TikTok is stepping up its competition with Twitch, YouTube and others with the launch this week of TikTok LIVE Subscriptions, a new program that will allow creators to generate recurring revenue through payments from their top fans. Similar to offerings from competing streaming sites, the new service will offer subscribers a range of perks, including subscriber-only chat, custom emotes, badges and more.
The program will officially launch in beta testing on May 26, initially with a number of creators who have been invited to participate, according to information posted by TikTok on its @TikTokLIVE_creator account.
@tiktoklive_creator Welcome to LIVE subscription – connect with your community on a whole new level! #LIVESubs #TikTokLIVE ♬ original sound – TikTok LIVE Creator
News that TikTok was considering moving to the subscription space was first revealed by The Information in January, but specific details were not known at the time.
Over the past week, TikTok teased the program on the @TikTokLIVE_creator channel, which focuses on sharing updates for the creator community.
In a series of videos featuring creators who will be among the first beta testers, we learned that in addition to the usual subscriber benefits, subscribers will also be able to control cameras on creators’ live streams. Additionally, badges will update as a viewer subscribes to give more visibility to long-term subscribers, and creators will be able to customize their LIVE rooms.
A number of creators have started sharing news of their participation in the new beta with their fans on TikTok and elsewhere on social media. While some beta testers are game streamers, the program is not limited to this space. It looks like TikTok has invited a wide variety of creators to try out subscriptions, including artists, vloggers, beauty experts, ASMR creators, Spanish-language creators, musicians, dancers and more. Each has designed their own emoticons to use with subscriptions.
Once set up, creators will have the option to turn their TikTok LIVE streams into a special “subscribers only” mode that would only give paying subscribers the ability to comment, though anyone can watch. This could help creators get to know their top fans, provide fan-exclusive Q&As, and potentially also limit trolling, since people would have to subscribe to post comments.
Pricing for these streams has yet to be announced, but some creators have share it’s “comparable” to Twitch prices and revenue sharing with TikTok is the same as on Twitch. For reference, Twitch subscriptions start at $4.99 per month and Twitch is taking a 30%-50% cut in subscription revenue (although a Bloomberg report says that could change).
Creators who have announced their participation on TikTok’s Creator Channel so far include: @shaarichie, @danielrene, @jackbethatsme, @coreyasmr, @thrdfloor, @tacticalgramma, @brklyntae and @ziggbee.
@tiktoklive_creator Only 5 days left! Join @JACK BE to learn more about the LIVE subscription. #LIVESubs #TikTokLIVE ♬ Inspiring Upbeat – audiomechanica
The launch of TikTok LIVE subscriptions comes at a time when competition for creator talent is heating up, with major social platforms offering direct payments and bonuses designed to encourage creators to post original content on their apps. But in the longer term, social platforms know that the best and most sustainable way to attract and retain talent is to give creators tools to earn a living from their work. With subscriptions, creators can tap into recurring revenue streams that help them continue to fund their efforts without having to rely solely on less predictable revenue, like bonuses, virtual fan tips, or branded deals.
TikTok isn’t the only platform to enter the subscription market recently. In January, Instagram also launched its first trial of creator subscriptions in the United States, which offers paid access to exclusive Instagram Live videos and stories, among other standard perks. Twitter has also been testing followings with its Super Follows platform, which recently added the ability for creators to host Super Follows spaces just for their fans.
TikTok has confirmed that the details for its own TikTok creator account are accurate, adding that creators must be 18 years old and have a minimum of 1,000 followers to access the LIVE subscription feature. Users must be over 18 to purchase a subscription and to send or receive coins and gifts, he also noted.
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