TikTok is Testing Support for Paid Subscriptions, Creators May Soon Get Paid for their Content

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 21 January 2022, 09:01 am

TikTok may add a paid subscription feature in the near future. The popular video app is said to be exploring the option for its creators to charge subscriptions for their content.

The feature is part of the platform's limited test, and it is not available to all creators yet. TikTok did not elaborate on the subscription feature, and they did not share additional details about it.

TikTok's Paid Subscription

According to The Information, it is still unclear how the subscription model will be implemented on the social media platform. Currently, TikTok's "For You" page surfaces videos from creators that you don't follow.

If a creator chooses to charge viewers a fee to see their content, their videos may no longer appear on the "For You" pages.

However, it is also possible that the fee will apply to additional content exclusive to all paid users instead of being applied to the entire account of the creator.

Also Read: Instagram Confirmed Working on a Paid Stories Subscription Called Exclusive Stories

According to TechCrunch, the news about the test comes a day after Instagram launched paid subscriptions in the United States.

The feature is currently being tested by a small group of creators who can offer their followers paid access to exclusive stories and Live videos on Instagram.

Instagram creators have the option to select their price point for access to their content. Paid subscribers will be given a badge so they can be differentiated from the unpaid users in the comment section.

The paid subscriptions test on TikTok follows the recent confirmation that it is testing a tipping feature that will allow creators to accept money from their fans outside of the platform.

Creators who are part of the test can apply for the feature as long as they have at least 100,000 followers and do not have any reports on your account.

Creators who have been approved will be given a Tips button on their personal profiles, and their followers can use it to send them money.

Push for Monetization

TikTok's newest test is its latest push for monetization on the platform. The company wants to help creators earn through the site, especially since TikTok has become the most visited site in the United Kingdom and the United States Verge.

In 2021, TikTok launched a $200 million fund to help the creators in the United States supplement their earnings. The company also helps video creators get sponsors and deals and provides monetization for livestreams.

Considering that the platform's latest efforts are into monetization, it is no surprise that the social media company is experimenting with new ways for creators to offer paid subscriptions to their fans for exclusive content.

Both TikTok and Instagram's tests follow the "Super Follows" of Twitter, a paid subscription launched in September 2021.

The "Super Follows" feature allows Twitter users to subscribe to accounts they like, and they will need to pay a monthly subscription fee to see exclusive content.

All eligible Twitter accounts can choose the price for the subscription fee, with the option for charging from $2.99 up to $9.00 a month. Paying followers will be given a Super Follower badge so they can be differentiated from the regular followers.

The paid subscription offerings of Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok show the efforts of the social media companies to entice creators into posting their content on their platforms.

It is also the way of the companies to compete with YouTube, a social media platform known to offer ways for creators to earn.