, such as a monthly or yearly membership. This model works well for content creators who produce new media frequently and want to encourage long-term subscriptions.

3. Individual Media Access

Rather than offering access to all your content, you can sell individual files or groups of files. Sell Media lets you sell content on a per-item basis, allowing you to control the price for each piece of media separately. You can restrict access to specific files by linking them to a product that customers can only purchase if they meet your criteria.

4. Watermarking for Protection

For added security, Sell Media offers automatic watermarking for images and other media. This is especially useful for photographers who want to prevent unauthorized use of their work before it’s purchased. You can add a transparent watermark with your brand name or a “Sample” label over media, ensuring that anyone viewing the content can identify it as a preview.

5. User Registration and Login

To sell media with access control, you can set up a registration and login system for users. This ensures that only registered users can purchase and download your media. You can create user roles and assign them different levels of access based on their membership, purchase history, or subscription plan.

6. Password Protection for Premium Content

If you’re offering exclusive content to a select group of users, Sell Media allows you to protect specific media with passwords. You can share the password only with those who have purchased access, ensuring that only authorized customers can view the protected content.

7. Limitations on Downloads

To control how many times customers can download media after purchase, you can set download limits. You can specify the number of allowed downloads or set an expiration date after which the link to the file becomes invalid.

How to Set Up Sell Media Access Control

Now that you know the importance of access control and the features of the Sell Media plugin, let’s go through the steps of setting it up on your WordPress website.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Sell Media Plugin

The first step is to install the Sell Media plugin from the Graph Paper Press website.

1. Download the plugin from the Graph Paper Press Store.
2. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New and upload the downloaded plugin file.
3. Activate the plugin once installed.

Step 2: Set Up Your Media Store

After activating the plugin, go to the Sell Media section in your WordPress dashboard. You will be prompted to set up your store by adding media files, creating product listings, and setting prices.

1. Upload your media files (photos, videos, audio, etc.).
2. Create a new product for each file or group of files.
3. Set pricing for each product, and enable the option to protect the media with the access control settings.

Step 3: Enable Access Control Features

Next, you’ll configure the access control features:

1. Set Up Paywalls: Ensure that your products require payment before access is granted.
2. Create Membership Plans: If offering a subscription model, go to Settings > Membership Plans and set up different plans for different user access levels.
3. Watermark Media: Go to Sell Media Settings and enable watermarking for your images, if applicable.
4. Set User Roles: Under Settings > User Roles, create custom user roles and assign different access levels to each role.
5. Password Protect Files: For exclusive content, you can add passwords to your media files under the Content Protection section.

Step 4: Configure Payment Gateways

To sell media securely, set up payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe to accept payments. Go to Sell Media Settings > Payment Settings and enter your payment information.

Step 5: Monitor and Manage Sales

Once you start selling media, you can track purchases and downloads from the Sell Media Dashboard. You’ll have access to reports showing your sales, customer activity, and download statistics. This allows you to manage your content and revenue efficiently.

Best Practices for Selling Media with Access Control

1. Offer Exclusive Content: Create exclusive or limited-edition content that only paying members or subscribers can access. This will help you build a loyal customer base.
2. Run Promotions and Discounts: Use time-sensitive promotions or discounts to encourage quick purchases and drive traffic to your site.
3. Offer Different License Options: If you’re selling photography or digital artwork, offer different license types, such as personal use or commercial use, to increase your revenue.
4. Regularly Update Your Media: Keep your content fresh and regularly update your media offerings to encourage customers to return for new downloads.

Conclusion

The Sell Media Access Control system by Graph Paper Press provides a robust solution for selling digital media securely while managing access and maximizing revenue. With features such as subscription plans, individual file protection, watermarking, and more, you can easily control who sees your content and how it’s distributed. By following the simple setup process and implementing the best practices mentioned, you’ll be well on your way to successfully selling your digital media online.