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Hive Designer Handbook
- Oded Kishik
- Dec 23, 2024
- 11 min read
Updated: Jun 18
The following document presents Hive’s service guidelines for the designers we represent. In it, you’ll find details about the services we provide, why we provide them, and how they work—outlining the rules, revenue distribution, royalty models, and criteria for success.
Overview
What is Hive?
Hive is Cubee’s commercial licensing service for 3D printing designs. We curate and sell commercial licenses for talented designers worldwide.
Hive aims to help designers monetize their designs by creating a licensing service that assists 3D printing businesses in growing through the printing and selling of high-quality designs.
What is commercial licensing?
Commercial licensing for 3D printing, in simple terms, is when sellers or manufacturers are granted the right to sell a digital file or a physical print of a certain design. We focus solely on granting a license to sell prints of the designs we license.
What service does Hive provide designers?
At Hive, we carefully select the designers we work with. We emphasize creators whose designs have strong potential in the end-consumer market, making them ideal candidates for commercial licensing.
Hive serves as a platform for designers to offer 3D designs for commercial use. Hive represents the designers, markets the designs, works to protect against unauthorized use, and creates a value proposition that helps businesses print and sell these designs. We also provide tools such as expert business support and a designer community. Designers directly provide support to subscribers via designated communication channels (e.g., a private Discord channel).
We offer licensing via different Hive tiers, as described below, to create solutions for every step of a designer’s journey.
Hive’s Plans
Hive plans are services purchased by sellers—typically 3D printing businesses that want to print and sell designs commercially. Designers are represented by Hive and offer licensing for their designs through us. Designers do not pay to be represented by Hive.
What are the different plans of Hive?
Hive has three different subscription plans, each providing a distinct type of licensing for 3D printing catalogs with different rules and profit distributions. In addition, there is a one-time payment service for lifetime licensing of single designs. All plans include added value such as access to the Hive seller community, expert sessions, business development tools, and direct designer support.
The plans are:
HiveCommunity:An affordable, royalty-free, non-exclusive STL library for commercial use. It combines designs by various 3D designers under one subscription.
HivePlus:An exclusive subscription to a single designer’s catalog, with limited seller seats and premium support & media content. Designs in this plan collect royalties on the prints clients sell.
HiveUnlimited:A high-end tier with limited seats, providing commercial access to all HivePlus exclusive catalogs.
Hive One-Time Payment:High-end, singular designs with limited selling licenses that customers can purchase with a single lifetime payment.
How do designers offer designs for each plan?
We work closely with each designer to build their licensing strategy. Designers can differentiate between exclusive and non-exclusive designs according to the terms and incentives described below.
Hive Rules and Terms
Each tier has its own rules of conduct. Once approved by Hive, designers choose how to distribute their designs. HiveCommunity
What is HiveCommunity?
HiveCommunity is a curated catalog of non-exclusive, royalty-free 3D designs for commercial use. Subscribers (manufacturers) pay an affordable subscription fee to access a broad range of high-quality, 3D-printable designs from many designers worldwide. Profit is distributed by user activity (explained below).
Members also receive access to the Hive Seller Community with events, business support, and a private Discord channel where designers and other professionals provide insights and guidance.
Why does HiveCommunity exist?
HiveCommunity is a place for designers to gain exposure and profit from designs that have broad online distribution. It’s perfect for designers who are just starting out and want to earn from individual designs before establishing a full catalog, as well as for established designers with a large portfolio already widely distributed online.
The biggest advantage is the “Designer Alliance”: multiple designers contribute to the same subscription, creating a rich, desirable library. This way, designers can also profit from the success of their peers. HiveCommunity competes with other mass STL libraries on pricing, but with a focus on commercial use and added value through the seller community.
What are the terms of HiveCommunity?
A designer may upload up to 5 designs per month.
Designs remain in the catalog for at least one year, and as long as the designer remains active in the service.
The designer retains full ownership of their designs.
