What is the new TikTok creativity program beta all about?
In what is considered to be a bold and game-changing move, Tik Tok with over 1 billion users worldwide has transformed the social media landscape by launching the creativity program beta version in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, and Korea. It will completely replace the creator fund program on 16th December 2023.
Why was this change necessary?
The change was necessary after the platform received criticism from creators on payouts. As per business insiders, creators were paid $20-$30 per month despite their videos getting millions of views which ultimately impacted their mental health. Prominent creators such as Mr. Beast took to Twitter and expressed dissatisfaction citing that he only made $30 a day which is much less compared to what he makes on other platforms such as YouTube. Other creators such as Tianna E. ended up leaving the platform as she was paid less than what she expected.
We found it is not just the low payouts enabling the creators to move to other platforms but also the lack of clarity regarding TikTok guidelines. One influencer, who has roughly 100,000 followers, said that TikTok took down a video of his painting without any clarification. He further added that the company does not currently tell users which guidelines they violated. We believe that a lack of communication from TikTok in the future might be a reason why creators will look out for alternative revenue streams.
What are the eligibility criteria for the creativity program?
After understanding why creators were upset with the creator fund program let’s discover the requirements that need to be fulfilled for the program.
Creators must be 18 years old with a minimum of 10,000 followers and must have 100,000 valid video views in the last 30 days. It’s important to note that the program will only apply to personal accounts and not business ones. The program introduces specific criteria for video length as well i.e. creators creating videos longer than one minute will have the opportunity to earn 20 times more as compared to those making shorter clips.
But will all creators prefer this move? To dig further we researched on how creators might have mixed feelings towards the new program.
Creator’s mixed response to the creativity program
This new program offers the potential for increased earnings as well as adds a layer of complexities for creators. Amanda Golka, who specialises in video commentary on YouTube, observed that many creators on TikTok are shifting to long-form content. Lindsy Lee Lurgan who is the CEO of FYPM conducted a survey on her Instagram followers regarding the TikTok creativity program revealing that creators creating longer videos earned substantially 10 times more than those creating short videos. The research also revealed that the threshold to join the program was too high which was off-putting for creators indicating that the program might discourage the creators from fully embracing the transition.
In addition to this, a significant challenge arises from the program's requirement to monetize the content only on royalty-free music. This change will be difficult for creators since they are accustomed to getting more engagement and money from copyrighted music due to sponsorships, brand deals, and other opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the program is in its early stage, and adapting to the shift from the creator fund to the creativity program will take time. It will be exciting to observe how the creators will navigate these opportunities and challenges in the future and whether this transition will prove to be promising for content creators on TikTok.
