Whether you’re dreaming of becoming the next viral entertainment sensation like Chrisp or spreading positivity and healthy food wisdom like Tabitha Brown, mastering TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program could be your ticket to turning those views into actual dollars. Here’s everything you need to know about monetizing your TikTok success.
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The Creator Rewards Program is TikTok’s monetization tool that rewards creators whose posts perform well. TikTok designed it to “help creators foster their creativity and generate higher revenue potential by posting high-quality, original content.”
The program aims to boost creator monetization while encouraging longer, higher-quality content. To maximize your TikTok earning potential, check out our guide on how to become a TikTok influencer.
TikTok Creator Fund vs. Creator Rewards Program
The Creator Fund is officially dead. The Creator Fund, which ended in 2023 in the U.S. and U.K., has been completely replaced by the Creator Rewards Program. Users are no longer able to join the Creator Fund, TikTok confirms: “The TikTok Creator Fund is no longer available and has been replaced by the Creator Rewards Program, which helps creators maximize the potential to collect rewards through original content.”
1. Meet the requirements for joining the Creator Rewards Program.
Before earning some cash, you must meet these conditions:
- Location: You must live in a country where the Creator Rewards Program is available. Currently, it is only available in the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, and Brazil.
- Account standing: Your TikTok account must follow Community Guidelines and Terms of Service with no violations.
- Account type: You must have a personal TikTok account.
- Authentic info: Your account information must be real (with your actual name and date of birth).
- Age: You must be at least 18 years old (or 19 in South Korea).
- Followers: Your account must have at least 10,000 followers.
- Views: Your posts must have at least 100,000 views in the previous 30 days.
2. Apply.
Meet the requirements? To apply to the program, go to your profile, hit Menu, and go to TikTok Studio. Select Creator Rewards Program. The application is straightforward from there.
3. Wait.
According to TikTok, applicants should receive a response within three days. If your account is rejected, you have two options:
- Appeal the decision within 30 days.
- Re-apply 30 days after the appeal period (totaling 60 days).
Once you’re in, it’s time to figure out the kind of content the Creator Rewards Program pays out the most for.
4. Create reward-eligible content.
The Creator Rewards Program doesn’t pay for just any post. TikTok has set specific standards for reward-eligible content, detailed in its Creator Academy:
- Original content only: TikTok defines original content as content you designed, filmed, and produced that showcases your niche. Original content is not a Duet or Stitch video; copied or watermarked content; reproduced content with only minimal changes (such as filters, text, stickers, or video speed adjustments); others’ videos or pictures without original elements; looping videos, photos, or text overlays; or videos containing copyrighted music or lip syncs that play for more than one minute.
- Length and quality: Content must be at least one minute long and high quality.
- Performance: The post should have at least 1,000 views on the For You Page.
- Format restrictions: Content can’t be a Duet, Stitch, or created using Photo Mode.
- No paid content: Ads, paid promotions, and sponsored content aren’t eligible.
- Compliance: All content must follow TikTok’s Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, Creator Code of Conduct, and Copyright Policy.
5. Get paid.
TikTok uses these guidelines for creator rewards:
- Video performance: Average watch time and completion rates
- Search value: Traffic your videos generate
- Location: Where you’re located and where your video is viewed
- Engagement: Viewer interactions with your video
- Advertising: How much time viewers watch ads
TikTok only pays for “qualified views”: unique video views from the For You feed that are watched for more than five seconds. Fraudulent, paid, disliked, promoted, or artificial views don’t count.
Additional rewards are available for content that is:
- Well-crafted: 1080p or higher, well-edited videos over a minute long
- Engaging: Intriguing content that draws viewers in
- Specialized: Provides value through expertise or specificity
Credit: Alex Photo Stock/Shutterstock
While actual pay varies from hundreds to thousands of dollars, Influencer Marketing Hub’s calculator for potential payouts finds that creators “typically earn $0.40–$1.00 or more per 1,000 views” under the Creator Rewards Program. For example, a TikToker with 10,000 followers, 100,000 likes, and 1,000 posts could generate $16–$24 per post using their calculator.
1. Get to know TikTok. The platform’s Creator Academy offers valuable tips and insights, and understanding its algorithm can help you learn how videos go viral.
2. Craft high-quality videos. Don’t let production inexperience stop you. TikTok offers many built-in options, and countless classes and YouTube tutorials can help you improve your skills.
3. Be real. Users see endless content every time they open TikTok. Authentic, genuine posts make people like and follow instead of scrolling past.
4. Find your specialty. While you might start posting various content types, pay attention to what works. Focus on content that resonates with your audience. Even within your niche, certain content types may perform better—think of chefs who find that simple recipes with everyday ingredients outperform fancy plated dishes.
5. Post, post, post. Being a creator isn’t simple, since constantly generating ideas, recording, and posting consistently takes real effort. But if you have the time and content, consistent posting maximizes your monetization potential. More videos mean more chances to earn qualifying views.
6. Engage your audience. Ask questions, speak directly to viewers, and make them feel seen. The more followers and new users engage with your content, the better your reward potential.
Now that you understand TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, you’re ready to join and start earning money from the content you’re posting! To boost your expertise and experience, start finding content creation gigs using our comprehensive content creator job database.
