TikTok Puts Up Paywalls With Creator Subscription Test

Instagram isn’t the only platform considering creator subscriptions.

TikTok is testing creator paywalls with a limited pool of users, it confirmed to TechCrunch.

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

TikTok didn’t offer any details, at all, about what creator subscriptions might look like in action. Based on systems like YouTube’s channel memberships and Twitch’s channel subscriptions, though, we figure that creators who enable subs will probably be able to offer extra, exclusive videos and/or perks (like subscriber-only chats or comment sections) to people who pay.

As TechCrunch points out, TikTok’s main content feed is its For You page, which is populated primarily with videos from accounts user’s don’t already follow. So, if a user subscribes to a creator, it’s possible that creator’s content won’t show up on their For You page.

In that case, it’d make sense for TikTok to offer an entirely separate feed for users to view paywalled content from creators they subscribe to.

But, again, we don’t know if any of this is in TikTok’s plans, because mum is very much the word. According to The Verge, TikTok won’t share any details about subscriptions, including how many creators are currently testing them, if there’s a projected timeline for rollout to users en masse, and how much they might cost or what the payout structure is for creators.

It’s worth noting that subscriptions are one of a couple creator monetization options TikTok is testing. The platform is also working on a feature that allows users to tip creators at any time, not just when they’re livestreaming. (Livestream tipping is already a thing.) That test is open to creators with at least 100,000 followers; folks who are part of it can add a “Tips” button to their account bios.