Designs can be distributed for personal and commercial use on other platforms, but profit incentives are provided for exclusive designs (see below).
Designs can be free for personal use on other platforms, but not for commercial use.
Designs on HiveCommunity are royalty-free and labeled as such.
What is the revenue distribution for HiveCommunity?
From total HiveCommunity monthly earnings (including annual and lifetime plan sales):
30% is distributed directly among the designers (see criteria below).
40% is allocated to a marketing pool to grow the subscriber base for the following month.
30% goes to Cubee (for maintenance, operation, and expansion).
The designers’ share of monthly profits is divided among participants based on transparent user activity. “Page views” refer to how often a design’s page is viewed. “Drive views” occur when a user clicks “download” on a design page and is redirected to view the Google Drive folder of that design. The criteria are as follows:
Allocation to all designers with presence in the library: 5%
Percentage of total files in the library: 10%
Percentage of total monthly page views (of all designs by a designer): 20%
Percentage of total monthly Drive views (of all designs by a designer): 50%
Allocation to all designers who uploaded designs this month: 10%
Percentage of total designs uploaded this month: 5%
(For example, if the designer share was $1000 total, and we are looking at the “Percentage of total files in the library” portion (10% = $100), a designer who has 10% of all files would receive $10 from this portion ($100 * 10% = $10).)
The distribution algorithm is subject to change at Hive Management’s discretion. Any changes will be fully transparent to the designers.
Exclusivity Incentives:
Exclusivity incentives offer a profitability advantage to designs that are more exclusive to Hive. This includes labels on designs and extra interaction points on Drive views. Designs that are exclusive for commercial use on Hive count double (1.5X), and designs only available on Hive count triple (2X).
The difference between “commercial-use exclusive” and “Only on Hive” is as follows:
Commercial-use exclusive: The design is not available for commercial use anywhere else, but it may still be available for personal use on other platforms.
Only on Hive: The design is not available anywhere else, not even for personal use.
Below is a reference table (as depicted in the attached image) that shows labels and Drive count incentives:
If a design is available elsewhere for personal use and elsewhere for commercial use: No Label (1X Drive Count)
If a design is available elsewhere for personal use but not elsewhere for commercial use: {Sell Only with Hive} (1.5X Drive Count)
If a design is not available anywhere else, even for personal use: {Only on Hive} (2X Drive Count)
Over time, exclusive designs must remain exclusive for at least 6 months. After 6 months, if an exclusive design generated over $200 in royalties in the past 3 months, it will remain exclusive for at least another 3 months. This evaluation repeats every 3 months. If, during one of these evaluations, the product earned less than $200 in royalties over the previous 3 months, the designer may remove it from exclusive status.
HivePlus
What is HivePlus?
HivePlus is a premium tier featuring exclusive designer catalogs. Only 50 sellers globally can access any given HivePlus catalog, ensuring low competition and higher potential value. HiveUnlimited subscribers also have access to all HivePlus catalogs. Hive collects royalties on the sales of exclusive designs offered through HivePlus.
Why does HivePlus exist?
HivePlus is a new model of commercial licensing with three key goals:
To create stable, long-term profit for a designer while protecting designs from mass distribution (via exclusivity and royalty payments).
To provide license holders with the best chance of selling the designs (via limited competition, business development tools, and media content).
To gather data on the designs, helping designers make data-driven decisions on what products to create next.
What are the terms of HivePlus?
Only 50 sellers worldwide can access any HivePlus catalog. Additionally, HiveUnlimited subscribers have access to all HivePlus catalogs.
Ideally, HivePlus designs will be available for commercial use exclusively on Hive.
HivePlus subscribers must report monthly sales and pay 10% royalties on sales of all exclusive designs through a trust-based reporting system. The royalty calculation does not include taxes or shipping costs.
Designers can also upload royalty-free, non-exclusive designs to their HivePlus catalog, but these will not collect royalties and receive fewer incentives from HiveUnlimited usage.
