TikTok is a popular short-form video app owned by Chinese company ByteDance. It has over 1 billion monthly active users globally. The TikTok Creator Fund was launched in 2020 as a way for the platform to support and reward its most talented creators. The fund allows popular creators to earn money from their videos on TikTok based on view count and engagement. To be eligible, creators must be over 18 years old and meet minimum follower and content posting requirements. The Creator Fund pays out over $200 million to eligible creators each year. It aims to help creators produce more high-quality content for TikTok while providing them with a more stable source of income.
What is the TikTok Creator Fund?
The TikTok Creator Fund is a program launched by TikTok in 2020 to financially support and reward creators on the platform. According to TikTok’s Creator Portal, the Creator Fund “rewards you for doing what you do best — making incredible TikTok videos.” It’s one of the ways TikTok celebrates and supports its creative community.
The Creator Fund sets aside over $200 million to distribute to TikTok creators in the United States. Creators can earn money based on the engagement and views for their videos. It aims to provide creators with reliable and predictable earnings so they can dedicate more time to producing creative content.
Creator Fund Eligibility
To be eligible for the TikTok Creator Fund, creators must meet certain requirements according to TikTok’s official terms https://www.tiktok.com/legal/tiktok-creator-fund-terms:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have at least 10,000 followers
- Have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days
- Post original content that follows TikTok’s Community Guidelines
- Have a TikTok account in good standing without any violations
- Verify identity and provide tax information
- Reside in an eligible country where the fund is available
TikTok reviews each creator’s eligibility before approving them to join the fund. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee automatic acceptance. TikTok evaluates applicants to ensure they consistently post high-quality, original content that brings value to the platform.
Countries Where Fund is Available
The TikTok Creator Fund is currently available in the following countries:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Italy
- France
- Spain
- Japan
- South Korea
- Brazil
TikTok first launched the Creator Fund in July 2020 for creators in the US and UK. In March 2021, it expanded to Germany, Italy, France and Spain (TikTok Newsroom). Later that year it launched in Japan, South Korea, and Brazil.
As of November 2022, the Creator Fund remains limited to these 10 countries. TikTok has not announced plans to expand it further at this time.
How Much Can Creators Earn?
Earnings from the TikTok Creator Fund depend primarily on the number of views a creator’s videos receive. TikTok pays between $0.02 and $0.04 for every 1,000 video views, according to Descript [1]. So a video that gets 1 million views would earn its creator around $20 to $40 through the fund.
However, views aren’t the only factor. Engagement also plays a role in determining payouts. Videos that receive more comments, shares, likes, and other engagement tend to earn slightly more per view. This encourages creators to produce high-quality content that connects with viewers.
According to one TikTok creator on Reddit, their highest monthly payout from the fund was around $2,200. This was for videos regularly hitting millions of views [2]. So for top creators with very viral content, earnings from the fund can be substantial.
How Payments Work
Once verified for the Creator Fund, TikTok creators are paid “monthly based on their share of total video views on TikTok” according to TikTok’s newsroom announcement. Payments are made through direct deposit to the creator’s PayPal account, starting “one month after [the creator] passes the eligibility criteria.”
TikTok advises creators to “expect payment in one month’s time, once you’ve reached 10k followers and 10k video views over the last 30 days.” So there is about a one month delay between hitting the eligibility thresholds and receiving the first payment.
After the initial payment, TikTok issues payouts on the 15th of each month covering the views from the previous month. For example, views from January would be paid out on February 15th. TikTok notes that “payment dates and other specifics may vary by country” in its Creator Fund FAQ.
To maintain ongoing monthly payments, creators have to consistently meet the minimum 10k followers and 10k 30-day video view thresholds each month. If these thresholds are not met for a certain month, no payment will be issued that month.
Tips to Maximize Earnings
There are several best practices creators can follow to maximize their earnings from the TikTok Creator Fund:
Post consistently and frequently. TikTok rewards creators who post engaging content regularly. Aim to post at least 1 high-quality video per day.
Optimize your content for the TikTok algorithm. Use relevant hashtags, respond to trends, and leverage popular sounds to increase views and engagement. Videos over 60 seconds may also be favored.
Engage with your audience in the comments. Reply to comments and encourage discussion to boost engagement.
Go live regularly. Live videos tend to get high engagement. Consider going live at least once per week.
Post at peak times. According to Backstage (1), Wednesday evenings tend to be a high-traffic time.
Produce a variety of content formats. Mix up your usual style with duets, stitches, collabs, and effects.
Analyze your analytics. Pay attention to when your viewers are most active, your top-performing content, and other insights.
Maintain brand safety. Avoid controversial or explicit content that may get your videos limited or removed.
Creator Fund Controversies
The TikTok Creator Fund has faced criticism and complaints from creators since its inception. Many creators have argued that the fund does not provide meaningful compensation for their content and efforts on the platform.
One of the most common complaints is that earnings from the fund are extremely low. As reported by Fortune, some creators have stated they earn “mere pennies” from the fund even when their videos get millions of views. The pay rate per view is seen as inadequate for the time and effort creators put into making high-quality videos.
Another issue raised by creators is a lack of transparency around how earnings are calculated and distributed. As noted in an article by The Business of Fashion, some creators don’t understand how their views translate into dollars from the fund. There is confusion around TikTok’s payment structure and criteria.
Critics have also accused TikTok of using the fund as a way to exert control over creators on the platform. As reported by TIME, some see the fund as a tool for TikTok to incentivize certain content while discouraging other types of videos. This has raised concerns over artistic freedom and censorship.
Future of the Fund
The future of the TikTok Creator Fund is uncertain since TikTok announced it will sunset the fund in 2024 (Fortune). TikTok plans to replace it with a new program called “The Creativity Program” which will supposedly offer creators more ways to earn money. However, some creators are skeptical about how it will work and if it will provide the same opportunities (Rolling Stone).
One possibility is that TikTok will structure the new program to be more competitive, requiring creators to apply and pitch ideas rather than the open application of the Fund. This could favor established creators over smaller ones. TikTok may also use it to incentivize certain content types they want to promote (ZDNet). The company will likely evolve the program over time based on creator feedback and the types of content performing well. It remains to be seen whether TikTok will allocate the same level of funding, as the Creator Fund distributed over $2 billion to creators. For now, the future program is still shrouded in some mystery.
Conclusion
In summary, the TikTok Creator Fund is a way for popular creators on the platform to earn money directly from TikTok for their videos. The Fund is currently available in over a dozen countries, with the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy being some of the major markets. To qualify, creators must meet minimum requirements like having at least 10,000 authentic video views in the last 30 days. While exact payout figures are kept private, TikTok says earnings are based on factors like video engagement and performance.
Payouts are made monthly through direct deposit, and creators can check their estimated earnings in the app. While the Creator Fund provides a new way for major creators to monetize their content, some have criticized the low payment rates. Others stress the need to utilize multiple revenue streams beyond TikTok’s fund. Overall, the Creator Fund aims to reward original, quality content on TikTok, but is still evolving in terms of availability, earnings, and creator satisfaction.
In closing, the Creator Fund is TikTok’s attempt at helping its popular creators supplement their income directly through the platform. While a beneficial initiative, the program has room to grow, and serious creators should continue leveraging other monetization strategies for the time being.
