Almost two years ago, Kickstarter acquired a startup called Drip, designed to help music fans support artists through subscriptions. Now, Kickstarter is relaunching Drip to help more creators get paid.

Similar to services like Patreon, Drip is designed for ongoing funding rather than a one-time campaign; it can help people "fund and build a community around their ongoing creative practice," Kickstarter Creator and Principal Founder Perry Chen wrote in a blog post.

Chen acknowledged that many podcasters, YouTubers, and bloggers already use tools like Flattr, Patreon, and Steady to fund their content, but said there are still "large groups of artists and creators" who aren't convinced that subscriptions can work for them. Kickstarter is hoping to change that with Drip.

When launching a Drip, you'll describe what you do and what you can offer subscribers. This could include access to your work, latest releases, offline experiences, or just a peek at what goes on behind the scenes. The crowdfunding effort will start with a "founding membership period" to help you get momentum going.

"The founding membership period is a way for creators to entice their fans, friends, and new audiences to jump in and build up their base of support," Chen explained. "Creators can offer their founding members special rewards or status for jumping in early."

For example, artist Shantell Martin is offering "a live recording music session from me per month and early access to my new drawings, and conversations with new and exciting artists and thinkers" for $10 per month. And podcast host Debbie Millman (who PCMag interviewed earlier this year) is offering $3 early access to the audio file of new podcasts, transcripts of the interview, and "reflections on my time with my guests via a monthly newsletter."

Chen stressed that creators will be able to export their data and content from Drip and securely transfer subscription and payments information to other subscription platforms. "The work and relationships that creators build online should belong to them," Chen wrote. "They shouldn't feel stuck to a platform because those things aren't easy to move. We believe creator independence means not being locked into a platform by design."

Interested in launching your own Drip? At this point, the service is invite-only, but Kickstarter plans to open it up to more creators early next year. Head over to the Drip homepage to sign up to be notified when it's open to everyone.