TikTok is testing paid subscriptions for creators

TikTok confirmed on Thursday that it is testing a paid subscription model to let creators charge subscriptions for their content. 

Details such as when the new monetization model, first reported by The Information, will be available to creators, and how many creators are currently testing it are not yet clear. However, according to Techcrunch, the new feature is currently part of a limited test and is not broadly available. 

“We’re always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience,” a TikTok spokesperson told TechCrunch in an email.

ByteDance-owned TikTok saw $2.3 billion in consumer spending in 2021, including the iOS version of its Chinese localization Douyin, up 77% YoY from $1.3 billion in 2020. The popular short video app reached 740 million first-time installs worldwide in 2021, down 25% from 980.7 million in 2020. Despite this, the average number of sessions per active install in the last quarter of 2021 was up 30% year-over-year. 

TikTok’s testing of the paid subscription feature comes a day after Instagram announced that it has launched a test of subscriptions in the United States to help creators grow their recurring monthly income by giving subscribers access to exclusive content and benefits.

As part of the test, 10 creators in the U.S. now can set a monthly price of their choice and unlock a subscribe button on their Instagram profile. Once users subscribe, they will have access to the creator’s subscriber-exclusive Lives and Stories.