Every 
year, there’s a flood of new actresses who enter the porn world.
Most wash out quickly, but those who quickly amass a fan base can find some longevity. Those fans are the key to success, as studios look for sure bets and tend to invest more in films starring those actresses.
While 
social media has had a dramatic impact on all forms of entertainment, the effect on the porn industry has been especially notable.
Perhaps because of the nature of their business – and what they do for a living – porn stars have always been a larger-than-life fantasy figures to fans. Historically, they were inaccessible except for annual trade shows. And the common wisdom was that mystique helped build their star status.
Today, though, stars jostle for the most Twitter followers – regularly communicating with them and promoting their upcoming appearances and films. It’s a new era for porn – so, as they walked the Red Carpet at this year’s AVN Awards (adult entertainment’s equivalent of the Oscars), we asked some of its biggest stars about their thoughts on the impact of social media on their careers – and the industry.
Every 
January, the adult entertainment industry converges on Las Vegas, bringing its biggest stars, new companies hoping to break into the big time, and thousands upon thousands of fans.
It’s a carnival of flesh — with films looping hardcore scenes, women in barely-there outfits and lingerie, and people jostling in line to get a moment, perhaps a smile and a hug, from their favorite actress (or, occasionally, actor).
The Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE) is also a place where deals are signed. Toy companies court distributors to carry their new lines and big mergers have been known to happen here.
While the industry’s most ardent fans make a pilgrimage here each year, not everyone is able to make the trip. For those people, here’s a slice of life in a day at the porn show.
Only 
a couple years ago, anyone in search of adult novelties had to brave the local porn store or hop online and hope the packaging was discreet. But times have changed – and quickly.
Today, you’re just as likely to find a vibrator at your local drug store, local mall or Wal-Mart. And they’re likely to become even more prevalent in the years to come.
It’s 
not just porn films that have been disrupted by the Internet. It’s porn stars, too.
Ten – or even five – years ago, the highest earners of porn were the actresses whose names marqueed big films. Today, they’re more likely to be models who will never perform a hard core sex scene on camera – and whose face will never appear on a DVD cover.
Porn, 
historically, has been an industry that caters to the male audience. Women weren’t interested in the product – or so the theory went.
But 2012 saw books like “50 Shades of Grey” and films like “Magic Mike” strike a chord with women. And the porn industry was ready to welcome those readers and viewers to the next level.
Now 
that voters in Los Angeles have passed a resolution mandating condoms be worn in any adult films shot in the county, porn companies are scrambling to fight the law.
Among their arguments is that the presence of prophylactics ruins the fantasy elements of their films – and that using them will cause further declines in already slumping DVD sales. But that reasoning conveniently ignores Wicked Pictures. Since the late 1990s, the studio has been using condoms in all of its films, yet it is still one of the biggest filmmakers in the porn industry.
Not 
too long ago, the average consumer would blush when talking about Larry Flynt’s business. Today, they very well may be promoting his company on their shirt.
As the porn film business continues to see revenues decline – a victim of both piracy and the copious amounts of free content on the Internet – more and more adult companies have begun expanding into new fields of business. And business has been good.
Fame, 
in any part of the celebrity world, is a fleeting thing – but that’s especially true in the porn industry.
A new generation of porn stars is on the rise and while the old guard is certainly not stepping out of the spotlight, there are a lot of up-and-comers eager to take their place.
With the industry’s annual expo under way in Las Vegas Jan. 16-19, we’ve once again assembled a list of the most popular porn stars. This year, however, only four of the actors who appeared on last year’s list make a return.
Performers 
might take the spotlight in the porn industry, but they rarely (if ever) have any of the power.
Instead, the people pulling the strings often tend to remain behind the scenes. While some have familiar names, the majority prefer to keep a low profile. And more and more, the most powerful people in porn have no direct ties to onscreen sex.
CNBC spoke with industry insiders, ranging from executives to stars, to get their thoughts on who are the true power brokers in the world of porn today.
Chris Morris: Journalist 