Getting the latest dance down and scoring a million views is great. But for many TikTokers, there’s one question that’s always on their mind: “How do I make money off of this?” Whether you’re trying to turn TikTok into a new income stream or you just had a video go viral and you’re not sure where to go next, it’s important to know how monetization works. For TikTok, that means learning about Creator Next.
Find out what TikTok Creator Next is, what it can do for you, and how you can apply.
What is TikTok Creator Next?
There’s more than one way to monetize the blood, sweat, and tears you put into your content, but TikTok Creator Next might just be the best way. Launched in December of 2021, Creator Next is TikTok’s official way to reward creators who make an impact on the platform. It gives you access to tools you can use to turn your TikTok account into a money-making machine.
While you can always sell your own products and work with brands, TikTok’s Creator Next will allow you to generate income from the platform without any additional, external work — or selling out to the first brand that comes calling.
Here’s what you get out of this program.
Creator Next features
Think of TikTok Creator Next like a toolbox. It’s full of practical ways to solve the problem of making money on TikTok.
Here are the different ways Creator Next can help you monetize your TikTok account.
Access to the TikTok Creator Fund
The TikTok Creator Fund is the main way the platform pays its creators. If you’re eligible — more on that in a bit — you can apply for the Creator Fund and you’ll get payments directly in your TikTok account.
There are more than a few factors that affect how much money you can expect to get through this, including video views, video engagement, and adherence to Community Guidelines. This isn’t an exhaustive list; only what’s been shared by TikTok so far.
Once the funds show up in your TikTok account, you can transfer them to your PayPal or Zelle account as soon as:
- There’s a minimum of $10 to transfer, and;
- It’s been at least 30 days after the last day of the month in which the money was received.
If those requirements are met, you can reap the monetary rewards of all your hard work.
The TikTok Creator Marketplace
Think of the Creator Marketplace like TikTok’s job board. It’s where brands go to find creators they want to collaborate with, and where you can make yourself more visible.
Excited at the prospect of working on branded content? You should know the two ways that brands and creators can connect on the TikTok Creator Marketplace:
- Direct invite: If a brand likes your content, they can reach out to you directly to start a conversation about potential collaboration.
- Open application campaigns: Instead of waiting for brands to come to you, you can go out and find them. The Creator Marketplace always has a number of open campaigns you can search up and apply for.
LIVE and Video gifts
Gifts are a way for TikTok users to support the creators they love. They essentially turn coins — TikTok’s virtual currency — into diamonds. From there, you can turn diamonds into real money, transferred to your payment app of choice.
Your audience can give you gifts both during LIVE videos and after watching regular videos. By opting in to TikTok Creator Next, you unlock this opportunity for additional income. Gifts are also used by TikTok to measure engagement for your content.
Tips
Whereas gifts are tied to specific videos, tips give your audience a way to support your work directly. You get direct financial rewards for your content — minus a small fee — that doesn’t have to go through TikTok’s virtual currency and gift system.
There are some limits to this feature, like a $100 limit per transaction and a total limit of $500 per day. But this is still a strong way for your audience to support what you do.
Who is eligible for TikTok Creator Next?
TikTokers have to apply to TikTok Creator Next to get access to the features mentioned above. As with any partner program, there are some eligibility requirements to keep in mind:
- Age: You have to be at least 18 years old.
- Minimum followers: The exact amount will depend on which region you’re in, but usually it’s at least 10,000 followers.
- Video views: At least 1,000 in the last 30 days.
- Posts: At least three in the last 30 days.
- Community Guidelines: Your account has to be in good standing to apply.
- Location: Currently, TikTok Creator Next is only available in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
- Account type: Business accounts aren’t eligible for Creator Next.
Note that these are the same requirements that apply to all of TikTok’s monetization features.
How to apply
When you meet the eligibility requirements, you can apply for TikTok Creator Next in just a few steps:
- Tap Profile on the bottom-right of the TikTok app.
- Find the 3-line icon in the top-right and access your settings.
- Tap Creator Tools.
- Tap Apply at the bottom.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
And that’s it! Now you just need to sit and wait for TikTok to get back to you — or work on your next Duet.
Are you Next?
The TikTok Creator Next program is your one-stop shop for making money off of your content. By giving you access to brand collaboration, tips, gifts, and other monetization features, TikTok Creator Next closes the gap between you and your audience so you can feel their support — and focus on creating more content.
