TikTok has announced the closure of its Creator Fund, an initiative launched in 2020 with the aim of financially supporting content creators. The decision comes after feedback from users who found the program complicated and limiting for earning potential on the platform. TikTok now shifts focus to its newer Creativity Program, which promises higher earnings for eligible creators.
TikTok has announced the closure of its Creator Fund, an initiative launched in 2020 with the aim of financially supporting content creators. The decision comes after feedback from users who found the program complicated and limiting for earning potential on the platform. TikTok now shifts focus to its newer Creativity Program, which promises higher earnings for eligible creators.
Article: TikTok has decided to wind down its $2 billion Creator Fund, a program that was established in 2020 to financially aid creators producing content on the app. This move, confirmed by a company spokesperson on Monday, follows a period of criticism from the creator community regarding the fund's effectiveness in supporting their income goals.
Originally, the Creator Fund was envisioned as a three-year project to empower "ambitious creators seeking to make a living out of their innovative content." The fund allocated payments based on the proportion of total views creators amassed on the platform. Despite these intentions, the implementation led to widespread dissatisfaction among users. Prominent voices, such as internet culture expert Hank Green, pointed out the flaws in the system, suggesting that the fund favored the platform's financial interests over those of its users.
Creators came forward to support Green's stance, revealing the minimal earnings they received despite achieving high viewership figures. For example, Green disclosed that for every thousand views, his earnings were approximately 2.5 cents. The termination of the Creator Fund will take effect on December 16 in regions including the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany, as reported by various media outlets. While TikTok acknowledged the closure, specific details beyond this have not been disclosed.
In the wake of the feedback on the Creator Fund, TikTok emphasized the importance of community input in shaping the platform's policies. This has led to the introduction of the Creativity Program, which TikTok introduced as a more generous alternative, citing potential earnings of "up to 20 times" that of the previous fund. The new program has eligibility criteria such as video length, view count, and adherence to community guidelines.
For now, the Creativity Program remains in a beta phase, with participation limited to U.S.-based creators who meet certain followings and view count thresholds. There is no clarity yet on whether TikTok will expand this program globally or establish alternative monetization strategies for creators in other parts of the world. This development signifies TikTok's ongoing efforts to refine how it compensates creators, ensuring that the platform remains a vibrant and economically viable place for content generation.
