TikTok has launched a new offering, a subscription service, that will allow users to directly support their favourite live streamers. The Video-sharing service calls this Live Subscription, and notes that it grants fans access to perks such as a subscriber-only chat, creator-specific emotes, and badges that distinguish them from non-subscribers. The new program is coming in beta on May 26, according to an announcement on the TikTok Live Creator page.
Several creators have released videos on this website declaring their participation in the program and the potential rewards for their fans. Some TikTok creators also highlighted that they’re enthusiastic about the “predictable monthly income,” as TikTok’s explainer video puts it, as well as the possibility to participate in subscriber-only chats.
It has been hard in the past to make money directly from TikTok, without having to do your own sponsorship deals. As recently as earlier this month, TikTok stated it would begin paying eligible creators a portion of ad revenue. Live streamers who participated in a creator program were also eligible to collect “Gifts,” or tips from viewers, in the form of an in-app currency that can be swapped for real money. Subscriptions, on the other hand, should be simple: Users will be charged each month, and that money will be sent directly to you.
Subscribers that pay a monthly fee will get access to a range of exclusive features, including:
- Subscriber Badges: Subscribers receive badges that are displayed next to their name on their profile and upgraded over time.
- Custom Emotes: Subscribers get access to exclusive emotes custom-designed by the creators to use during LIVE sessions to bring the community together and make your sessions more spirited.
- Subscriber-Only Chat: When the subscriber-only chat is turned on, creators and their subscribers have exclusive access to one another, enhancing an even more personal connection between creator and viewer.
For those who are already aware of other live subscription choices, like YouTube’s Super Chat or Facebook’s Stars program, you can expect the same thing here: more specialised, custom tools to assist strengthen the connection between creators and their paying audience via unique, purchasable live additions that highlight comments and interactions in the stream.
Streamers on Twitch are generating a lot of money, with roughly 27k streamers making money from their streams. Twitch started out as a gaming-centric streaming platform, but it has now evolved into a cultural hub for a wide range of themes, trends, and interests.
Live-streaming subscriptions, on the other hand, have seen the greatest growth in the countries of Asia.
Now worth $30 billion dollars, China’s live-streaming market has grown to such a size and prominence that regulating body is considering placing a limit on the number of money viewers may give to their favourite streamers at one time. Authorities are concerned about the expanding popularity of streaming as a career option and the use of the format for sexualised content. By instituting donation limitations, they hope to establish some sort of control over the medium’s explosive expansion.
Streaming is gaining popularity in Western nations as well, with some TikTok presenters earning a fortune through shopping feeds.
TikTok is still seeking to generate more money streams for creators in order to keep them engaged with the app. With YouTube and Instagram offering considerably more lucrative choices, TikTok must introduce more monetization channels to reinforce its position on this front.
LIVE subscriptions are another important step in this approach, and while it will initially be invite-only, TikTok says it wants to make it available to all users “over the coming months.”
