TikTokers to earn more cash as $1bn Creator Fund ends
TikTok are retiring their Creator Fund to provide better revenue streams for creators, though short video makers may lose out.
TikTok announced their Creator Fund in 2020. It allotted $1 billion that they promised to pay out to successful creators over the next 3 years. Now 3 years later, the fund is ending in the US, UK, Germany, and France.
The Creator Fund was designed to pay viral creators with a minimum of 10,000 “authentic followers” and over 100,000 “authentic video views” within a 30-day period. Some creators have expressed dissatisfaction over the payout from the Creator Fund. TikToker Vi Luong shared how, whilst averaging more than $100 a month from TikTok, she made her career from sponsorships instead.
TikTok have announced that the Creator Fund will end on December 16th. Video creators in the US, UK, Germany, and France will no longer be able to monetize their content from the fund, whilst users in Italy and Spain will.
How will creators earn on TikTok?
Last year, TikTok announced Pulse. It introduced a revenue stream funded by advertisements to the platform. Initially avoided due to the short-form nature of the platform, advertisements were introduced to the top 4% of all videos on TikTok.
The platform promised that creators with more than 100,000 followers would be paid 50% of the ad revenue. TikTok displays Pulse ad placements to viewers immediately after top content.
More recently, TikTok introducer their Creativity Program. Announced in February 2023, eligible creators have been able to switch to the Creativity Program for earnings. Whilst it promises as much as 20x the earnings of the Creator Fund, the terms are different.
The largest difference with the Creativity Program is that it requires creators to upload videos longer than 1 minute. Their earnings are then based on views and engagement. Those creators in the US, UK, Germany, and France who have lost access to the Creator Fund should check eligibility for the Creativity Program.