TikTok wants you to subscribe

TikTok’s creator community is getting its collective hands on a monetization option that already powers some of the platform’s most lucrative live streams. Subscriptions, which serve as TikTok’s answer to the similarly-named feature on Twitch, are now available for video on-demand (VOD) creators, not just streamers.

The TikTok Live community has already found out how valuable subscriptions can be. Since the arrival of subs in 2022, TikTok Live has exploded in popularity, attracting millions of streamers. Some students have used TikTok Live to debate political opponents and make thousands to go toward tuition. Creators have adopted the format to attempt career revivals. And some uses for TikTok Live are just plain strange — but even those broadcasts can rake in $34,000 in a single month.

VOD creators will now have access to one of the features that powers so many of those streams. The expanded version of TikTok Subscriptions will be broken into multiple tiers, with creators choosing between three pricing options depending on the rewards they wish to provide to buyers.

One notable feature included in that package is Sub Space, a dedicated hangout area for followers that TikTok tested earlier this year. Creators who use subscriptions can also offer exclusive content, communal stickers, and custom perks for their subscribers.

The expansion of Subscriptions suggests that TikTok, like YouTube and Instagram, wants its subs to become a one-stop shop for creator monetization. Major tech platforms have encroached on the territory occupied by companies like Patreon by launching products that allow creators to turn their fans into financial backers.

The success of Subscriptions on TikTok Live show’s that the app’s community is ready to embrace that type of revenue stream. The expansion of Subscriptions has been a long time coming, and now, it’s finally here. More details about the product can be found in a TikTok Newsroom post.