Meta seems to be phasing out one of the key initiatives that helped Reel creators on Facebook and Instagram get paid. The company is “pausing” its Reels Play bonus program, Well-informed person reports.
The program originally in December 2021, it offered creators monthly payments if they hit certain view counts and other metrics. The incentives, which promised top-performing creators could earn up to $35,000 a month, were part of Meta to funnel money into creator monetization programs while trying to make Reels more competitive with TikTok.
But now, Meta says it is “evolving” the program and will “stop running new and refreshed Reels Play offers for creators on Facebook and for US creators on Instagram at this time,” according to a statement provided to Well-informed person. The company noted that it can still offer bonuses to creators in more “targeted” ways, as if Reels were entering a new market.
As Well-informed person The company notes, the company is phasing out payments as it prepares to expand advertising on Reels, which would allow for more traditional revenue-sharing arrangements for creators. Tom Alison, who runs the Facebook app at Meta, alluded to the change earlier this week in a post. about the company’s priorities. “We will continue to expand our Facebook Reels ad testing to help more creators earn ad revenue for their Reels and increase virtual giveaways through Stars on Reels,” she wrote.
Though he didn’t give a timeline for when Facebook and Instagram users can expect to see these “trials” expand, the fact that the company is now halting its bonus program suggests that Reels’ big ad expansion might not be far off.
All Engadget Recommended products are curated by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publication.