TikTok is continuously finding ways to encourage creators so that the platform will have more content to attract other users. Previously in beta, the Creativity Program was not an official program for the company called Creator Rewards.
The New Creator Rewards Program
The Creator Rewards Program is a way for TikTok to compensate for its creators' content through monetization. Previously known as the Creativity Program, the beta version was being tested by the company as they gathered feedback to make it better.
Now that it has been optimized, creators can "generate higher revenue potential and unlock more real-world opportunities." The change will be coming in the next few weeks. It will have the same requirements as before for monetization.
For one, the videos are only eligible if they are longer than a minute. TikTok states that posts that are high-quality and have original content will continue to be rewarded, with key factors considered such as originality, play duration, search value, and audience engagement.
The company boasts that since the experimentation stage, the program has been successful with total creator revenue increasing by more than 250% in just six months. Creators who make about $50,000 monthly have also almost doubled their earnings.
TikTok has been offering long-form videos since 2022, which is different from what made it popular in the first place, which are short-form videos. Company statistics state that users spend 50% of their time watching longer content on the platform.
The app has also seen an increase of 40% in viewership with longer videos in the past six months, which explains why TikTok is finally bringing the rewards program out of beta, which was initially an invite-only program.
"Longer videos have unleashed a wide range of possibilities for our community, providing creators with added flexibility to express themselves and embrace creative freedom without limits," the blog post announced.
TikTok Still Has a Problem to Address
While the new Creator Rewards Program serves as an opportunity for creators to earn more from the platform, there is still a certain limitation to the kind of content they can make due to audio restrictions, particularly titles under Universal Music Group.
A lot of the previous video trends were cut short after the platform muted the audio affected by the licensing dispute, and it will continue to be an issue until TikTok reaches a deal with the music company.
As TikTok still refusing to renew its licensing agreement, UMG also pulled music that it has published in addition to those it distributes, as per Variety. That means that more titles will be removed in addition to the millions that are already missing from TikTok's catalog.
Some of the popular artists affected by the licensing dispute include Adele, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Ice Spice, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Metallica, Metro Boomin, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, SZA, the Weeknd, and many more.
Since artists who published under the company have been affected as well, even the music they only contributed to will also be removed from TikTok. At this rate, creators will have to look for available music that may not be as recognizable compared to titles from mainstream artists.
