TikTok is exploring new ways to share its revenue with creators. Now it has launched a new Creativity Program in beta for selected creators.
The TikTok Creativity Program rewards creators who post longer videos—at least one minute in length—to be eligible.
“To be eligible for the Creativity Program Beta, users will need to be at least 18 years old, meet the minimum follower and video view requirements, and have an account in good standing. To start earning, creators must create and publish high-quality, original content longer than one minute. Creators will have access to an updated dashboard to view video eligibility, estimated revenue, and video performance metrics and analytics,” says TikTok.
TikTok says it will not reroute money from ads. Payouts will be based on “qualified views and RPM”.
“Creators already enrolled in the TikTok Creator Fund can switch to the Creativity Program, and those that are not enrolled can apply to the new program once available. Creators currently enrolled in the TikTok Creator Fund can choose to switch to the Creativity Program Beta,” explains TikTok.
The TikTok Creator Fund has received harsh criticism for its unstable payouts. Some creators even experience a decline in funding, even though their view counts are increasing.
The static funding model of the Creator Fund is unreliable as a recurring source of revenue. This has led to some creators jumping to other platforms.
YouTube is setting the bar. The YouTube Partner Program has a well-established revenue sharing system. And it is working on a new Shorts funding program. Eligible creators can share Shorts ad revenue based on view counts.
If Meta or YouTube can draw more top stars to exclusive deals, it will be a big blow for TikTok. It already is fighting for survival in the US, with the ongoing questions about its allegiance to China.
For now, The TikTok Creativity Program Beta will be available to creators via invite-only. Then, it will roll out to all eligible US creators in the coming months.
