Is it better than the Creator Fund?

Simply earlier than the beginning of 2024, TikTok made an enormous change in how the platform pays its creators by changing the controversial Creator Fund with the brand new TikTok Creativity Program Beta.

I wasn‘t stunned the fund was put to relaxation, contemplating what number of creators expressed frustration over the fund’s payouts. Nonetheless, I used to be skeptical of this new pay mannequin, and for those who‘re a creator on TikTok, you’re most likely side-eyeing it as properly.

Properly, in case you don‘t know, I’m just about HubSpot‘s resident creator economic system skilled, so it’s my job to maintain up with the most recent creator traits and happenings.

That stated, I‘ve researched and scoured TikTok for critiques of the brand new program straight from the creators who joined, so I’m ready to offer you a rundown and allow you to determine if you wish to give TikTok Creativity Program Beta a shot.

Let’s dive in.

What is the TikTok Creativity Program?

How to Join TikTok Creative Program Beta

What happened to the Creator Fund?

TikTok Creativity Program Beta Payout

Is the TikTok Creativity Program Better than the Creator Fund?

What’s the TikTok Creativity Program?

In response to the platform, TikTok Creativity Program Beta is an initiative to reward creators for creating high-quality, authentic content material, and it serves as a financial incentive for creators who make longer content material (over a minute).

TikTok’s web site explains, “With Creativity Program Beta, you might have the potential to gather rewards as you create and publish longer video content material.”

Because the title suggests, this system remains to be in beta mode and is just accessible in restricted areas — the U.S., France, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the U.Okay.

The right way to Be part of TikTok Inventive Program Beta

To be eligible for this system, you need to have an account primarily based in one of many above areas, be no less than 18 years outdated, have a minimum of 10,000 followers, and have no less than 100,000 video views within the final 30 days.

The way you enroll in this system relies on whether or not you‘re already registered within the defunct TikTok Creator Fund. When you’re enrolled within the Creator Fund, you possibly can change to TikTok Inventive Program Beta through the next steps:

1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile.
2. Faucet the menu button (the three horizontal bars), then faucet Settings.
3. Faucet Creator Instruments, then Creator Fund.
4. Lastly, faucet Swap on the backside of the web page.

Professional Tip: When you be part of TikTok Inventive Program Beta, you can’t change again to the Creator Fund. However, additionally … why would you need to? The Creator Fund is useless.

When you‘re not enrolled within the Creator Fund, you’ll observe steps 1-3 however faucet Creator Program as an alternative of Creator Fund. You‘ll be notified three days later whether or not you’ve been accepted into this system.

What occurred to the Creator Fund?

Okay, why did the Creator Fund go the way in which of the dinosaurs? The $2 billion fund was launched in 2020 and was discontinued in December 2023 after many creators criticized this system for low payouts.

In a 2022 interview with Business Insider, wellness influencer Mandana Zarghami stated her greatest payout from TikTok was simply $24 from a video that garnered 1.1 million views. Her lowest incomes day on the time was 5 cents.

Most surprising was after I came upon how a lot (or little) viral content material creator John Eringman created from the Creator Fund. When he spoke to Business Insider,

Eringman had 1.3 million views, and no less than one in every of his movies would attain a million-plus views every week.

Essentially the most he earned in a single day was $189.13 for a video with 13 million views. Nonetheless, Eringman reported getting payouts starting from 67-84 cents and averaging just some {dollars} in a single month.

In different phrases, even viral creators like Eringman have been getting inconsistent payouts and weren’t receiving sufficient to make a dwelling — prompting TikTok to sundown the Creator Fund.

TikTok Creativity Program Beta Payout

So, how a lot are creators making through the TikTok Creativity Program Beta? Whereas the platform’s web site is being hush-hush about precisely how a lot the brand new program is rewarding creators, some customers are already sharing their expertise.

Finance content material creator Miki Rai shared that her expertise with this system was off to an underwhelming begin however improved considerably over time.

“Instantly after I joined (in November 2023), my video views tanked so unhealthy,” Rai explains in a TikTok. Rai believes the tank occurred as a result of her viewers was used to her posting short-form movies somewhat than movies longer than a minute.

Keep in mind that this system solely generates income if the movies are longer than 60 seconds.

Rai studies solely making $146 her first month into this system, even after posting a number of instances a day.

“Which makes that lower than $5 per video that I made,” she says. Rai’s earnings jumped to $436.76 the next December and about the identical in January. However, in February, Rai noticed a serious distinction.

“We’re solely midway by way of, and thus far, I’ve made $1,273.48,” she says in her TikTok. The app projected she’d earn $2288.66 by the tip of the month.

Rai says the enhance in earnings is probably going related to a few her movies going viral that month, one in every of which earned 3.8 million views. Each movies have been over a minute lengthy.

Creator Kait Alayna says she made $629 in a single week. That week, every day earnings ranged from $4.90 to $193.24.

Nonetheless, it is essential to notice some creators, like Rai, have reported a tank in views shortly after becoming a member of this system, prompting some customers to discourage others from becoming a member of this system or dropping out themselves.

That stated, the drop in viewers appears non permanent as they get used to creators posting longer content material.

Is the TikTok Creativity Program Higher than the Creator Fund?

In brief, I say it‘s undoubtedly higher. This system remains to be pretty new, so there aren’t many dependable statistics evaluating this system to the fund.

However, primarily based on movies I’ve seen of creators discussing their payouts, this system appears to be going through much less criticism than the Creator Fund.

When you’re a creator used to producing short-form movies below a minute lengthy, then exceeding 60 seconds can pose a problem. You may additionally discover no less than a short lived drop in views as your viewers adjusts to the brand new course.

All that apart, I feel this system is value making use of if you wish to generate earnings on TikTok. Now, do I feel you may generate sufficient earnings to outlive solely off the TikTok Creativity Program — no.

The actual fact is just 12% of creators make over $50,000 a yr, whatever the platform. The true cash comes from model partnerships, offers, sponsorships, advert income, and commissions.

Relating to TikTok, you possibly can generate further earnings through TikTok Dwell and TikTok Store, in addition to the above strategies.

My recommendation, you‘ll stand to profit in the long term from switching to the brand new creativity program. Plus, there actually isn’t a lot of some extent in sticking to an outdated fund that was so extensively criticized it was discontinued.

Simply be sure you produce other streams of earnings, too.