Simply earlier than the beginning of 2024, TikTok made an enormous change in how the platform pays its creators by changing the controversial Creator Fund with the brand new TikTok Creativity Program Beta.
I wasn‘t shocked the fund was put to relaxation, contemplating what number of creators expressed frustration over the fund’s payouts. Nonetheless, I used to be skeptical of this new pay mannequin, and if you happen to‘re a creator on TikTok, you’re most likely side-eyeing it as nicely.
Effectively, in case you don‘t know, I’m just about HubSpot‘s resident creator financial system professional, so it’s my job to maintain up with the most recent creator developments and happenings.
That stated, I‘ve researched and scoured TikTok for evaluations of the brand new program straight from the creators who joined, so I’m ready to provide you a rundown and provide help to resolve if you wish to give TikTok Creativity Program Beta a shot.
Let’s dive in.
What’s the TikTok Creativity Program?
The best way to Be a part of TikTok Inventive Program Beta
What occurred to the Creator Fund?
TikTok Creativity Program Beta Payout
Is the TikTok Creativity Program Higher than the Creator Fund?
What’s the TikTok Creativity Program?
Based on the platform, TikTok Creativity Program Beta is an initiative to reward creators for creating high-quality, unique content material, and it serves as a financial incentive for creators who make longer content material (over a minute).
TikTok’s web site explains, “With Creativity Program Beta, you will have the potential to gather rewards as you create and publish longer video content material.”
Because the identify suggests, this system continues to be in beta mode and is just accessible in restricted areas — the U.S., France, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the U.Ok.
The best way to Be a part of TikTok Inventive Program Beta
To be eligible for this system, you will need to have an account primarily based in one of many above areas, be at the very least 18 years previous, have at least 10,000 followers, and have at the very least 100,000 video views within the final 30 days.
The way you enroll in this system is determined by whether or not you‘re already registered within the defunct TikTok Creator Fund. When you’re enrolled within the Creator Fund, you may change to TikTok Inventive Program Beta by way of the next steps:
- Open the TikTok app and go to your profile.
- Faucet the menu button (the three horizontal bars), then faucet Settings.
- Faucet Creator Instruments, then Creator Fund.
- Lastly, faucet Change on the backside of the web page.
Professional Tip: When you be a part of TikTok Inventive Program Beta, you can’t change again to the Creator Fund. However, additionally … why would you need to? The Creator Fund is useless.
When you‘re not enrolled within the Creator Fund, you’ll comply with steps 1-3 however faucet Creator Program as an alternative of Creator Fund. You‘ll be notified three days later whether or not you’ve been accepted into this system.
What occurred to the Creator Fund?
Okay, why did the Creator Fund go the way in which of the dinosaurs? The $2 billion fund was launched in 2020 and was discontinued in December 2023 after many creators criticized this system for low payouts.
In a 2022 interview with Enterprise Insider, wellness influencer Mandana Zarghami stated her greatest payout from TikTok was simply $24 from a video that garnered 1.1 million views. Her lowest incomes day on the time was 5 cents.
Most stunning was after I discovered how a lot (or little) viral content material creator John Eringman constructed from the Creator Fund. When he spoke to Enterprise Insider,
Eringman had 1.3 million views, and at the very least certainly one of his movies would attain a million-plus views every week.
Essentially the most he earned in a single day was $189.13 for a video with 13 million views. Nonetheless, Eringman reported getting payouts starting from 67-84 cents and averaging just some {dollars} in a single month.
In different phrases, even viral creators like Eringman have been getting inconsistent payouts and weren’t receiving sufficient to make a residing — prompting TikTok to sundown the Creator Fund.
TikTok Creativity Program Beta Payout
So, how a lot are creators making by way of the TikTok Creativity Program Beta? Whereas the platform’s web site is being hush-hush about precisely how a lot the brand new program is rewarding creators, some customers are already sharing their expertise.
Finance content material creator Miki Rai shared that her expertise with this system was off to an underwhelming begin however improved considerably over time.
“Instantly after I joined (in November 2023), my video views tanked so unhealthy,” Rai explains in a TikTok. Rai believes the tank occurred as a result of her viewers was used to her posting short-form movies fairly than movies longer than a minute.
Do not forget that this system solely generates income if the movies are longer than 60 seconds.
Rai experiences solely making $146 her first month into this system, even after posting a number of occasions a day.
“Which makes that lower than $5 per video that I made,” she says. Rai’s earnings jumped to $436.76 the next December and about the identical in January. However, in February, Rai noticed a serious distinction.
“We’re solely midway by, and thus far, I’ve made $1,273.48,” she says in her TikTok. The app projected she’d earn $2288.66 by the tip of the month.
Rai says the increase in earnings is probably going linked to a few her movies going viral that month, certainly one of which earned 3.8 million views. Each movies have been over a minute lengthy.
Creator Kait Alayna says she made $629 in a single week. That week, day by day revenue ranged from $4.90 to $193.24.
Nonetheless, it is essential to notice some creators, like Rai, have reported a tank in views shortly after becoming a member of this system, prompting some customers to discourage others from becoming a member of this system or dropping out themselves.
That stated, the drop in viewers appears short-term as they get used to creators posting longer content material.
Is the TikTok Creativity Program Higher than the Creator Fund?
In brief, I say it‘s undoubtedly higher. This system continues to be pretty new, so there aren’t many dependable statistics evaluating this system to the fund.
However, primarily based on movies I’ve seen of creators discussing their payouts, this system appears to be dealing with much less criticism than the Creator Fund.
When you’re a creator used to producing short-form movies beneath a minute lengthy, then exceeding 60 seconds can pose a problem. You may additionally discover at the very least a brief drop in views as your viewers adjusts to the brand new path.
All that apart, I believe this system is price making use of if you wish to generate revenue on TikTok. Now, do I believe you may generate sufficient revenue to outlive solely off the TikTok Creativity Program — no.
The very fact is just 12% of creators make over $50,000 a 12 months, whatever the platform. The true cash comes from model partnerships, offers, sponsorships, advert income, and commissions.
Relating to TikTok, you may generate extra revenue by way of TikTok Dwell and TikTok Store, in addition to the above strategies.
My recommendation, you‘ll stand to learn in the long term from switching to the brand new creativity program. Plus, there actually isn’t a lot of a degree in sticking to an previous fund that was so broadly criticized it was discontinued.
Simply ensure you produce other streams of revenue, too.