Inside the N3on and Sophie Rain backed startup competing with Instagram and TikTok

For years, the closest most fans got to their favorite creators was a reply, a repost or a lucky DM. BuzzStar is betting they’ll pay for something better.

Founded by Creators Inc. CEO Andy Bachman, the app lets fans book live, private video calls with their favorite internet stars, paying by the minute for direct access that used to be nearly impossible to get. And the latest to sign on, ready to take those calls? Sophie Rain and Piper Rockelle, two of the biggest names on OnlyFans.

“Everyone in this space has been monetizing attention. Almost nobody’s been monetizing access,” Bachman said. “Sophie and Piper have built audiences of millions who’ve followed everything they do. Now those fans can actually talk to them one-on-one. That’s worth a lot more than another scroll past a post.”

A-list creators are now on the App.

Rain and Rockelle are already familiar faces in Bachman’s orbit. Last month, the two made their runway debuts at Miami Swim Week for CI Swimwear walking alongside fellow creators Alina Rose, Summer Iris, Mariella Gregoria and Virginia Sanhouse.

Before all that, Rain sat down with Bachman on his podcast, where the conversation wandered from growing up on food stamps to life inside the Bop House — the creator collective she co-founded with longtime friend Aishah Sofey. Explaining why the group resonated with fans, Rain said, “People online, they like to see an online relationship. It’s so much easier to make content when you’re with someone than solo. People just love to see that dynamic.”

That same appetite for connection is what’s pulling creators to BuzzStar, where the roster already runs deep. Rapper DDG, Kick streamer N3on, rapper Blueface, Grammy-winning producer Scott Storch, and “jeweler to the stars” Johnny Dang are all taking calls.

The contrast with Instagram and TikTok is also a major difference.

On those platforms, creators earn primarily through brand deals, algorithm-driven payouts, and virtual gifts, revenue tied directly to view counts, trend participation, and how well they play by each platform’s rules.

Instagram’s invite-only Reels bonuses and TikTok’s Creativity Program typically pay fractions of a cent per view, meaning even a viral post might not move the needle much financially.

The App is now competing with TikTok and Instagram’s monetization programs

BuzzStar operates on a different logic entirely; instead of chasing reach, creators monetize directly from fans.

A single fan willing to pay for a few minutes of face time can generate more revenue than thousands of passive scrollers, no algorithm required, no brand approval needed, no platform taking a cut of ad inventory.

For creators with loyal audiences and real earning potential, the math is starting to look very different.

The platform has also proven it can move serious money. This spring, social media star Cole Train broke the BuzzStar’s hourly record, pulling in close to six figures during a single 60-minute session he spent chugging beers with callers.

Ray J got the same memo. “$100?!” the multi-platinum singer said in a clip posted to Instagram in May, days before his MMA debut. “I made that sh*t off one call on BuzzStar.”

To Bachman, those numbers are proof that creators are becoming less dependent on the platforms that made them famous. “For years, the platforms held all the leverage. They owned the audience, they owned the payout, they owned the rules,” he said. “That’s finally starting to flip, and the creators who see it first are going to win the next decade.”