Any HivePlus/Unlimited subscriber also has access to HiveCommunity.
Cubee provides business and technical support to subscribers and monitors online sales activity to detect abuse. Abuse can be failing to report royalties or selling products without a valid license. Users must post their Hive ID when selling products. Designers and other sellers can report abuse via a portal, and Cubee will contact abusers and platforms to ensure listings are taken down or royalties are paid.
Designers can interact with HivePlus members through a dedicated Discord channel managed by Cubee, providing direct support.
Designers have full control over how many designs they add to their HivePlus catalog.
Designs remain in the catalog for at least one year, as long as the designer is part of the service.
Designs must be original, and ownership remains solely with the designer.
Designs can be sold on other platforms for personal use only, unless they are labeled as “Only on Hive.”
Hive will actively promote HivePlus catalogs once at least 5 exclusive designs are included.
What is the revenue distribution for HivePlus?
HivePlus is priced at $29/month or $278/year.
Designers receive $20 per month for each HivePlus monthly subscriber and $15 per month for each annual subscriber.
If an existing HivePlus member adds a second designer’s catalog, that second designer will receive $15/month.
For Royalty Payments, 80% of royalties go to the designers and 20% go to Cubee for service maintenance.
Profit distribution from subscriptions is split between designers, a marketing budget, and Cubee.
HivePlus catalogs also profit from HiveUnlimited’s profit distribution (see below).
The marketing pool controlled by Cubee is mainly spent on content creation, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. The HiveUnlimited pool promotes exclusive catalogs, while the HiveCommunity pool promotes the HiveCommunity catalog.
If a subscriber upgrades from HivePlus to HiveUnlimited, the designer linked to that subscription will receive affiliate profits from the HiveUnlimited pool. Upgraded subscribers will be labeled accordingly to update the profit distribution.
HiveUnlimited
What is HiveUnlimited?
HiveUnlimited is the highest tier on Hive, aimed at established, high-volume manufacturers and businesses ready to scale. This tier is exclusive, with limited seller licenses. It includes access to all HivePlus catalogs and premium business support.
All designer HiveCommunity and HivePlus designs are automatically included in the HiveUnlimited plan. Profits are distributed according to user activity.
Why does it exist?
HiveUnlimited connects designers with top-tier sellers, giving these sellers access to exclusive designs and catalogs. It’s a mutually beneficial scenario, fostering growth and higher profit potential.
What are the terms of HiveUnlimited?
All HivePlus catalogs are part of the HiveUnlimited library. The terms of HivePlus also apply to HiveUnlimited.
HiveUnlimited members also have access to the HiveCommunity library.
HiveUnlimited is limited to a specific number of sellers. Hive may adjust that number (and pricing) to maintain a balance between exclusivity and growth.
HiveUnlimited members pay royalties on sales of exclusive designs.
Profit distribution for HiveUnlimited subscriptions is based on usage.
If a HivePlus subscriber upgrades to HiveUnlimited, that information is recorded, and the original designer receives affiliate profits from the HiveUnlimited pool.
What is the revenue distribution for HiveUnlimited?
From total HiveUnlimited monthly earnings (including annual sales):
50% of recurring subscriptions are distributed among the designers (see allocation below).
30% to the marketing pool to grow the subscriber base for HivePlus & HiveUnlimited.
20% to Cubee (for maintenance, operation, and expansion).
The designers’ share of monthly profits is divided based on transparent user activity using these criteria:
Even allocation to all designers with presence in the library: 8%
Percentage of total files in the library: 4%
Percentage of total monthly page views (of all designs by a designer): 20%
Percentage of total monthly Drive views (of all designs by a designer): 36%
Allocation to all designers who uploaded designs this month: 4%
Percentage of total designs uploaded this month: 8%
Affiliation % (distributed among designers who referred subscribers to HiveUnlimited, or whose HivePlus subscribers have upgraded): 20%
(For example, if the designers’ total share for a month is $1000 and we look at the “Percentage of total files in the library” allocation (4% = $40), a designer with 10% of all files would receive $4 from this portion ($40 * 10% = $4).)
