TikTok is testing a new way for creators on the platform to get paid, and posting longer videos is a requirement.
The new fund announced today, called Creativity Programis in beta testing in the US, France and Brazil and confirms previous reports by Information about the tactics TikTok is employing to fuel lagging growth in the US. The new program is open by invite only for now, but will expand to include all eligible users in the future, the company says.
To be eligible for the program, users will need to be over the age of 18, meet the benchmarks of followers and video views, and most interestingly, make “original, high-quality videos that are longer than a minute.” The focus on longer videos may come as a surprise to some; After all, it was TikTok that convinced every other major social media company to get serious about short videos. But TikTok has signaled in more ways than one that long-form content, including live streams, will become increasingly important to the platform moving forward.
Against the backdrop of this release is a key complaint creators have had with the company: Users said they weren’t making enough money from the original creator’s fund. TikTok says the new program will “encourage [creators’] creativity, generate greater earning potential, and unlock more exciting real-world opportunities,” but offered no clarity on the scope of the new program or how much participants can expect to earn (or if it will be more than their Creator Fund earnings).
TikTok spokesman Zachary Kizer said the edge the company could not share how much money will go into the new program at this time. Kizer specified that the payments did not come from ad revenue sharing and that the payments will be calculated using qualified views and RPM, a figure that, in turn, can fluctuate based on metrics such as video engagement and audience region.
Creators who are part of the original fund will have the option to switch to the beta version of the Creative Program, but will not be able to go back. The original fund, announced in 2020, had a $1 billion pool for participants, to be paid out over three years. Meta promised to spend a billion dollars by the end of 2022 on creators; Meanwhile, YouTube offers a sizable revenue share program to content creators who make shorts, with YouTube keeping 55 percent and giving 45 percent to creators.
TikTok’s shift towards longer videos has happened gradually. It has steadily increased the length of videos users can make, expanded tools for hosting (and monetizing) live streams, and the company is diving into live streaming events like an upcoming trivia contest. And live shopping, in which viewers buy items directly from live streams, could be a lucrative revenue stream if TikTok can catch on in the US. The company confirmed in November that it was testing shopping. within the app in the US after previously being limited to other countries.
