Just weeks after announcing a revamped creator fund, TikTok is introducing another way to help creators make money on its platform: a paywalled content feature called Series.
The new feature is designed to help creators share exclusive, premium content with their audience, while also allowing them to monetize those videos. It’s worth noting that with Series, creators can publish videos up to 20 minutes long — that’s double the maximum length of a regular TikTok.
Read on to learn more about TikTok’s Series feature and how it works.
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What is TikTok’s Series?
In a press release, TikTok describes Series as “a new way for creators to share their stories, talents, and creativity as premium content while further deepening their connection with the TikTok community.” Essentially, Series allows creators to put collections of videos behind a paywall and charge viewers for access to their content.
With this new feature, TikTok hopes to incentivize creators to make longer and more engaging videos. While TikTok previously increased its maximum video length to 10 minutes, creators can now upload content that’s twice as long with Series.
Series isn’t just a move in TikTok’s push towards long-form, vertical video, but it’s also the platform’s attempt to build new ways to help creators make money. Just last month, TikTok announced the beta version of a new creator fund called the Creativity Program, which rewards quality original videos longer than one minute.
How does TikTok’s Series work?
With Series, TikTok creators can publish premium content behind a paywall that fans can purchase access to. A Series can include up to 80 videos, while each video can be up to 20 minutes long.
In terms of pricing, creators can set their rates anywhere between $1 and $190. Viewers can purchase access to a Series through direct in-video links or from the creator’s profile.
So how much money can you make with Series? According to The Verge, TikTok will let creators keep all their revenue at launch. However, the platform will charge processing and app store fees, so one can expect losing over a 30 percent cut. Moreover, it’s unclear when TikTok will start splitting revenue with Series creators, and what that split will look like when it happens.
Additionally, The Verge reports that creators will be able to use a new website specifically launched for Series to publish videos and track performance. To make purchases of Series, however, viewers must use the TikTok app.
At the moment, Series is only available to select creators, but those interested will be able to apply for it in the coming months.
Why is TikTok launching this feature?
To offset its plateauing user growth in the U.S. and remain competitive against other platforms like YouTube, TikTok’s priority right now is to find new ways to help creators make money. That explains why the platform announced its Creativity Program and the Series feature just two weeks apart.
One of TikTok’s shortcomings is that it hasn’t been generating as much revenue for creators as some of its competitors. For instance, many creators have expressed disappointment over the app’s original Creator Fund. Launched in 2020, the $1 billion fund was billed as an initiative to support and reward creators financially. However, some participants reportedly only made $10-20 a month.
Only time will tell if TikTok’s latest efforts can keep creators on the platform. Some industry insiders, like The Information reporter Kaya Yurieff, are doubtful that paywalled content on TikTok will be a huge moneymaker for creators. “With so many other free videos on TikTok and across the web from creators, viewers are unlikely to dish out even a few dollars for bonus content, unless they’re a die-hard fan,” Yurieff wrote when she teased TikTok’s paywall monetization feature last month.
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