Revver grosses $1 million, contributors get $40

This is exactly what I mean when I say “In the aggregation game, the only people who win are the aggregators.” Revver is announcing that it has now paid more than $1 million to people who have posted their videos on its site since last September. (PDF here.) Indeed, there are a few big winners, as the Long Tail would predict – the Diet Coke and Mentos guys grossed $50,000. But the million bucks (paid as a 50-50 split, along with a few other considerations) is spread out over 25,000 people – that’s an average of $40 per person. More than you’ll make from YouTube, yes, but just keep in mind that what you’re really doing is making money for Revver. The company is the only part of the equation that can reap significant cash.