This corrected example now aligns with the listed percentages. The distribution algorithm is subject to change at Hive Management’s discretion, with full transparency to designers.
Exclusivity Incentives:
Labels on designs emphasize exclusivity.
Extra points on “Drive views”:
Designs exclusive for commercial use on Hive count double (2X).
Designs only available on Hive count triple (3X).
Hive One-Time Payment
What is Hive One-Time Payment?
This is a service where customers can buy lifetime commercial licenses to limited-edition designs with a single payment. Designers upload specific, unique designs that are not available elsewhere, set a limited number of licenses, and ensure these designs meet quality criteria (original, unique, and accompanied by at least 5 high-quality media files). Designs are sold one at a time for a price set jointly by Hive and the designer.
Why does it exist?
There is a market segment that prefers not to engage in subscription models but still needs high-quality 3D designs for commercial use. The One-Time Payment service caters to this demand, providing ultra-exclusivity and minimal competition.
What are the terms of Hive One-Time Payment?
Designs must be original, unique, and not available anywhere else (not even for personal use).
Hive reserves the right to accept or reject any design for this service.
Designs must be accompanied by at least 5 high-quality media files (photos, videos) and detailed printing instructions from the designer.
What is the profit distribution for One-Time Payment?
70% of profits go to the designer.
30% of profits go to Cubee.
All marketing, payment processing fees, and maintenance will be covered by Cubee’s share.
Royalty Terms (Hive Trust)
What are Royalties?
Royalties are a 10% fee on each sale of an exclusive product, paid by the seller to the designer. This ensures direct financial reward and valuable sales data for the designer. Royalties are trust-based, meaning sellers report their own sales. The sales cost does not include taxes or shipping costs.
Why Royalties?
Royalties enable designers to profit continuously from their exclusive designs.
They help maintain exclusivity and reduce competition, maximizing the designer’s profit potential.
Royalties offer insights into which products are performing well, helping designers focus on popular items and improve their portfolios.
Potential Cubee purchases of high-potential designs can provide an additional revenue stream and financial stability.
Monthly Reporting:
HivePlus and HiveUnlimited sellers must report monthly sales via CubeeTrust.
If no sales occurred, “No Sales” must still be reported.
Data transparency allows designers to understand their market performance better.
Account Suspension:
Sellers who fail to report sales for 3 consecutive months may be frozen or suspended.
Accounts reporting zero sales for 6 months or more may be converted to personal-use-only accounts, freeing up space for new, active license holders.
General Design Terms
Intellectual property (IP) for the designs remains entirely under the designer’s control.
Designers will only upload original designs that do not infringe on any intellectual property.
Any designs uploaded to Hive remain on the platform for at least 1 year.
Exclusive designs on all tiers must remain exclusive for at least 6 months. After 6 months, if a design generated over $200 USD in royalties over the previous 3 months, it remains exclusive for at least another 3 months, and so on. If it did not meet this threshold, it can be removed from exclusivity.
Designs labeled “Only on Hive” must remain as such for at least 6 months. If they become available for personal use after that period, the label and exclusivity incentives will be adjusted.
Designs that become more exclusive over time (e.g., removed from personal use on another platform) will gain their new label and incentives 1 month after the changes are made.
Subscribers to a designer’s plan will continue receiving service for the remainder of their billing cycle. For example, if someone signs up for a yearly HivePlus plan, they retain access for the full year. Monthly subscribers can have their plan stopped after the month ends. Yearly subscribers must be served until their subscription period is over. Nonetheless, after one year (and according to the terms), designs can be made un-exclusive or removed if the required conditions are met.
Any change in design status must be communicated to Hive management 2 weeks in advance.
This handbook serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding how Hive operates, the plans available, and the terms under which designers contribute their work. By following these guidelines and clarifications, designers and sellers can foster a successful and mutually beneficial commercial ecosystem.
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