TikTok is a popular social media platform known for short-form videos. In recent years, TikTok has introduced live streaming capabilities, allowing users to broadcast live videos to their followers. Live streaming on TikTok has become hugely popular, with top creators hosting live talk shows, Q&As, shopping streams, and more.
According to one report, the amount of time spent watching live streams on TikTok grew 278% from Q4 2020 to Q1 2021 (Social Media Today). This growth underscores the rising popularity of live streaming as a new way brands and creators are engaging their audiences.
For brands and creators, TikTok live streaming presents exciting opportunities to drive engagement and revenue. However, accessing TikTok’s live streaming feature involves meeting certain requirements. This guide provides tips on how to contact TikTok to request live streaming access.
Verify Your TikTok Account
To go live on TikTok, you first need to verify your account. According to TikTok’s help center, there are a few requirements for getting verified:
- Your account must be public
- Have a completed profile with username, bio, profile photo, and at least one video
- Provide your legal name and a copy of your government-issued ID for identity verification
- Follow TikTok’s community guidelines and terms of service
Once your account meets these criteria, you can request verification through the app by going to your profile, tapping the 3-dot menu, selecting “Report a problem,” and choosing “Account verification.” TikTok’s team will then review your request and verify your account if approved.
Meet the Age Requirement
To go live on TikTok, you must meet the minimum age requirement. As of November 23, 2022, TikTok raised the age to host a livestream from 16 to 18 years old.
This policy change means all broadcasters on TikTok Live must be at least 18 years old. Users under 18 will no longer have access to hosting livestreams. However, younger viewers over the age of 13 can still view livestreams in the app as long as the content is appropriate.
TikTok implemented this age requirement to help ensure minors have a safe experience on the platform. By restricting livestreaming to legal adults, TikTok aims to reduce the potential risks associated with younger users broadcasting live video.
So if you want to go live and engage with your TikTok followers in real time, make sure you meet the minimum age criteria. This involves verifying your birthday in your TikTok account settings to confirm you are 18 or older.
Have Sufficient Followers/Likes
In order to go live on TikTok, you must meet certain thresholds for followers and likes. The basic requirement is having at least 1,000 followers on your TikTok account. According to TikTok’s Creator Portal, “If you want to go LIVE on TikTok, you have to be 18 years old or older” and have at least 1,000 followers (https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/what-to-know-about-live/going-live/).
However, some users have reported being able to go live with fewer than 1,000 followers, so the threshold may be slightly flexible. The number of likes your videos have received also seems to play a role. Essentially, TikTok wants to ensure your account has established some popularity and engagement before granting live streaming access.
There are also higher thresholds required for certain live streaming features. For example, to live stream using TikTok’s Live Studio desktop streaming, you need at least 10,000 followers (https://www.reddit.com/r/Tiktokhelp/comments/127i61m/10000_follower_requirement_now/). The requirements may also increase over time as TikTok refines its live streaming policies.
Request Live Streaming Access
To request live streaming access on TikTok, open the app and tap the “+” button to access the upload screen. From there, swipe over to “LIVE” and tap “Go LIVE.” If you do not yet have live streaming privileges, you will see a popup that says “Request LIVE access.” Tap the “Request” button to submit your request for live streaming.
TikTok states that you must have at least 1,000 followers to be eligible to go live, however some users report being able to request access with slightly fewer followers. According to the TikTok Creator Portal, the company reviews factors like follower count, numbers of likes, and video engagement when deciding whether to grant live streaming access.
After requesting access, you’ll have to wait for TikTok to review your account’s eligibility. This process can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. Keep checking the live streaming screen in the app to see if your request has been approved. If so, you’ll be able to click “Go LIVE” to start streaming.
Contact TikTok Support
There are a few ways you can directly contact TikTok for support on going live or other account issues. According to TikTok’s Contact page, you can reach their support team through email, web form, phone, or social media:
- Email – Send an email to [email protected] for general account support.
- Web Form – Fill out the contact form on their Contact page and select your issue type.
- Phone – Call 1-888-252-6828 for their US-based support line.
- Social Media – Tweet @TikTokSupport or message them on Facebook.
Be sure to provide your username, email, phone number, and a detailed description of the issue when contacting TikTok support. Their team can then assist you with troubleshooting and resolving any problems related to live streaming access.
Provide Required Information
When contacting TikTok support to request live streaming access, you’ll need to provide some key information for them to verify your identity and process your request. This includes:
- Your full name as it appears on your TikTok account
- The username associated with your TikTok account
- The email address linked to your TikTok account
- Your date of birth showing you are over 18 years old (source)
- Your phone number associated with your TikTok account
You may also need to provide the following:
- Reasons why you want live streaming access privileges
- Content areas you plan to broadcast
- How often you intend on going live on TikTok
Providing as much relevant information as possible will help TikTok support verify you meet the requirements and understand how you plan to use live streaming. This can speed up the review process.
Wait for Review Process
After submitting your request, TikTok will review your account to determine if you meet the criteria for live streaming access. The timeline for review can vary:
- TikTok aims to review requests within 1-2 business days, but it may take longer depending on request volume.
- The review process is not instant – expect to wait at least a full business day before hearing back.
- During busy periods, the review can take 3-5 business days. Be patient and avoid contacting TikTok repeatedly to check status.
TikTok prioritizes reviewing accounts with a strong history of posting quality content and active engagement. Accounts that appear spammy or artificial may not get approved. Focus on building your account reputation during the waiting period.
Check your email and notifications regularly after submitting the request. TikTok will contact you through the app once your review is complete.
Check Status
Once you have submitted a request to go live on TikTok, you can check on the status to see if it has been approved. Here is how to check your TikTok live streaming request status:
1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page.
2. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
3. Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
4. Choose “Manage account” and then “Live settings”.
5. You will see the status of your streaming request under “Go LIVE”. It will show either “Request Pending”, “Request Approved”, or “Request Denied”.
If your request was approved, you can now begin live streaming on TikTok as long as you meet the other requirements like age and number of followers. If it was denied, you can submit another request after some time. Check the status periodically if still pending approval.
Conclusion
Going live on TikTok can be a great way to engage with your audience and grow your following. However, you’ll need to meet TikTok’s requirements first. Make sure your account is verified, you meet the minimum age, and have enough followers/likes. Then you can request live streaming access directly in the app or contact TikTok support if you need help. The review process may take some time. Check back periodically to see if your request was approved. With persistence and patience, you’ll hopefully gain the ability to broadcast live and interact with fans in real time.
In summary, live streaming on TikTok has some hurdles to clear, but can be very rewarding if you put in the effort to meet the prerequisites. This step-by-step guide covered the entire process from start to finish. Now you know exactly what to do to get live streaming activated on your TikTok account.
