Crowdmug is one of the latest apps for iPhone and iPod touch that offers financial incentive to users. By fulfilling requests posted by other users, Crowdmug users can earn cash simply by taking photos or videos at a specified location. The app’s aim is to help users make decisions by seeing status and appearance of a location without being there — for instance, is the bar crowded tonight or would that hotel be a suitable reception venue.
I’m a proponent of anything that might earn people extra income, but Crowdmug’s biggest challenge is that it has a very limited user base at present. I explored the app over a number of days and found only one request for the Chicago area. Instead, most of the available requests were clustered in the San Francisco Bay area. That’s great for Californians, but not much of an incentive for residents outside the Golden State.
In Crowdmug, anyone looking for a photo or video of a location can post a request for the number of submissions, specify the amount they’re willing to pay for each and set a timeframe for the request to be live. Requests can be submitted anonymously, for privacy’s sake. Submitters upload the requested image, and funds will be credited to their account. Once users hit $15, they can receive payment via check or PayPal.
All submitted media is stored in Crowdmug, creating a library of images and videos of a location. Users can also upload multimedia for a place without a request, but with no cash incentive, I doubt Crowdmug will find many users feeling charitable.
Crowdmug’s setup is promising, but the service will need to work a bit harder at generating user interest to sustain its network.
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